In person icon EU Enlargement and Transformation of Candidate Countries in a New Geopolitical Context

Abstract

The EU enlargement process has re-emerged as a key policy agenda amidst profound geopolitical shifts and internal EU transformations. This panel explores the multi-dimensional transformation of candidate countries in this evolving context, focusing on the political, institutional, and societal challenges and opportunities inherent in the EU accession process. The discussions address diverse yet interconnected themes, including the role of public administration reform as both an enabler and subject of Europeanisation; the effectiveness of EU support in fostering civil society engagement and resilience under crisis conditions; the potential of democratic innovations like citizens’ assemblies in countering autocratization; and the evolving dynamics of regional cooperation as an instrument of EU conditionality and integration. These themes are situated within the broader context of geopolitical rivalry, security concerns, and the EU’s new enlargement methodology launched in 2020. By examining these critical dimensions, the panel seeks to deepen understanding of how EU conditionality, strategies, and policies drive or hinder transformation in candidate countries. Papers also reflect on the challenges of balancing EU ‘widening’ with ‘deepening’ and the implications of gradual integration into EU instruments and markets. Through comparative and case study approaches, the panel highlights innovative practices, structural bottlenecks, and evolving trends in the accession process. The panel offers a comprehensive perspective on the transformative power of the EU in a geopolitically turbulent era, while critically assessing whether the current enlargement agenda and methodologies can navigate the complexities of candidate country transformation.

Title	Details
Regional Cooperation and EU Accession Perspective of the Western Balkans: Conditionality, Complementarity or Competition?	View Paper Details
The Double-Sided Europeanisation of Public Administration in the EU Accession Process	View Paper Details
Democratic Innovations as a Response to Autocratization in Southeast Europe: The Role of Citizens' Assemblies	View Paper Details
Navigating Crises: EU Support to Civil Society Development in the Western Balkans Amid a Shifting Geopolitical Context	View Paper Details