The new enlargement momentum: the Eastern candidate countries on a shared European path

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally transformed the geopolitical landscape of Europe and accelerated the strategic importance of EU enlargement towards the Eastern candidate countries. Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia have emerged as key partners in shaping the future security and stability of the European continent. Yet, despite the renewed political momentum generated by the enlargement process, democratic reforms continue to unfold in an increasingly challenging environment, characterised by political polarisation, institutional fragility, external interference and growing societal pressures.

While all three countries have committed themselves to ambitious reform agendas, their paths towards European integration remain uneven and vulnerable to both domestic and external challenges. Democratic backsliding, hybrid threats, disinformation campaigns, electoral interference and foreign influence operations have become central obstacles to the consolidation of democratic institutions and to the credibility of the accession process itself.

Against this background, the first Friends of the Eastern Candidates (FoEC) Network Meeting will bring together members of the European Parliament, representatives of progressive political parties from the Eastern candidate countries, policymakers, academics and civil society representatives to discuss the major democratic challenges facing Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia and to explore how progressive cooperation can better contribute to their European future.

For more information regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact Julia Wild, Project Officer (julia.wild@feps-europe.eu) and Hedwig Giusto, Senior Research Fellow, (hedwig.giusto@feps-europe.eu).