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EU Enlargement Dilemmas

August 12, 2025

🧭 Powerhouse or talking shop? The European Parliament and EU enlargement

Magdalena Frennhoff Larsén Talking shop or powerhouse? The role of the European Parliament in foreign affairs is the subject of much debate. Magdalena Frennhoff Larsén explains how the Parliament has contributed to the current momentum around enlargement – an area where parliamentary influence is often overlooked – and how the European Commission is increasingly recognising, and valuing, the parliamentary dimension Read more
August 6, 2025

🧭 Military support to Ukraine is more fundamental than enlargement

Bjarn Eck EU enlargement alone won’t bring peace or security to Ukraine. Without matching accession promises with sustained military aid, writes Bjarn Eck, Europe risks prolonging the war — and exposing itself to greater danger Read more
July 31, 2025

🧭 Can the EU overcome Hungary’s veto on Ukrainian membership?

Tyyne Karjalainen Hungary’s blocking behaviour risks derailing Ukraine’s fragile pro-European momentum. If not addressed, it could fuel Euroscepticism, embolden authoritarian spoilers, and hollow out the EU’s enlargement promise. Tyyne Karjalainen explores what options are on the table to restore credibility to the accession process Read more
July 22, 2025

🧭 Europe’s geopolitical test: enlargement in a post-American moment

Milada Anna Vachudova Milada Anna Vachudova argues that defending liberal democracy is essential to Europe's geopolitical power. EU enlargement and military investment must fill the security and values vacuum left by the United States in 2025 Read more
July 15, 2025

🧭 Enlargement reimagined: the shifting logics behind the EU’s expansion

Marius Ghincea What motivates EU enlargement? Marius Ghincea and Laurențiu Pleșca argue that the Union’s approach has evolved through three overlapping logics — transformation, stabilisation, and demarcation. By unpacking how these priorities have shifted over time, they offer a more nuanced understanding of enlargement in a changing geopolitical context Read more
July 8, 2025

🧭 How staged integration can revitalise EU enlargement

Ivan Nagornyak Staged integration is gaining traction to revitalise EU enlargement without lowering standards. Drawing on Ukraine’s experience, Ivan Nagornyak and Mariia Shalamberidze examine expert models and propose a structured, fair, and security-conscious approach Read more
June 23, 2025

🧭 How the European Parliament can shape enlargement 

Lien Jansen Often dismissed as a procedural bystander in EU enlargement, the European Parliament holds underused tools to shape outcomes — from budgetary leverage to informal diplomacy. Lien Jansen argues that the European Parliament can act strategically — if internal cohesion and inter-institutional cooperation align. Its latent power matters more than ever in today’s geopolitical climate Read more
June 16, 2025

🧭 Why the EU must act before public support for enlargement fades

Dmytro Panchuk Russian aggression in Ukraine triggered a surge in support for EU enlargement — but public goodwill is beginning to fade. Dmytro Panchuk argues that this moment of elite-public alignment is rare and fragile. To seize it, EU leaders must act decisively before war fatigue and populist rhetoric erode the case for widening Read more

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Advancing Political Science
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