Report | EU Enlargement in Times of Geopolitical Change
How are current geopolitical developments shaping the future of EU enlargement? The expert discussion “Western Balkans First? Enlargement with Ukraine and Moldova in Focus”, organised by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in cooperation with the Think Visegrad Platform, focused on the future of EU enlargement in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the changing security environment in Europe.
23. April 2026

The discussion highlighted that EU enlargement is increasingly seen not only as a technical accession process, but also as a strategic tool for European stability, security, and geopolitical influence. Speakers reflected on the uneven progress of candidate countries, the importance of rule of law reforms, and the growing influence of external actors — particularly Russia and China — in the Western Balkans.
Among the speakers were Thomas Hagleitner, Tomáš Strážay, Tomasz Żornaczuk and Berta López Domènech.
You can find the full report under the PDF button.

