Moldova eyes 10% pension hike and ambitious EU accession goals

Moldova is navigating significant domestic and international developments. Regarding social policy, Minister Natalia Plugaru stated that pensions could increase by up to 10% in 2027. This estimation is based on inflation forecasts, as the state typically indexes pensions according to the consumer price index. While the exact figure will not be confirmed until late December, current projections suggest inflation could reach 10%. Plugaru also noted that long-term demographic shifts may necessitate a revision of the pension calculation formula and changes to social insurance contributions to ensure system sustainability.

On the geopolitical front, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis commented on Moldova's potential accession to the European Union. While the Moldovan government aims to conclude negotiations by the end of 2028, Dombrovskis described this as a ‘very ambitious’ goal. He emphasized that accession is a merit-based process requiring the fulfillment of all pre-accession conditions and noted that final membership decisions rest with all EU member states. Moldova has been a candidate country since 2022 and has already received agreement from all 27 member states to launch technical negotiations on specific clusters, including justice, the internal market, and foreign policy.