Think Visegrad Brussels publications

Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 has brought EU enlargement back as a priority of the EU policy towards the neighbourhood and as a geopolitical tool to ensure peace, stability and prosperity on the entire continent. That resulted in the EU recognising the aspiration of the Associated Trio countries to join the EU and granting membership candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in 2022 and to Georgia in 2023. In record time, the former two countries also started the EU accession process in June 2024. The accession process of the candidates from the Western Balkans also accelerated. Bosnia and Hercegovina was granted the candidacy status and accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia started in 2022. However, despite the general consensus that enlargement is a geopolitical necessity, the question posed by French President Emmanuel Macron in Bratislava in 2023 – How should we do it? – still remains unanswered. Writes Marta Szpala, a Senior Fellow in the Central European Department at the Center for Eastern Studies.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to significant changes in the Ukrainian transport sector due to disruptions in supply chains, cargo flows, and damage of the country’s infrastructure. The Ukrainian transport system has undergone significant transformations. The country's borders with Russia and Belarus and its airspace have been closed. In the first months of the full-scale war, the temporary blockage on the operation of Black Sea ports forced Ukraine to develop land transport corridors to the EU countries and neighboring Moldova to enable both export and import of goods needed for the economy. Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine has accelerated a long-planned reform of the country's transport system to adapt its infrastructure to the EU standards and integrate it with the European transport network. Writes Sandra Baniak, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Eastern Studies in the Connectivity and Regional Integration Programme.

The war between Israel and Hezbollah, after a phase of full-scale confrontation, was halted by an armistice concluded at the end of 2024. The situation, however, remains far from stable, and the effects of the crisis are long-term. The surprise caused by the 7 October attack was shared by the European Union. The new iteration of the crisis in the Middle East represented another major political challenge for the European community, overlapping with those related to the Russia-Ukraine war, the migration crisis and other pressing issues requiring Union’s involvement. The EU's policies towards Israel and Palestine came under scrutiny, and the situation once again highlighted the extensive level of divisions among the EU states, affecting the potency and perception of its actions. Writes Michał Wojnarowicz, an Israel and Palestine analyst in the Middle East and Africa program at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, in his policy paper.

There is a plethora of ways in which the ETS2 revenues and Social Climate Fund financing can support decarbonisation among lower-income strata, accounting for differing needs of communities, regions and countries. When addressed in a timely manner, these initiatives can both serve the green and just transition. How exactly can the Fund be allocated and what are its capacities are the guiding questions of this policy brief, written by Rebeka Hengalová as part of the Think Visegrad research fellowship.

The European Union has been implementing an ambitious agenda under the European Green Deal. Sustainable development and climate action have been prioritized as per the ambitious goals covered in the European Green Deal. However, as underscored by Ursula von der Leyen, the focus for the strategic priorities has recently shifted towards economic security, competitiveness, and defence. Yet, the climate crisis constitutes an unprecedented security threat for modern humanity and the development of resilience towards climate change should still serve as a precondition for the fulfilment of those strategic priorities. Writes Elif Naz Němec in her Policy Brief.