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EU Enlargement Dilemmas

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

January 3, 2025

🧭 'Differentiated membership' would overcome the EU’s enlargement dilemma

Frank Schimmelfennig The EU is caught in a dilemma between its geopolitical urge to enlarge and the high institutional standards for membership. Frank Schimmelfennig argues that differentiated integration would help square the circle. Committed candidate countries could join fast, but only enjoy full rights and benefits of membership conditional on institutional progress Read more

December 20, 2024

🧭 Why EU enlargement is a strategic necessity

Veronica Anghel Launching her series on EU enlargement dilemmas, Veronica Anghel argues that enlargement is no gamble, but a strategic necessity. In crisis, enlargement transforms external risks into shared responsibilities, reinforcing governance, security, and global influence — and ensuring the Union’s survival and relevance Read more

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