A YEAs impression: study visit to the Mission of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union
My day started before sunrise in The Hague, boarding a train south toward Brussels. Somewhere between the Netherlands and Belgium, the border disappeared almost without notice. No passport checks, no barriers, just stations, languages, and people moving across Europe as part of their normal routine. By the time I arrived in Brussels, that quiet sense of European interconnectedness came when I met the YEAs based in Brussels.
Later that afternoon, with my fellow YEAs, we visited the Mission, where we met H.E Ambassador Daniela Morari to discuss Moldova’s path toward EU membership.
Inside the Mission, Ambassador Morari spoke about Moldova’s path to the EU, which includes reforms on the justice system, corruption, and public administration. She also spoke honestly about the pressure Moldova is facing, like energy insecurity, cyber attacks, inflation, and disinformation campaigns.
At the same time, she highlighted the progress that Moldova has made in moving closer to the European Union. One example was Moldova joining SEPA, the Single Euro Payments Area, in October 2025. This means, for those who got lost some chapters ago, that euro transfers between Moldova and EU countries now happen under the same conditions as inside the EU itself, making payments faster and much cheaper for citizens and businesses. More than 60% of Moldova’s exports already go to the EU, and lower transaction costs help both companies and families.
What stood out during the visit was how human the conversation felt. EU accession often sounds distant when discussed through negotiation chapters and technical criteria, but H.E Ambassador Morari repeatedly brought the discussion back to people. She talked about the trust in institutions, opportunities for young people, and Moldova’s long-term future inside Europe.
After the group discussion finished, I couldn´t miss the opportunity to ask her some questions. I first asked her about Moldova’s top short-term priorities on its path toward EU membership. Ambassador Morari explained that Moldova is currently working toward opening the formal negotiation clusters and hopes to move forward before the upcoming EU-Moldova Summit. I also asked what advice she would give young Moldovans preparing for a more integrated European future. Her advice is that young Moldovan´s should prepare themselves, study seriously, and become experts in their chosen fields. She stressed that Moldova needs active and well-prepared young people who can contribute to the country’s future inside the European Union. Finally, I asked her what advice she would give to young women interested in public service and diplomacy. She answered with three words: hard work, trust, and courage. She also spoke warmly about President Maia Sandu, saying that many people inside Moldova’s institutions follow her example.
As we left the Mission later that afternoon, Brussels was grey and rainy in the most Brussels way possible. Still, the conversations stayed with me during the train ride back north. Earlier that morning, crossing borders between European countries had felt almost invisible. For Moldova, that same freedom of movement and connection remains part of a future still being built.
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