A common new chapter for EU enlargement

The European political cycle that began last year has brought a shift towards the political (far) right. This changing political landscape, along with Donald Trump’s re-election as US President and its impact on the geopolitical balance, is affecting the EU’s enlargement policy.

The Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Foundation Max van der Stoel and the Olof Palme International Center, together with the S&D Group in the European Parliament, organised this expert meeting to create debate on the future of EU enlargement in this new context.

Building on last year’s event “Progressive Visions for the future of EU enlargement“, this conference examined proposals for EU reforms to prepare for enlargement and explored how the new states could be gradually integrated. This year’s conference focused, in particular, on the socio-economic development of candidate countries, with special attention to youth, as well as the role of European nationalist and far-right forces in the enlargement process.

The conference was preceded on Monday, 7 April, by the opening conference of the Willy Brandt Programme on EU Enlargement, organised by the S&D Group in the European Parliament.

For more information regarding the project and this event, please do not hesitate to contact Hedwig Giusto, FEPS Senior Research Fellow and Editor-in-Chief of the Progressive Post (hedwig.giusto@feps-europe.eu) or Julia Wild, FEPS Project Officer (julia.wild@feps-europe.eu).