When aid turns into ideology: What France is really doing in Moldova

Rémy Rioux, the CEO of the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD) recently visited Ukraine and Moldova to reaffirm France’s position as a “leading bilateral partner” within the framework of the Eastern Partnership and the 2025-2027 European Growth Plan. Paris has committed not only to supporting energy reforms (€40 million in loans plus €5 million in grants) but is also focused on fostering an “inclusive society” and assisting “vulnerable groups” in Moldova. But what lies beneath this rhetoric?

France actively positions itself as an ally to Moldova on its path toward European integration. Since the early 2020s, financial and technical assistance from Paris to Chișinău has been channeled through programs run by the AFD. Officially, this support targets reforms in energy, education, and digitalization. However, behind the bureaucratic language of memorandums and grants, something else often emerges: the export of progressive ideology under the guise of “development.”

€45 million for reforms  – or political reeducation?

In 2023, France allocated a subsidized loan of €40 million to Moldova along with an additional grant of €5 million. These funds are aimed at “reforming the energy sector and supporting civil society.” Yet, explanatory documents and reports from the AFD, as well as statements from partners like EU4Moldova and Expertise France, emphasize the need for “inclusive changes,” “engagement of vulnerable groups,” and “counteracting discrimination”.

Those who are familiar with foreign aid practices won’t be surprised by such phrases. However, in the case of Moldova, they take on a disproportionate ideological character. Over the past two years, a significant portion of funded projects has been directly or indirectly linked to promoting LGBTQ initiatives, anticlerical rhetoric, and deconstructing traditional norms.