Maia Sandu has been pushing for Moldova's membership despite growing opposition

Moldova's President Maia Sandu has said her country could join the EU by 2028, despite growing opposition to her pro-Western policy.

The former Soviet republic has pursued EU and NATO membership since 2020, when Sandu, a vocal critic of Russia, came to power. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022, alongside Ukraine. Re-elected last year in a contested and much debated runoff, Sandu has stepped up efforts to speed up the accession process.

Asked during an interview on Monday with local broadcaster TV8 about the timeline, Sandu said she intended to conclude negotiations by the end of 2027.

"By 2028, we expect every EU member state to have ratified our agreements. That way we will complete the process by the end of the current European Commission's mandate," Sandu said.

The Commission's mandate, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, runs from December 2024 to December 2029.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last month that Moldova's accession by 2028 depends on the pace of the country's reforms and unanimous support from the bloc's 27 members.

Sandu's policy has drawn mounting criticism at home. This month, thousands of protesters rallied in the capital Chisinau over the country's economic direction and her government's handling of opposition voices.

The demonstration, led by the Party of Socialists and its leader, former President Igor Dodon, was billed as the start of their parliamentary election campaign ahead of a vote expected in September. Sandu has said the upcoming elections will be decisive for Moldova's EU course.

The Socialists, who refused to recognize Sandu's re-election, accused her government last month of "an unprecedented act of spiritual terror" after a senior Moldovan Orthodox Church bishop was barred from traveling to Jerusalem for Easter.

The Sandu administration has also been embroiled in longstanding political standoff with the autonomous region of Gagauzia. Her government, driven by a strong pro-European and anti-Russian vision, reportedly sees Gagauzia not just as an ideological outlier, but as a strategic challenge.

The region's governor, Yevgenia Gutsul - a fierce critic of Sandu - was arrested in April amid an investigation into alleged irregularities in her 2023 campaign. Gutsul accused Chisinau of targeting Gagauzia in retaliation for its support of opposition figures, including herself.

Opposition described Gutsul's arrest as a "purely political persecution."

Sandu had claimed she was fighting against "pro-Russian" actors within the country as she launched a crackdown on opposition parties and media outlets, branding them as criminals.