Can the EU accommodate an increased political and cultural diversity after a next round of enlargement? In this contribution, Saskia Hollander (Senior Research Fellow at Clingendael) assesses the impact of EU enlargement on the EU’s capacity to uphold democracy and the rule of law and project core values within its borders.

While bold decisions have brought enlargement back on the EU’s agenda, long-standing constraints and challenges remain. In this contribution, Professor Antoaneta Dimitrova sheds light on three dilemmas facing EU and candidate state leaders. (24 September)

Activating its enlargement process is not optional for the European Union. In this post, Professor Veronica Anghel argues that enlargement, particularly to wartime Ukraine, is a matter of institutional survival, a major push to enact reforms the EU needs, and a strategy for the EU to respond to the growing competitiveness gap between the organisation and global economic powers. (20 September)

Enlargement policy has been re-discovered as the most powerful tool to stabilize the EU’s neighbourhood. Professor Daniela Schwarzer argues that enlargement will only be successful if the EU becomes more flexible in integrating new members and in its functioning, while enhancing legitimacy and protecting its basic principles more forcefully. (15 May)

While new plans for the gradual integration of candidate countries may help to speed up their accession process in certain policy sectors and serve EU interests, Steven Blockmans argues that such advances should be firmly anchored in the formal framework of membership negotiations and checked against comprehensive reforms of the rule of law and public administration. (24 April)

Despite the security risks involved, there can be no going back on the EU’s commitment to a renewed enlargement process. Professor Michael Leigh outlines what steps policymakers need to take to fulfil the EU’s aspiration of securing stability. (3 April 2024)

The challenges of enlargement are great, but the costs of non-enlargement are greater. Professor Erik Jones points out what European policymakers need to consider when committing to enlargement as an investment in peace, security, and stability. (27 February 2024)

Political scientists Göran von Sydow and Valentin Kreilinger set the scene for a new SIEPS forum on enlarging and reforming the EU. In short contributions, renowned experts will discuss major issues at stake. (27 February 2024)