Can critical raw materials accelerate EU enlargement while strengthening Europe’s economic security? Sustainable investment, local value chains and high governance standards are essential to turn resource partnerships into long-term strategic assets for both the EU and its...
The EU-Western Balkans Summit highlighted renewed momentum for enlargement. Yet ongoing political crises, governance shortcomings and regional tensions show that successful integration will depend as much on domestic reforms and stability as on geopolitical ambition.
Europe's drive to rearm cannot stop at its borders. The Western Balkans can bolster EU defence readiness – through industrial cooperation, military mobility and regional stability – if deeper integration is matched by governance reform and credible enlargement incentives.
Trial membership or gradual accession: the EU needs new ideas to make enlargement work. We need political creativity to implement what is a geopolitical necessity.
The 2025 enlargement package revives optimism about EU expansion, yet deferred reforms and political hesitation among Member States threaten to stall progress — testing the Union’s readiness as much as that of its candidates.
Albania has made global headlines in appointing 'Diella', an AI system, as a cabinet minister. Hailed as a step towards digital governance, it has also drawn criticism over legality, accountability and the risks of entrusting political power to artificial intelligence.
Persistent scepticism in some EU Member States highlights that the main challenges to enlargement now lie within the Union itself. EU leaders could generate broader public and political support for enlargement by presenting it as a shared security imperative.
As Georgia slides deeper into authoritarianism, the country's rulers appear to be operating under a number of illusions, chiefly regarding the country’s importance to the EU and the extent of its geopolitical clout. Dispelling these misconceptions is essential if there is to be...
What will the Western Balkans look like in 2025? This Chaillot Paper presents three contrasting scenarios for the horizon of 2025 – best-case, medium-case, and worst-case, with each scenario taking account of the impact of underlying megatrends.
During the seven years of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, known as the Brussels Dialogue, relations between the two sides have oscillated between normalisation and a state of strained peace and conflict prevention. What are the key obstacles to more...
