European Commission Ranking in 2025
The recent report from the European Commission regarding the EU's enlargement in 2025 showed that Ukraine failed to lead among candidate countries. Among the countries wishing to join the EU, Ukraine found itself at the bottom of the group along with Moldova, which surpassed it in the ranking. The relevant European Commissioner, Marta Koch, emphasized that Moldova is among the elite four countries seeking membership.
Moldova not only caught up but also outpaced Ukraine. According to the report's results, both countries have approximately the same rating of about 2.4 points, but Moldova's rating is slightly higher (2.44 compared to Ukraine's 2.36).
The report also notes the most active entry candidates, who face serious problems that slow down their chances of joining. Among the outsiders in European integration are Turkey, Bosnia, Kosovo, Georgia, Serbia, and North Macedonia.
Moldova and Its Success
Judging by this year's report, Moldova is making impressive strides in the field of reforms and aligning with EU standards. Even in a short period, Moldova managed to demonstrate a significantly faster pace of reforms than Ukraine.
Last year, our neighbor received 13 points more in the ranking, while Ukraine managed to score only 2.5 points. This indicates that Moldova is confidently moving toward leading positions.
In this context, it becomes clear that Ukraine must direct significant efforts toward reforms and alignment with European standards in order not to lag behind its neighbors and to meet the EU requirements.
The EU Commission has noted that Moldova is showing significant progress in reforms and a faster rate of development than Ukraine. This requires significant efforts from the Ukrainian authorities to avoid lagging behind.