Pragmatic, Gradual, Geopolitical... What’s Left of the Ambitions of the European Union’s Enlargement?, Florent Marciacq
Résumé :
Once regarded as a key foreign policy instrument of the European Union (EU), the enlargement process is increasingly hampered by geopolitical tensions, internal divisions and longstanding malfunctions. The new impetus that followed the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022 has eroded. Gradual integration is now being presented as a pragmatic solution to maintain the momentum of enlargement, yet it risks weakening the European project by prioritising open-end economic logics over democratic aspirations, political unification and progressive alliances. Confronted with challenges posed by regional autocrats, as well as Russia, China, and even the Trump administration, the Union must clarify its ambitions and assert a coherent political vision if it wishes to remain a credible and influential actor.