Building Moldova’s Resilience for a European Future
Governance, Trust and Strategic Transformation in Times of Uncertainty

Join us for a Leadership and Public Policies Seminar, conducted in English, organized by the Aspen Institute Romania, with the support of the Technical University of Moldova (UTM). 

Powered by the Aspen Institute Romania Chișinău Office.

For the 2 days of the Seminar, we will explore how the Republic of Moldova could increase its societal and democratic resilience, facing multiple hybrid threats, continuing its path to European integration.  

Moldova’s European path is entering a new phase. Beyond political commitment and institutional alignment, the country faces a deeper challenge: how to transform itself while preserving social cohesion, democratic trust, and strategic clarity in an increasingly fragmented world.

Russia’s war against Ukraine, economic uncertainty, technological disruption, energy pressures, disinformation campaigns, and demographic decline are no longer isolated crises. Together, they form a permanent environment of pressure that tests not only institutions, but society’s capacity to adapt, cooperate, and maintain confidence in the future.

Against this backdrop, resilience can no longer be understood simply as resistance to shocks. It must also mean the ability to reform, modernize, and build legitimacy under pressure.

The 2026 edition of this high-level seminar will convene approximately 25 participants from government, business, civil society, academia, media, and international organizations for a Socratic-style dialogue inspired by the Aspen Institute method. Through reflective discussion and interdisciplinary exchange, participants will explore the tensions, trade-offs, and strategic choices shaping Republic of Moldova’s European future.

The seminar aims to create a space for deeper reflection on the societal dimension of EU integration: not only what Moldova must change institutionally, but what kind of state, economy, and society it ultimately seeks to become.

Rather than focusing exclusively on policy prescriptions, the discussions will examine the underlying conditions of long-term resilience: public trust, institutional capacity, civic responsibility, technological adaptation, democratic culture, and the ability to navigate uncertainty without fragmentation.

 

Key themes of the seminar

1. Republic of Moldova and Europe in an Age of Strategic Realignment

Moldova’s European path unfolds at a moment when Europe itself is being reshaped by war, geopolitical fragmentation, economic competition, and a renewed focus on security and strategic autonomy. EU integration is no longer only a technical or institutional process, but also a strategic and societal choice that requires long-term vision, political coherence, and public legitimacy.
What kind of Europe is Moldova preparing to join – and what kind of Moldova does Europe ultimately need?

2. Governing Transformation: State Capacity, Reform and Public Trust

European integration places enormous pressure on institutions to reform, modernize, and deliver tangible results. Yet transformation cannot rely solely on legislation or administrative processes. It also depends on the state’s ability to build trust, maintain legitimacy, communicate clearly, and sustain public confidence during periods of uncertainty and fatigue.
How can democratic institutions transform fast enough to meet strategic challenges without losing public trust and legitimacy?

3. Societal Resilience in a Fragmented World

Resilience is not only about responding to crises, but also about preserving social cohesion, shared purpose, and the ability of communities to adapt under prolonged pressure. Moldova faces overlapping challenges – demographic decline, migration, economic inequality, polarization, information overload, and uncertainty about the future – all of which affect the social fabric and the country’s long-term stability.
What ultimately keeps a society together during long periods of uncertainty, pressure, and change?

4. Technology, Democracy and the Future of Trust

Technology increasingly shapes how societies govern, communicate, work, and make decisions. At the same time, digital transformation brings new vulnerabilities: disinformation, cyber threats, AI-driven manipulation, erosion of trust, and growing tensions between speed, transparency, and democratic oversight.
Can technology strengthen democratic resilience – or does it risk accelerating fragmentation and distrust if institutions fail to adapt?

 

Seminar format and participants 

The Aspen Seminar on Societal and Democratic Resilience in Moldova is an international Leadership & Public Policies Seminar, organized by the Aspen Institute Romania for the 3rd time in Chișinău. 

Each edition brings together approximately 25 participants who are invited to explore relevant questions about the challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world, from societal and democratic resilience to the impact of new technologies, security, geopolitics, and the future of European and international structures.

The seminar participants come from diverse professional backgrounds, such as technology, communication, cybersecurity, defense policy, foreign affairs, diplomacy, political affairs, international relations, finance, etc. 

During the 2 days of the seminar, the participants are challenged to explore contemporary critical issues facing the world and to have an informal, constructive debate on topics of high relevance. The format of the event is closed door, designed as an expert-moderated text-based dialogue, conducted in English, taking place under the Chatham House rules.

By attending the Seminar, participants become Aspen Alumni and join the growing community of Fellows and Alumni of the Aspen Institute Romania, already covering more than 40 countries and more than 2,000 individuals from across the globe. 

 

Moderator of the seminar

RADU PUCHIU
Former Romanian State Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Chancellery and National Coordinator for Open Government Partnership. Aspen Seminar Alumnus, currently Aspen Technology & Society Program Director and Co-Founder & CEO of H.appyCities, building digital platforms and mobile applications that empower citizens, communities, and local authorities to think, communicate and act collectively for the benefit of the citizens. Radu is also co-founder of TINIA Group, a green energy company.

Radu Puchiu is a public policy and open government consultant with more than 10 years’ experience in the Romanian public sector. As State Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, he coordinated strategies and public policies development at the Centre of Government, between 2012 and 2017, and as National Coordinator for Open Government Partnership he represented Romania in the Steering Committee of the OGP at the international level. Starting October 2018, he was invited by the OGP to become an OGP Envoy. 

He graduated from the Design Academy in Bucharest, and he attended the Internet Leadership Academy at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, UK. He is also a member of the Open Data Leaders Network organized by the Open Data Institute London. In 2016 he was selected by Res Publica, Google, Visegrad Fund and Financial Times in NewEurope100 (http://www.ne100.org) top of innovation leaders in Eastern and Central Europe.