ISSUE: 2/2023
- Volume 27
- Number 2
- 2023
Subscribe NEWSLETTER
Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
License
Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License
Building a Geopolitical European Union After Russia’s Attack on Ukraine: The Valuable Tool of Enlargement
Abstract
Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a watershed moment that forced the EU to confront its weaknesses and reshuffle its priorities. In this context, the war brought back at the top of the EU’s agenda the enlargement process. In light of these developments, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the war on the EU’s enlargement process and to demonstrate that enlargement policy has acquired a greater geopolitical value than ever before. The paper begins with a historical overview of the challenges that have defined the enlargement process and have led to a deadlock, demonstrating that the war can provide impetus for the revival of the stagnant enlargement process. The discussion proceeds, in turn, to the pros and cons of further expansion of the EU. A pro-enlargement position is adopted, arguing that enlargement is a valuable tool for the transformation of the Union into a real geopolitical actor. Finally, the paper builds upon the previous analysis and proposes ways of adjusting the enlargement process to the new challenges created by the war. To conclude, the paper argues that Russia’s aggression can reinvigorate the enlargement process, which in turn can strengthen the EU’s role on the geopolitical chessboard. The stakes are too high and the EU cannot afford to lose the momentum.
References
Bechev, D. (2022) “What Has Stopped EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans?”, Carnegie Europe. Available at: https://carnegieeurope. eu/2022/06/20/what-has-stopped-eu-enlargement-in-western-balkans-pub-87348 (Access 1.04.2023).
Blockmans, S. and Raik, K. (2022) Ukraine’s Path to EU Membership: How to Turn a Geopolitical Necessity into a Viable Process. Policy Paper. International Centre for Defense and Security/ Estonian Foreign Policy Institute.
Borrell, J. (2022) The Geo-Political Imperative for the EU is to Both Widen and Deepen. European Union External Action Service (EEAS)/Delegation of the European Union to Albania.
Bosse, G. (2022) “Values, Rights and Changing Interests: The EU’s Response to the War Against Ukraine and the Responsibility to Protect Europeans”, Contemporary Security Policy. Vol. 43(3), pp. 531–546. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13523260.2022.2099713.
Brändle, M. (2022) The Western Balkans Warning Sign to Ukraine. IPS.
Cameron, F. (1996) The European Union and the Challenge of Enlargement. Paper presented at the Halki International Seminars (31 August– 7 September 1996).
Cancela, C. and Lamoso, P. (2020) “Serbia’s EU membership, the Corner Stone of Western Balkans, into Question”, Eastern European Journal for Regional Studies. Vol. 6(2), pp. 4–34.
Council of the European Union (2022a) Application of Ukraine for Membership of the European Union – Transmission to Member States’ Parliaments. Communication. 4 March 2022. CM 2003/22.
Council of the European Union (2022b) Speech by President Charles Michel at the Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee. Speech 465/22.
Cvijić, S. and Nechev, Z. (2022) “Without Qualified Majority Voting EU Enlargement has no Future”, EURACTIV. Available at: https://www. euractiv.com/section/future-eu/opinion/without-qualified-majority-voting-eu-enlargement-has-no-future/ (Access 1.04.2023).
Cvijić, S. and Cerimagic, A. (2020) “Rebuilding our House of Card: With More Glue”, Policy Paper. No. 52. Skopje: Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis”.
Cvijić, S. et. al (2019) From Enlargement to Unification of Europe: Why the European Union Needs a Directorate General Europe for Future Members and Association Countries. Open Society Foundations.
Cvijić, S. (2019) “Ditching Unanimity is Key to Make Enlargement Work”, EURACTIV. Available at: https://www.euractiv.com/ section/enlargement/opinion/ditching-unanimity-is-key-to-make-enlargement-work/ (Access 1.04.2023).
Dempsey, J. (2022a) “Judy Asks: Are the EU’s Enlargement Promises Credible?”, Carnegie Europe. Available at: https://carnegieeurope.eu/ strategiceurope/87423 (Access 1.04.2023).
Dempsey, J. (2022b) “Judy Asks: Does the EU Need a New Enlargement Policy?”, Carnegie Europe. Available at: https://carnegieeurope.eu/ strategiceurope/87114 (Access 1.04.2023).
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans (2018) COM(2018) 65 fi nal. 6.02.2018.
Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans (2020) COM(2020) 57 final. 5.02.2020. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0057 (Access 4.04.2023).
De Witte, B. (2002) “Anticipating the Institutional Consequences of Expanded Membership of the European Union”, International Political Science Review. Vol. 23(3), pp. 235–248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0 192512102023003002.
Dimitrov, N. (2022) A Grand EU Bargain, the Four Freedoms and Merit: How to Fix the European House and Make Room for New Members [blog post]. Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen. Available at: https://www.iwm.at/blog/a-grand-eu-bargain-the-four-freedoms-and-merit-how-to-fix-the-european-house-and-make-room-for (Access 1.04.2023).
Dionysiou, E. (2022) “The European Union Enlargement in the Western Balkans: A Never-ending Story of High Hopes and High Disappointments”, Challenges and Barriers to the European Union Expansion to the Balkan Region, pp. 39–66. DOI: https://doi. org/10.4018/978-1-7998-9055-3.ch003.
Eisl, A. (2019) France’s Questionable Arguments Against EU Enlargement [blog post]. Notre Europe, Jacques Delors Institute. Available at: https://institutdelors.eu/en/publications/frances-questionnable-arguments-against-eu-enlargement-2/ (Access 1.04.2023).
Ellereit, E. and Klapper, S. (2022) Restart EU Enlargement Policy: Why the EU has to Integrate the Western Balkans. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
European Council (2022a) Doorstep of President Charles Michel ahead of the European Council and the EU Western Balkan’s Leaders Meeting. European Council Statements and Remarks.
European Council (2022b) European Council Meeting (23 and 24 June 2022)
– Conclusions. EUCO 24/22.
Gotev, G. (2019) “France Halts EU Enlargement”, EURACTIV. Available at: https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/france-halts-eu-enlargement/ (Access 1.04.2023).
Gray, A. (2018) “Macron Pours Cool Water on Balkan EU Membership Hopes”, Politico. Available at: https://www.politico.eu/article/ emmanuel-macron-pours-cold-water-balkans-eu-membership¬enlargement/ (Access 1.04.2023).
Hajdari, U. (2023) “EU, US Slam Bosnian Serb Leader for Awarding Putin Highest Honor”, Politico. Available at: https://www.politico.eu/article/ eu-us-slam-bosnia-serb-leader-molorad-dodik-awarding-putin-honor/ (Access 1.04.2023).
Heidbreder, E.G. (2014) “Why Widening Makes Deepening: Unintended Policy Extension through Polity Expansion”, Journal of European Public Policy. Vol. 21(5), pp. 746–760. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13 501763.2014.897748.
Hopkins, V. (2022) “Tensions Flare on Kosovo-Serbian Border Amid Protests and Gunfire”, The New York Times. Available at: https://www. nytimes.com/2022/07/31/world/europe/kosovo-serbia-border-gunfire. html (Access 1.04.2023).
Kelemen, R.D, Menon, A. and Slapin, J. (2014) “Wider and Deeper? Enlargement and Integration in the European Union”, Journal of European Public Policy. Vol. 21(5), pp. 647–663. DOI: https://doi.org/1 0.1080/13501763.2014.897745.
Marciacq, F. (2019) Reviving Solidarity: A New Regional Approach to Integrating the Western Balkans into a Stronger European Union. Sarajevo: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
Maurer, H., Whitman, R.G. and Wright, N. (2023) “The EU and the Invasion of Ukraine: A Collective Responsibility to Act?”, International Affairs. Vol. 9(1), pp. 219–238.
Mucznik, M. (2022) The European (Geo)political Community and Enlargement Reform: Two Important but Separate Discussions. European Policy Centre.
Non-Paper (2019) Reforming the European Union accession process. November. Available at: https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ Enlargement-nonpaper.pdf (Access 1.04.2023).
Ovádek, M. (2018) “The Rule of Law in the EU: Many Ways Forward but Only One Way to Stand Still?”, Journal of European Integration. Vol. 40(4), pp. 495–503. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiac262.
Press and Information Office of the Federal Government (2022) Policy Statement by Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and Member of the German Bundestag. 27.02.2022. Berlin. Available at: https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/news/policy-statement-by-olaf-scholz-chancellor-of-the-federal-republic-of-germany-and-member-of-the-german-bundestag-27-february-2022-in-berlin-20083¬78 (Access 1.04.2023).
Sirbiladze, I. and Darchiashvili, M. (2019) Russia’s Disinformation Campaigns in Georgia: A Study of State and Civil Society Response. PMC Research Center. Available at: https://pmcresearch.org/policypapers_ file/f6ac5dfb34c12e31c.pdf (Access 1.04.2023).
Spohr, K. (2022) Zeitenwende: Or, the Return to Power Politics and the End of the Post-Wall World? in A New Global Order? History and Power Politics in the Era of Zeitenwende. Körber-Stiftung, pp. 10–14.
Troitiño, D.R., Färber, K. and Boiro, A. (2017) “Mitterrand and the Great European Design – from the Cold War to the European Union”, Baltic Journal of European Studies. Vol. 7(2), pp. 132–147. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1515/bjes-2017-0013.
Van Elsuwege, P. and Van der Loo, G. (2022) The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement after Ukraine’s EU Membership Application: Still Fit for Purpose. European Policy Centre.
DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2023.1
Language: English
Pages: 7-26
How to Cite:
Harvard
Dionysiou, E. (2023) "Building a Geopolitical European Union After Russia’s Attack on Ukraine: The Valuable Tool of Enlargement". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 2-2023, pp. 7-26. DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2023.1