Georgia and Moldova apply for EU membership | News from Germany about Europe

Georgia and Moldova, following Ukraine, filed applications for accession to the European Union under an accelerated procedure. This was announced by the authorities of both countries on Thursday, March 3.

“In the current difficult situation, we must act quickly and clearly to ensure a European future, freedom and democracy for our citizens,” said Moldovan President Maia Sandu. On her Twitter account, she posted a photo from the signing ceremony of the official application for granting the country the status of an EU candidate, noting that the citizens of Moldova “are ready to work hard for a stable and prosperous future in the family of European states.”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili signed a similar application on Thursday. He noted that this is a “historic day” for the country. “Application for EU membership is another important stage on the way to Georgia’s European integration. A stage that opens a new page in our history,” Garibashvili said. According to him, the Georgian people have always been oriented towards Europe, and the European future is “an uncontested action plan and program determined by the Georgian people for any Georgian government.”

The Georgian government planned to apply for EU membership in 2024, but decided to speed up the process, “based on the political context and the new reality,” Irakli Kobakhidze, head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, explained earlier.

Ukraine applied to join the European Union on February 28 after Russia’s military intervention. On March 1, the European Parliament adopted a resolution in which it spoke in favor of granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership. MEPs also condemned the “illegal, unprovoked and unjustified” aggression against Ukraine, demanding that Russia cease hostilities and withdraw troops from Ukrainian territory.

Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey are currently official candidates for EU membership. However, for none of these countries, the terms of entry into the EU are not defined.

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“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
The answer of convinced Europeans
Since the beginning of 2017, weekly rallies and demonstrations of the newly created Pulse of Europe movement have been held in the central squares of the largest cities in Germany. It was a reaction of EU supporters to Brexit, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the strengthening of anti-European forces before the elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany.

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
The birthplace of the movement is Frankfurt am Main
The movement originated in Frankfurt am Main, where the first rally took place in November 2016. Approximately 200 people came to it. Since January 2017, demonstrations began to take place in the financial capital of Germany on a weekly basis – every Sunday at 2 pm. In February, the number of participants for the first time exceeded 2,000. One of their slogans is: “Let’s make Europe a better place together.”

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
He has never been to demonstrations before.
At the origins of the movement was a 44-year-old Frankfurt lawyer Daniel Röder. After the election of Donald Trump, he sent an e-mail to his acquaintances with a call to speak out in defense of a united democratic Europe and European values. After that, together with his wife Sabina, also a lawyer, he took up the organization of rallies. Soon initiative groups appeared in other cities.

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
A call to the Dutch not to leave
The first important task of the movement was to support the pro-European forces in the Netherlands, where the anti-EU party could become the strongest force in the parliamentary elections on March 15. On March 5, participants in a rally at the foot of the Cologne Cathedral addressed the voters of a neighboring country with an appeal in Dutch: “Stay with us!” The elections showed that the Dutch will not leave.

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
“Now Macron”
The next task is to prevent Marine Le Pen from winning the presidential elections in France. After all, the leader of the far-right National Front is seeking his country’s exit from the EU. The sympathies of the participants in the movement are clearly on the side of the most pro-European candidate – Emmanuel Macron. Although, in general, Pulse of Europe is positioned as a supra-party movement and does not support specific politicians.

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
Young people want to be friends
“Friends” – the participants of the rally in the center of Munich wrote on their self-made poster, specially highlighting the letters EU – the abbreviation of the European Union. Young people especially appreciate the absence of internal borders in the EU and the variety of opportunities for school, student and scientific exchanges.

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
The elderly are grateful for lasting peace
In mid-March, Pulse of Europe rallies were already held in almost 50 German cities, gathering from a few dozen to several thousand people. Elderly Germans also actively attend demonstrations. For the post-war generation, judging by the speeches of its representatives, the main merit of the European Union is that it reconciled the peoples that had been at war for centuries and ensured lasting peace for the countries that joined it.

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
The rally will take place in any weather
The Activists of Pulse of Europe firmly believe that in order to really influence public opinion, demonstrations must be held on a weekly basis. And they are confident that, at least until the elections in France, their supporters will come every Sunday. Even if, as at the rally in Berlin on March 19, instead of banners, banners and balloons, they will have to hold umbrellas in their hands.

“The collapse of the European Union? Can’t wait!”
The movement becomes pan-European
In February, Amsterdam and Paris joined Pulse of Europe, followed in March by other French cities, Brussels, Lisbon, Luxembourg, Vienna. However, the movement still enjoys the greatest support in Germany itself. And here on September 24 elections to the Bundestag are coming. So after the summer break, the German EU supporters are sure to resume their weekly rallies.
Author: Andrey Gurkov