Denis Cenusa
Russia’s hybrid tactics — emboldening sovereigntist populism, spreading disinformation, and weaponising economic hardship — threaten EU enlargement. Countermeasures, argues Denis Cenusa, are thus essential to protecting the enlargement process and the Union’s strategic resilience The European Union’s enlargement process faces unprecedented hybrid threats as geopolitical disruptions mount and socio-economic conditions deteriorate. One of the EU’s […] Read more
Giselle Bosse
EU enlargement can benefit democracy and the rule of law, but the process often excludes citizens from decision-making and cost-benefit framing. For Giselle Bosse, this raises questions about legitimacy — and whether the process truly reflects the priorities of member states and candidate countries Read more
Lucas Schramm
Rising geopolitical pressures, including an ongoing war in its immediate neighbourhood, have thrust EU enlargement back onto the agenda. Lucas Schramm contends that the European Council must reconcile the dual challenges of widening and deepening, as it has done historically. Despite formidable obstacles, enlargement could spur internal reforms and innovations Read more
Milica Uvalić
The EU and the Western Balkan countries view enlargement differently. Milica Uvalić argues that despite renewed EU engagement since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, misperceptions persist, hindering Western Balkan countries’ accession. Bridging these misunderstandings is crucial to revitalising the process and aligning expectations for a shared European future Read more
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
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
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
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
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