Enlargement to the Balkans, crucial for Europe’s security

Despite the renewed momentum behind the European Union’s enlargement policy since 2022, the structural problems inherent in the accession process remain largely unresolved and prevent it from becoming a truly geopolitical instrument.

. At the same time, the security environment in the Western Balkans has become increasingly unstable. Russia’s war in Ukraine and its hybrid wave, the transatlantic divide and political uncertainty emanating from the United States have all contributed to making this environment more unpredictable.

In this context, beyond the urgent need to end the conflict in Ukraine, the European Union must also strengthen stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans. In its current form, the enlargement policy is not sufficient to meet the new challenges arising from geopolitical trends, which have a considerable impact on European security.

While the prospect of EU membership is supposed to serve as a lever to stabilise a region, it is no longer sufficient on its own to achieve this objective. The Union should therefore combine its current security and defence efforts with a strengthening of strategic partnerships with candidate countries to prepare them for closer integration into the EU’s security and defence ecosystem.

At the same time, it can adapt its pre-accession approach so that it already contributes to developing regional security and defence capabilities. This approach would demonstrate, if proof were needed, that EU enlargement and deepening are not competing objectives.

y strengthening security and defence cooperation, supporting the modernisation of defence industries in the region and investing in strategic infrastructure, the EU can better align its enlargement policy with its fundamental strategic interest of stabilizing its neighbourhood.

This becomes even more urgent in the context of reduced or competing US engagement.