The new boundaries of Europe?

• Department of Political and Social Sciences

The International Relations Working Group hosts a roundtable discussion on the current EU enlargement wave, together with an exhibition titled 'European integration through political caricatures: views from the EU aspiring states'.

EU enlargement is once again high on the political and academic agenda. The process was significantly reinvigorated when Ukraine applied for membership just four days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia have achieved candidate status for EU membership, while the long-stalled accession paths of Western Balkan countries—including North Macedonia, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina—have gained new momentum.

Unlike previous enlargement rounds, this renewed push unfolds in a context shaped by acute security threats and shifting geopolitical alignments. These developments have not only redefined the EU’s external priorities but also sparked a resurgence of academic interest in the enlargement process, prompting fresh analysis of its implications for security, identity, democratisation, and the future of European integration.

This panel will aim to interrogate the EU’s contemporary enlargement agenda through both empirical and theoretical lenses. Focusing on Serbia, Georgia, and Ukraine, the discussion will explore how these countries highlight the key challenges currently facing the EU enlargement process, including political instability, democratic backsliding, and geopolitical tensions.