19/12/2025
📍European Parliament - “Europe’s Expanding Power: How Enlargement Reinforces the European Union?”
➡️ In the framework of ELIAMEP's initiaitve think nea - New Narratives of EU Integration supported by Open Society Foundations Western Balkans
👉 𝐌𝐄𝐏 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭: Stressed the need for a constructive agenda on enlargement and noted that the next round of EU enlargement will ultimately be a question about Europe’s future.
👉 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘀: Emphasized that today’s geopolitical environment requires renewed energy and commitment, and highlighted the initiative’s role in generating fresh ideas and narratives on EU enlargement and integration beyond the conventional framing.
👉𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮 𝗞𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘃𝘀𝗸𝗮: Argued that enlargement is not about the EU becoming bigger but stronger. She demonstrated how Ukraine and the Western Balkan countries already enhance Europe’s defence capabilities, industrial output, and operational readiness, particularly as the EU struggles to meet its own production targets.
👉 𝗠𝗘𝗣 𝗦𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝘀𝗲𝗿: Emphasized that enlargement is intrinsically linked to development and shared prosperity, and underlined the importance of communicating clearly to candidate countries that the EU’s door remains open.
👉 𝗠𝗘𝗣 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗷𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗻: Expressed confidence that it is realistic for two or even three countries to join the EU by 2030, referring specifically to Montenegro, Albania, and Moldova as frontrunners.
👉𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗣'𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂: Underlined the EU’s need for new narratives that articulate not only the benefits of enlargement for candidate countries but also the strategic advantages for the Union and its member states.
➡️ You can read more about the event in the European Parliament here:
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