Before the European Parliament, which was preparing to vote on his appointment as head of the Commission, in July 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker affirmed that there would be no further enlargement of the European Union (EU) under its mandate. “The EU needs to take a break from its enlargement process in order to consolidate what has been done at 28”, he explained, recalling that thirteen States had joined since 2004. He did not imagine, then, that the United Kingdom would leave community construction. He also did not imagine that, almost ten years later, the Twenty-Seven would draw the outlines of a Union with more than thirty member states.
“Enlargement responds to the call of history, it is the natural horizon of our Union”, said Ursula von der Leyen, who succeeded Jean-Claude Juncker at the end of 2019, on Wednesday 8 November. In this logic, the Commission proposed the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, as well as granting candidate status, under conditions, to Georgia. The community executive also announced measures intended to give assurances to the six Western Balkan countries which have been waiting in the EU’s antechamber for years (Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo) and may fear seeing Kiev and Chisinau pass them by. After being shut down, “enlargement is back”greets a senior European official.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 radically changed the situation and even the member states most resistant to any further enlargement, first and foremost France, were forced to change their position. In this new geopolitical and security context, “our neighbors must choose” between ” democracy “ And “an authoritarian regime”between the EU and Russia, assured Ursula von der Leyen.
Ukraine and Moldova chose. Since they were granted candidate status in June 2022, they have, despite the war for one and the high tensions on the Russian border for the other, multiplied reforms so that negotiations can take place. open. According to the Commission, both kyiv and Chisinau have “more than 90%” of what was then asked of them in terms of the fight against corruption, respect for the rights of minorities, the independence of the judiciary and measures to reduce the influence of oligarchs on power.
“Not historic” according to Zelensky
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