Inter­na­tional Conference
The Future of EU Enlargement: EU Integration as Geopo­litical Necessity

The Center for Liberal Modernity together with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung cordially invite you to attend our inter­na­tional conference “The Future of EU Enlargement: EU Integration as a Geopo­litical Necessity” on Monday, October 5, 2026 at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Academy.

In the fifth year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the European Union faces the challenge of adjusting its enlargement policy to the evolving geopo­litical landscape.

Against this backdrop, the debate on models of gradual EU integration is gaining impor­tance and is being discussed by policy­makers, academics, and the candidate countries. At the same time, this debate has increas­ingly become a target of Russian influence efforts aimed at spreading anti-European narra­tives, such as the alleged loss of national sover­eignty, thereby desta­bil­ising democ­ratic societies in Eastern and South­eastern Europe.

The inter­na­tional conference addresses both of these closely inter­con­nected devel­op­ments. First, it will discuss current concepts of gradual EU integration and their impli­ca­tions for the candidate countries Ukraine, Moldova, and Montenegro. Particular attention will be given to the oppor­tu­nities that gradual integration or associated membership may offer for the future of EU enlargement policy. Second, the conference will analyse Russian infor­mation manip­u­lation as a tool used against democ­ratic devel­opment in the EU’s neighbourhood.

The event will open at 16:30 with welcoming remarks from Mark Speich, Secretary-General of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and Marieluise Beck, Senior Fellow for Eastern Europe at the Center for Liberal Modernity. After­wards, Maida Gorčević, Minister for European Affairs of Montenegro, will deliver a keynote speech.

Key questions of the conference:

• How can the European Union strike a balance between geopo­litical action, insti­tu­tional credi­bility, and long-term enlargement prospects?
• Which insti­tu­tional reforms does the EU need to implement gradual integration credibly?
• How can gradual integration or associated membership be designed in practice?
• How are concepts of gradual EU integration perceived in public and expert debates?
• Which narra­tives and instru­ments does Russia use to undermine public support for European integration and obstruct reform processes?
• What cross-country patterns can be identified in Russian influence activ­ities, and how can the European Union and its partners respond effectively?

We further cordially invite you to our reception which will take place after the conference.