Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Vasile Tofan, in front of the press after the government meeting on July 28, 2026. Photo: Government of the Republic of Moldova July 2026 The Tofan Government: Between State Reform and the Challenge of European Integration Topics of the edition: 1 ­Igor Munteanu, expert at IDIS Viitorul: “Without a depoliticised public administration and meritocracy, the Tofan Government’s reforms are doomed to fail.” 2 ­Mădălin Necșuțu, journalist, TVR Moldova: The Tofan Government: Between Ambition, Purpose and Seizing Opportunities 3 ­Viorel Gîrbu, economic expert: “Raising Salaries Is Easy, but You Must Ensure There Is Performance” 4 ­Denis Cenușă, expert, Expert-Grup: Vasile Tofan’s Government: Old Problems on the Road to the European Union T he Vasile Tofan Government begins its mandate with an ambitious agenda focused on building a more efficient state, reviving the economy, attracting investment, reforming the public administration, and accelerating European integration, all against the backdrop of a large budget deficit, declining public trust, and fragile institutions. In his analysis, t h e expert Denis Cenușă argues that the government has proposed a series of far-reaching measu ­res aimed at reducing waste, reforming the public sector, stimulating economic growth, and advancing EU accession negotiations. However, their success will ultimately depend on the government’s ability to manage the country’s econo ­mic and energy challenges, advance the reintegration process, and restore public confidence. In an interview with the FES Foreign Policy Bulletin, independent economic expert Viorel Gîrbu argues that fiscal and public sector pay reforms must combine fiscal discipline with meaningful perfor ­mance evaluation, stronger efforts to combat tax evasion, more effective use of European funds, and the development of a coherent long-term economic vision. In his view, the results of such reforms can only be assessed over the long term. IDIS Viitorul expert Igor Munteanu likewise argues that the government’s success will depend primarily on de ­politicizing the public administration, introducing merit-based recruitment and promotion, and professionalizing the leadership of public institutions. Without these reforms, investments, European funds, and the government’s broader reform agenda risk being undermined by political interests and informal networks. Finally, journalist Mădălin Necșuțu argues that European integration begins not in Brussels but within ministries and government agencies. In his view, the first months of the Tofan Government’s mandate will reveal whether it can trans ­form strong European support into an effective public administration capable of delivering reforms, implementing pro ­jects, and producing tangible results. Foreign Policy Association together with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung offer you a newsletter on foreign policy and European integration issues of the Republic of Moldova. The newsletter is part of the“Foreign Policy Dialogue” joint Project. Monthly newsletter, No.7(245), July 2026 1