How today's geopolitical moment differs from that of ten years ago, how war in Europe is changing the dynamics of EU enlargement, what candidate countries can learn from the new situation, and why the European Union itself must also reform in order to be ready to admit a larger number of new members - on these and other topics, Štefan Füle spoke to EUpravo Zato.
He is a former OSCE Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, former European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, and a trustee of the organisation Friends of Europe.
In the interview with our portal, after attending the EU-Western Balkans Summit 2025, he also addressed key questions about what kind of EU future members are actually joining and what the shared objective should be by the time accession agreements are signed.
"I think everything is fundamentally different now. In Europe, we have a war in which people are dying every day. We feel threatened by the consequences of that war. So everything we do, and enlargement is of course an important part of it, is influenced by this. This has translated into new momentum for enlargement," he said in a conversation with our correspondent in Brussels.
Füle noted that member states have emerged from a kind of zone of silence and are now forced to confront important questions related to enlargement. He underlined that it is important for candidate countries to understand the point of the current situation and that this is not the right moment to complain about the fact that member states at some point switched off the "enlargement engine".
According to him, it is now important to seize the current moment with a positive agenda, and discussions should include not only individual candidate countries and member states, but also groups of candidate countries together with member states.
"For example, what kind of European Union will we be joining? Will it be the one we have today, or will it be different? I would assume it will be different, because just as candidate countries are preparing to take on the obligations arising from membership, so too must the European Union and its current members become ready to accept not just one or two, but a larger number of new members," he explained.
Is the EU ready for new members?
The issue of European Union enlargement is no longer only a challenge for countries aspiring to become members, but also for the Union's existing members themselves.
There is a great deal of discussion about the need for the EU to be ready to admit new states, especially in a situation where the accession of several candidates at once is expected.
And, as the diplomat believes, "the ball is not only in the candidate countries' court", adding that it is important for the member states themselves to recognise their obligations in order for the enlargement process to be successful.
"I think the most important thing is to accept the key principle that every enlargement of the European Union is accompanied by a deepening of the European Union. Especially if we are talking not just about one or two new members, but about an entire series of new members. What should that look like? Well, that is for the member states to decide. But they must understand that they too have their own homework to do. That enlargement is not only an obligation for the group that wants to enter, but also an obligation for the gatekeepers, those who are already inside. And ideally, by the time the accession treaty is ratified, we should meet at one point, in a way that benefits everyone and enables Europe to be united," Štefan Füle stated.
The EU-Western Balkans Summit 2025 brought together European and regional leaders
This year as well, the EU-Western Balkans Summit 2025 brought together European and regional leaders in Brussels to consider the geopolitical, security and economic dimensions of European Union enlargement.
The event, partnered by EUpravo Zato, was held under the title "Enlargement
matters - Europe's new geopolitical, security and economic frontier" and represented another opportunity for Western Balkan countries, including Serbia, to send messages about readiness for reforms, the European path and the strengthening of institutions.
The summit programme was divided into three major thematic areas. The first session addressed the geopolitical, security and economic dimensions of enlargement, the second was devoted to the economy and investments, while the third thematic block focused on the rule of law and judicial reform.
(EUpravo zato)
