Dormant since Croatia's 2013 entry, EU enlargement roars back amid global flux. Western Balkans frontrunners like Montenegro edge toward membership, while Ukraine's plight and US retrenchment force a bolder approach. Events like the Peterson Institute's forum underscore the stakes: who joins, when, and how.
Geopolitics drives the charge. Russia's aggression spotlights the need to lock in neighbors against hybrid threats. Director-General Gert Jan Koopman signals accelerated timelines, but reforms remain the gauntlet—rule of law, anti-corruption, market alignment.
Challenges abound: internal divisions, with enlargement skeptics fearing dilution of funds and standards. The 2026 EPRS flags uncertainty, economic transitions, and environmental pressures as headwinds. Yet opportunity beckons—a larger EU bolsters strategic weight against China and MAGA isolationism.
Success hinges on innovation: phased integration, geopolitical incentives over purity. Failure risks a fortress Europe, ceding influence. As conferences like Europe Forward rally business and politics, 2026 tests if the EU can expand without imploding.
