EU Enlargement Watch: The European Commission unveiled COM(2026) 705 “Preparing for a Larger Union,” proposing faster decision-making for candidates via more qualified majority voting, plus stronger rule-of-law safeguards like a 15-year probation-style clause to prevent “backsliding.” Pre-Accession for Moldova: Brussels also outlined “pre-enlargement” arrangements to absorb new members without treaty changes, with Moldova and Ukraine flagged as among the most advanced candidates and possible extra negotiation clusters discussed for next week. Defence Integration: The Commission floated gradual defence integration for candidate countries, pointing to Ukraine’s drone, electronic warfare and innovation experience as a model. Moldova–Romania Power Link: A U.S.-backed Straseni–Gutinas high-voltage line is moving ahead, with a new working group launched and the project branded the “Trump Liberty Line,” supported by $130m to boost grid interconnection with the EU. Smart Farming Push: Moldova’s agriculture ministry says smart agriculture should go national—using AI, digitalization and satellite/soil tools—based on a science-led sector study planned for 2027. Startup Momentum: Moldova climbed eight spots to 82nd in StartupBlink’s 2026 global startup ecosystem ranking, with a 91.9% score jump and $17m+ in 2025 startup financing. Border Tech & Security: Moldova reported Russian drones violating airspace and crashing earlier this week, underscoring rising pressure on the country’s monitoring and response systems. Education for the AI Era: On Teachers’ Day, Moldova’s leaders stressed critical thinking and using AI as a tool, not a replacement for learning.