A Vision Rooted in History and Freedom
Commissioner Marta Kos, tasked with overseeing EU Enlargement, delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of completing European integration by extending Union membership to Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. Drawing inspiration from Simone Veil, the speech framed the ongoing enlargement as not just geopolitical necessity but a restoration of European normality and freedom, countering the resurgence of autocracies around the continent.
Concrete Policy Orientation and Safeguards
Commissioner Kos articulated a three-pronged approach: First, ensuring candidate states achieve full readiness for EU membership with no shortcuts, stressing quality reforms in rule of law and democratic standards to avoid opening doors to malign influences. Second, preparation within the EU for new members via a "pre-accession readiness review," aimed at addressing policy impacts and public concerns on social protection, border control, and governance. Third, deeper integration before full accession by including future members in EU structures to address security challenges and economic interdependence, notably integrating Ukraine and Moldova into the energy market by 2027.
Political Cleavages and Stakeholder Impact
The proposal highlights a tension between strengthening EU power and national sovereignty, as new members will have full rights and obligations but with new envisaged safeguards against democratic backsliding and foreign influence. Key stakeholders include candidate countries' governments and reformers, EU regulatory bodies overseeing accession, EU producers benefiting from economic integration, and EU citizens whose concerns about social models and security the Commission seeks to address. The enlarged EU could enjoy enhanced security cooperation, single market integration, and democratic resilience, but candidates will face strict reform conditions that may challenge current political elites. The plan aims to dispel fears that enlargement weakens the EU by emphasizing strategic benefits and proposing mechanisms to safeguard the Union’s integrity.
Kos’s speech signals a shift toward a proactive enlargement policy intertwined with European security and democracy promotion, offering a balance between political realism and ambitious integration to respond to contemporary geopolitical risks.