In person icon EU Enlargement, Borders, and Values: Navigating Expectations in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape

Abstract

The European Union's enlargement policy continues to be a contested process shaped by geopolitical shifts, evolving identities, and the expectations of pro-EU actors. This panel examines the tensions between EU policy and civil society aspirations in Georgia and Armenia, as well as broader enlargement dynamics in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. Contributions analyze the EU’s debordering and rebordering strategies after 2022, the shifting significance of European values in MEPs’ discourse on Russia and Israel, and the impact of the Russian invasion on EU parliamentary debates regarding the Western Balkans. Additionally, the panel explores patron-client dynamics in EU-Serbia relations, questioning traditional approaches to enlargement. By integrating discourse analysis with policy studies, this discussion critically assesses the EU’s role as a transformative power in its neighborhood.

Title	Details
Debordering and Rebordering in EU Enlargement: Identity and Policy Shifts in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans After 2022	View Paper Details
Questioning European Values Significance? MEPs Discourse Regarding Russia and Israel	View Paper Details
Beyond Conditionality: Strategic Compliance and the EU's Struggle to Promote Rule of Law in the Western Balkans	View Paper Details
The Dramaturgy of Memory Politics: The Dissonant Heritages of Remembering and the European Commission Mnemonic Strategies in the Field of Enlargement	View Paper Details
Too Little, Too Late? Mismatches Between EU Policy and Pro-EU Civil Society Actors’ Expectations in Georgia and Armenia	View Paper Details