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European Union

February 24, 2025

🧭 Could the spillover effects of war strengthen EU enlargement?

Maryna Rabinovych Maryna Rabinovych argues that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshaped EU enlargement dynamics, creating both pressure and opportunity. To sustain momentum, the EU needs a strategic vision and transparent policies. By harnessing wartime spillover effects, the EU can transform reactive measures into structured accession pathways for Ukraine and Moldova Read more
February 13, 2025

🧭 Reasserting the meaning of integration: a new history of the present

Ferenc Laczó Ferenc Laczó reconsiders European integration as a history of the present, focusing on the roles East Europeans have played. He argues that the foremost representatives of East European states now remind their fellow Europeans of the existential stakes of the European project Read more
February 6, 2025

Energy poverty in the EU

Morgiane Noel Energy is a fundamental human need. Yet tens of millions of EU citizens are struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills. Morgiane Noel considers the EU's 2025 policies to overcome energy poverty in the EU Read more
February 5, 2025

🧭 Differentiated democratic enlargement to sharpen EU accession process

Richard Youngs EU enlargement is often hailed as a tool for spurring political reform and countering Russian influence. But Richard Youngs argues that its democratic dimensions are more complex than conventional wisdom suggests. He proposes the concept of differentiated democratic enlargement to address varied pre-accession dynamics and refine EU strategies Read more
February 4, 2025

Promoting Poland’s democratic U-turn

John Chin On 1 January, Poland took over the rotating EU presidency from Hungary. John Chin and Ellie Kim outline the stakes for Europe, and the imperative of promoting a democratic U-turn in central Europe – and Poland itself – after years of democratic backsliding Read more
January 29, 2025

🧭 Rethinking EU enlargement through informal networks

Alexander Mesarovich Alexander Mesarovich argues that informal cultures are an often-overlooked aspect of the enlargement process. While the formal changes are essential, socialising candidate state policymakers into the EU’s 'ways of being' is just as – if not more – important in producing deeper and more durable reform Read more
January 21, 2025

🧭 EU enlargement: process first, outcome second

Jelena Džankić The EU enlargement process successfully transformed Southern and Eastern European states into market democracies, but faltered in the Western Balkans. Jelena Džankić argues that amid today’s geopolitical challenges, prioritising the transformative mechanisms of EU enlargement is more critical than focusing solely on achieving full membership Read more
January 13, 2025

🧭 The EU needs enlargement, but it may not get there

Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré EU enlargement could address collective action problems and stabilise its neighbourhood, but stalled accession processes may make full membership unlikely. Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré and Matteo Bonomi suggest that partial integration — engaging candidate countries in EU policies without membership — will remain the EU's main strategy for managing internal and regional crises Read more

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