EUROPE IN CHISINAU : WHAT DID THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL COMMUNITY HAVE TO OFFER ?

A New Forum of Political Dialogue and Cooperation

The European Political Community (EPC) is an intergovernmental forum for strategic discussions and political cooperation on issues regarding the future of Europe. It shouldn’t be confused with the European Political Community of 1952, project that failed in 1954.

Today’s EPC has been proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron at “the Conference on the Future of Europe” on the 9th of May 2022, Europe Day. It was proposed while France had the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at that time. The conference was also the newest addition to the European family of initiatives for future policies and priorities of the European Union. Here, citizens can participate and have debates on these issues.

Macron called for “a new European organization”. The objective is to have greater cooperation with countries on politics, security, energy investment and migration while sharing core values of the European Union. This idea resonates with the proposal of a European Confederation put forward by François Mitterrand in 1989. The EPC was officially founded on 23-24 June 2022 when the European Council agreed to form the community. This meeting was proposes only a few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Thus, the timing is also symbolic.

Albania’s prime minister Edi Rama and the Prime Minister of Netherlands have previously voiced their support. Indeed they indicated so in a joint article being published on Politico on 5 October 2022.  They expressed their willingness to work on several issues including energy, climate and cyber security within EPC.

The Format of European Political Community

EPC aims policy coordination across the European Continent to address issues of common interest such as security, peace, stability, and prosperity through cooperation and multilateralism. It includes EU member states of 27 countries and non-EU member states like Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The format of EPC as an unofficial forum being joined by heads of states and having no secretariat is similar to the G7 and G20 format. 

Two summits are planned every year. The spring summit is being hosted by a non-EU member state. However, the autumn summit is being hosted by the state holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at that particular time. 

The EPC aims for more integration among member states as well as candidate countries. This community has its roots in the idea called “Europe à Deux Vitesse”. It is also known as “core Europe” and “two-speed Europe”. It means having different levels and paces of integration within different parts of the EU depending on the political situation of each country. For instance, on one hand the Eurozone is made up of 20 countries using the same currency. On the other hand, the Schengen zone is made up of 27 countries where border control is not required. The aim of this idea is to consider the cultural, sociological, economic, political, and religious backgrounds of different countries on integration. In fact each country with its own unique nature adapts to the requirements and expectations of the EU in a different way. 

The Prague Summit

The EPC had its first summit in Prague, Czechia on 6 October last year. Leaders from 44 countries attended the meeting after being formally invited by a letter sent from Charles Michel. He stressed the importance of EPC upon his arrival to the summit. “We share the same continent, we face the same challenges”, he declared.

A couple of hours were dedicated to roundtable talks. They were able to address the common issues that threaten the stability of the continent during the first summit as well as private one-to-one meetings of mutual interest. The war in Ukraine, the energy situation, the cost of living crisis, migration, and mobility across Europe was the main topic of last year’s agenda. 

The Ukraine war dominated the summit as it poses substantial concerns over security and stability for Europe. However, the ongoing conflicts were not limited to the Russian invasion war. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the dispute between Greece and Turkey over maritime borders and migration were also addressed. Russia and Belarus were the only countries on the European continent that were not invited nor attended because of the invasion.

As it was requested by the government of the United Kingdom led by Liz Truss at that time, the European Union flag was not displayed during the Summit. EPC does not use symbols associated with the European Union such as the European Flag or the European Anthem.

This year’s Summit

“We are 45 countries represented here in Chișinău – it is a powerful symbol.” said Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, during his remarks ahead of the summit. He also mentioned his personal support on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union. HE said that the Commission would publish a report on enlargement of the Union. 

The Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski has attended the summit this year. He warned against the Russian aggression and stated Ukraine’s desire to accession to the European Union.

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu has also highlighted the trust-building process among the leaders of the European continent. It was remarkable for Moldova to host the event considering the constant threat of aggression from Russia. Moldova, Ukraine’s neighbour, and former member of the Soviet Union has faced several challenges during the Ukraine war. The Moldovan region called “Transnistria”, is a pro-Russian separatist region that is not internationally recognized. Russia has been conducting military exercises in this region. Therefore, becoming a member of Europe is strategically important for Moldova. A pentalateral meeting also was held between Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Charles Michel, and the German Chancellor also attended. It was remarkable to have this meeting to normalize the relations between them. The two leaders previously met in Brussels to discuss several issues including a peace treaty. The leaders will also meet again on 21 July in Brussels.