{"id":80196,"date":"2026-09-21T14:11:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T12:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libmod.de\/?p=80196"},"modified":"2026-10-22T11:20:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T09:20:58","slug":"conference-report-the-future-of-eu-enlargement-eu-integration-as-geopolitical-necessity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libmod.de\/en\/conference-report-the-future-of-eu-enlargement-eu-integration-as-geopolitical-necessity\/","title":{"rendered":"Conference report <br>The Future of EU Enlargement: EU Integration as Geopo\u00adlitical&nbsp;Necessity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\" id=\"wpb-content-root\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]<img class=\"alignnone wp-image-80224 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/libmodredaktion.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20260922104606\/OeP_Plus_Keyvisual_englisch_1200x500-3.jpg\" alt width=\"1200\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/libmodredaktion.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20260922104606\/OeP_Plus_Keyvisual_englisch_1200x500-3.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/libmodredaktion.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20260922104606\/OeP_Plus_Keyvisual_englisch_1200x500-3-770x321.jpg 770w, https:\/\/libmodredaktion.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20260922104606\/OeP_Plus_Keyvisual_englisch_1200x500-3-768x320.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=\u201d.vc_custom_1508251598805{margin-top: 30px !important;}\u201d][vc_column width=\u201c2\/3\u201d css=\u201d.vc_custom_1508252250311{padding-right: 20px !important;}\u201d][vc_column_text css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]<\/p>\n<h3>How can the European Union adapt its enlargement policy to new geopo\u00adlitical realities? What oppor\u00adtu\u00adnities do models of gradual integration offer? And how is Russia attempting to undermine the European integration of its neigh\u00adbouring countries? These questions were at the heart of the inter\u00adna\u00adtional conference \u201cThe Future of EU Enlargement: EU Integration as a&nbsp;Geopo\u00adlitical Necessity\u201d, held on 5&nbsp;October 2026. The Zentrum Liberale Moderne, together with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, hosted the public event in&nbsp;Berlin.<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_gallery images=\u201c80775,80773,80771,80769,80767,80765,80759,80757,80749,80747,80745,80743,80741,80733,80731,80729,80715,80711,80705,80703\u201d img_size=\u201cfull\u201d interval=\u201c3\u201d type=\u201cflexslider_slide\u201d][vc_column_text css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]<strong>Mark Speich<\/strong>, Secretary General of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Marieluise Beck, Senior Fellow for Eastern Europe at the Zentrum Liberale Moderne, delivered the opening addresses. They were followed by keynote speeches from Maida Gor\u010devi\u0107, Montenegro\u2019s Minister of European Affairs, and Ambas\u00adsador Sebastian Fischer, Deputy Director-General for EU Affairs at the German Federal Foreign Office.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]EU enlargement is an issue of strategic impor\u00adtance, Mark Speich empha\u00adsised. What had long been regarded as a&nbsp;technical accession process had now become a&nbsp;geopo\u00adlitical necessity. The decisive question was no longer whether the EU should enlarge, but how it could do so effec\u00adtively in its external relations while ensuring its insti\u00adtu\u00adtions remained capable of functioning. At the same time, he pointed to the opposing forces: \u201cFor years, Russia has been attempting to weaken democ\u00adratic insti\u00adtu\u00adtions, intensify social polar\u00adi\u00adsation and sow doubts about EU integration.\u201d[\/vc_column_text]<\/p><div class=\"gem-youtube gem-wrapbox gem-wrapbox-style-no-style rounded-corners gem-wrapbox-position-below\" style=\"width: 100%;\"><div class=\"gem-wrapbox-inner gem-ratio-style\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%\"><iframe class=\"gem-wrapbox-element img-responsive\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jHA9-2anoao?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>[vc_\u200bcolumn_\u200btext css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]<strong>Marieluise Beck<\/strong> recalled that Europe no longer lived in an era when it could assume it was surrounded exclu\u00adsively by friends. \u201cThe European Union is no longer just about material prosperity. It is about providing military protection for the idea of freedom that the European Union embodies.\u201d[\/vc_column_text]<div class=\"gem-youtube gem-wrapbox gem-wrapbox-style-no-style rounded-corners gem-wrapbox-position-below\" style=\"width: 100%;\"><div class=\"gem-wrapbox-inner gem-ratio-style\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%\"><iframe class=\"gem-wrapbox-element img-responsive\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ockzthHTM9M?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>[vc_\u200bcolumn_\u200btext css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]<strong>Ambas\u00adsador Sebastian Fischer<\/strong> also stressed the need to link reform progress in candidate countries with a&nbsp;credible prospect of accession. His central message was: \u201cSuccessful reforms that create the necessary mutual trust must be rewarded with integration into the European Union.\u201d Otherwise, the EU would play into the hands of those seeking to undermine accession processes through disinformation.[\/vc_column_text]<div class=\"gem-youtube gem-wrapbox gem-wrapbox-style-no-style rounded-corners gem-wrapbox-position-below\" style=\"width: 100%;\"><div class=\"gem-wrapbox-inner gem-ratio-style\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%\"><iframe class=\"gem-wrapbox-element img-responsive\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L9trFSpw-C8?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>[vc_\u200bcolumn_\u200btext css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]In her keynote address, Montenegro\u2019s Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gor\u010devi\u0107, outlined her country\u2019s expec\u00adta\u00adtions regarding EU accession: \u201cWe are working inten\u00adsively on the remaining chapters to conclude the accession negoti\u00ada\u00adtions, with the ambition of becoming the 28th member state of the European Union in&nbsp;2028.\u201d\n<h2>Panel I: Gradual Integration and Associate Membership \u2013 New Momentum in EU Enlargement Policy<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Maida Gor\u010devi\u0107<\/strong>, Montenegro\u2019s Minister of European Affairs, Liubov Akulenko (UCEP), Anastasia Pociumban (DGAP) and German Bundestag member David Preisendanz (CDU) discussed new models of European integration in the first panel. The central question was whether gradual integration and associate membership could accel\u00aderate the accession process without abandoning reform require\u00adments for candidate countries \u2013 or whether they would create new inter\u00adme\u00addiate stages that could postpone full membership indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>David Preisendanz<\/strong> argued that enlargement needed to be accel\u00aderated for geopo\u00adlitical reasons, while the merit-based approach and the rule of law remained essential. Current proposals for gradual integration repre\u00adsented a&nbsp;good compromise, but these new models must not create yet another \u201cwaiting room\u201d. The geopo\u00adlitical urgency of enlargement had to be recon\u00adciled with the merit-based accession process. Given the growing influence of Russia and China, enlargement was in the European Union\u2019s own strategic interest. At the same time, the rule of law and the fight against corruption, in particular, must not be&nbsp;neglected.<\/p>\n<p>Maida Gor\u010devi\u0107 pointed to Montenegro as a&nbsp;potential success story for European enlargement policy. The country aimed to conclude accession negoti\u00ada\u00adtions by the end of 2026 and join the EU as its 28th member state in 2028. For Montenegro, it was crucial that fulfilling the accession criteria actually led to membership. Gradual integration could support the process, but it must not create an additional obstacle for countries that were already at an advanced stage. Montenegro\u2019s successful accession would also strengthen the credi\u00adbility of European enlargement policy in the eyes of other candidate&nbsp;countries.<\/p>\n<p>From a&nbsp;Ukrainian perspective, Liubov Akulenko questioned what additional benefits gradual integration could still offer. Ukraine was already closely integrated into the European single market in numerous areas, including SEPA and roaming, as well as the energy, customs and transport sectors. Without full membership, the scope for further substantial integration was limited. In light of Russia\u2019s war of aggression, Ukraine therefore needed not only new integration models but also concrete support in imple\u00admenting insti\u00adtu\u00adtional reforms. A&nbsp;capable public admin\u00adis\u00adtration that could advance reforms even under wartime condi\u00adtions was partic\u00adu\u00adlarly important. Without a&nbsp;clear political prospect of accession, however, there was a&nbsp;risk that further inter\u00adme\u00addiate models would delay actual&nbsp;membership.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anastasia Pociumban<\/strong> noted that Moldova viewed the current geopo\u00adlitical momentum as a&nbsp;limited window of oppor\u00adtunity for its EU accession. Although new integration models could open up additional possi\u00adbil\u00adities, it remained unclear how they could translate into a&nbsp;binding prospect of membership. Technical agree\u00adments and closer economic ties could not replace the political will to enlarge the EU. Stronger insti\u00adtu\u00adtional involvement of candidate countries in European decision-making processes was therefore partic\u00adu\u00adlarly important. At the same time, she pointed out that every decision required the support of the member states and that public support for enlargement was not partic\u00adu\u00adlarly strong even in&nbsp;Germany.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion also highlighted that reform challenges were not limited to the candidate countries. The European Union itself needed to strengthen its capacity to act. Preisendanz advocated more majority voting and more effective mecha\u00adnisms to protect the rule of law. Maida Gor\u010devi\u0107 expressed openness to stricter rule-of-law safeguards in future accession treaties, while empha\u00adsising the equal status of small and large member states.[\/vc_column_text]<\/p><div class=\"gem-youtube gem-wrapbox gem-wrapbox-style-no-style rounded-corners gem-wrapbox-position-below\" style=\"width: 100%;\"><div class=\"gem-wrapbox-inner gem-ratio-style\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%\"><iframe class=\"gem-wrapbox-element img-responsive\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Vg_hc-AdZ_o?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>[vc_\u200bcolumn_\u200btext css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]A common conclusion emerged from the discussion: gradual integration could generate new momentum, but this required the EU to act more swiftly in geopo\u00adlitical terms without abandoning its own democ\u00adratic principles. At the same time, the credi\u00adbility of enlargement policy depended on whether successful reforms were actually rewarded with political progress bringing candidate countries closer to full&nbsp;membership.\n<h2>Panel II: Russia\u2019s Playbook Against EU Enlargement<\/h2>\n<p>In the second panel, \u201cRussia\u2019s Playbook Against EU Enlargement\u201d, repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives from Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine and Germany examined the narra\u00adtives and instru\u00adments Russia uses to obstruct European integration.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion showed that the Kremlin exploits different societal vulner\u00ada\u00adbil\u00adities to achieve a&nbsp;similar objective: ampli\u00adfying doubts about the EU, desta\u00adbil\u00adising democracy and weakening support for a&nbsp;European future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Saba Brachveli<\/strong> of the Georgian Civil Society Foundation identified three central narra\u00adtives of Russian influence opera\u00adtions: European integration would lead to war with Russia; the EU was too weak to support Georgia; and European values threatened national&nbsp;identity.<\/p>\n<p>These messages were effective because they tapped into genuine fears. Given Russia\u2019s occupation of Georgian terri\u00adtories, concerns about another war were being delib\u00ader\u00adately exploited to undermine the country\u2019s European orien\u00adtation. Partic\u00adu\u00adlarly conse\u00adquential was the fact that anti-European rhetoric was now accom\u00adpanied by concrete political restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>His warning extended beyond Georgia: if this strategy proved successful, similar narra\u00adtives and mecha\u00adnisms could gain ground in other European countries. The EU therefore needed to provide more visible support to its partners and counter the image of a&nbsp;weak and unreliable&nbsp;Europe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Areg Kochinyan<\/strong>, President of the Armenian Council, explained how Russia uses economic and political depen\u00addencies to obstruct Armenia\u2019s rapprochement with the EU. After Russia had, from Armenia\u2019s perspective, failed to honour its security commit\u00adments, trust in Moscow had declined signif\u00adi\u00adcantly. Never\u00adtheless, Russia continued to wield consid\u00aderable influence through Armenia\u2019s depen\u00addence on Russian energy and pro-Russian political networks. Areg Kochinyan warned of the danger that Armenia\u2019s democ\u00adratic devel\u00adopment could suffer a&nbsp;reversal similar to that seen in&nbsp;Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>A decisive response would be to create genuine alter\u00adna\u00adtives. These included closer economic integration with Europe, diver\u00adsi\u00adfi\u00adcation of energy supplies and the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. As long as these oppor\u00adtu\u00adnities remained limited, Russia could continue to exploit existing depen\u00addencies to undermine Armenia\u2019s European orientation.<\/p>\n<p>Moldovan expert Denis Cenusa observed that his country had maintained its pro-European course despite massive disin\u00adfor\u00admation campaigns, alleged vote-buying and economic&nbsp;pressure.<\/p>\n<p>He identified cooper\u00adation between civil society, independent media and state insti\u00adtu\u00adtions, as well as concrete EU support, as important factors. European instru\u00adments to counter disin\u00adfor\u00admation and cyber\u00adat\u00adtacks, in particular, had strengthened Moldova\u2019s&nbsp;resilience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dmytro Shulga<\/strong> of the Inter\u00adna\u00adtional Renais\u00adsance Foundation described a&nbsp;shift in Russia\u2019s strategy of influence towards Ukraine. Whereas Moscow had previ\u00adously offered economic alter\u00adna\u00adtives to European integration, it was now increas\u00adingly relying on intim\u00adi\u00addation and efforts to undermine Ukrainians\u2019 trust in their insti\u00adtu\u00adtions and Western&nbsp;partners.<\/p>\n<p>One central narrative was that the EU had no intention of admitting Ukraine anyway. This made delays in the accession process partic\u00adu\u00adlarly problematic, as they could lend additional credi\u00adbility to Russian&nbsp;claims.<\/p>\n<p>Dmytro Shulga empha\u00adsised that the EU could not counter this strategy through commu\u00adni\u00adcation alone. It had to demon\u00adstrate through political decisions and tangible progress in negoti\u00ada\u00adtions that EU membership was a&nbsp;realistic prospect for Ukraine. Otherwise, there was a&nbsp;risk of repeating the prolonged waiting period experi\u00adenced by the Western Balkan&nbsp;countries.<\/p>\n<p>Germany was also a&nbsp;target of this Russian playbook, stressed <strong>Chantal Kopf<\/strong>, spokesperson on European affairs for the Green parlia\u00admentary group in the Bundestag. As in the candidate countries, fears of war and economic burdens were being exploited to weaken support for Ukraine and its European integration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFear is always the under\u00adlying factor,\u201d Chantal Kopf explained, referring to the recurring patterns of Russian influence opera\u00adtions. German policy\u00admakers needed to take these concerns more seriously and explain more convinc\u00adingly why EU enlargement was in Europe\u2019s interest. She called for closer cooper\u00adation with civil society actors, more effective measures against disin\u00adfor\u00admation on social media and, above all, a&nbsp;credible enlargement policy. Germany bore particular respon\u00adsi\u00adbility in this&nbsp;regard.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the differ\u00adences between the countries, a&nbsp;common pattern emerged: Russia exploits fears of war, economic and energy depen\u00addencies, and doubts about whether the EU will deliver on its promises. An effective response therefore combines visible support for partner countries, genuine alter\u00adna\u00adtives to depen\u00addence on Russia and a&nbsp;credible enlargement policy.[\/vc_column_text]<\/p><div class=\"gem-youtube gem-wrapbox gem-wrapbox-style-no-style rounded-corners gem-wrapbox-position-below\" style=\"width: 100%;\"><div class=\"gem-wrapbox-inner gem-ratio-style\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%\"><iframe class=\"gem-wrapbox-element img-responsive\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZG3RNKuQfGI?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>[vc_\u200bcolumn_\u200btext css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]In his closing remarks, <strong>Ralf F\u00fccks<\/strong>, Managing Partner of the Zentrum Liberale Moderne, brought together the central themes of both panels. Europe needed to take Russian influence opera\u00adtions seriously without portraying Russia as more powerful than it actually was. The decisive issue was not so much a&nbsp;lack of resources as the political will to make full use of Europe\u2019s capabilities.\n<p>He argued for overcoming two supposed contra\u00addic\u00adtions: the tension between EU enlargement and internal reform, and that between gradual integration and full membership. The EU needed a&nbsp;more flexible archi\u00adtecture allowing for different speeds of integration. At the same time, it must not postpone enlargement until all insti\u00adtu\u00adtional reforms had been&nbsp;completed.<\/p>\n<p>Above all, however, the public debate needed to change. Candidate countries should no longer be perceived primarily as a&nbsp;burden on the EU. Rather, they brought political, economic and techno\u00adlogical benefits that could strengthen Europe.[\/vc_column_text]<\/p><div class=\"gem-youtube gem-wrapbox gem-wrapbox-style-no-style rounded-corners gem-wrapbox-position-below\" style=\"width: 100%;\"><div class=\"gem-wrapbox-inner gem-ratio-style\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%\"><iframe class=\"gem-wrapbox-element img-responsive\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fRgc30atNTk?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><div class=\"gem-youtube gem-wrapbox gem-wrapbox-style-no-style rounded-corners gem-wrapbox-position-below\" style=\"width: 100%;\"><div class=\"gem-wrapbox-inner gem-ratio-style\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%\"><iframe class=\"gem-wrapbox-element img-responsive\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JQ654iXXVMU?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>[vc_\u200bcolumn_\u200btext css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=\u201cnone\u201d]<span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">T<\/span>\n<p>Supported by:<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-75248\" src=\"https:\/\/libmodredaktion.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20251010121721\/Logo-AA.png\" alt width=\"170\" height=\"107\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-75250\" src=\"https:\/\/libmodredaktion.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20251010121739\/Logo_CV.png\" alt width=\"241\" height=\"70\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">t<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\t(function() {\n\t\tvar u=\"https:\/\/spenden.twingle.de\/embed\/genericorganisation\/genericproject\/tw5aeafe12eb6cb\/widget\";\n\t\tvar id = '_' + Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9);\n\t\tvar d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];\n\t\tdocument.write('<div id=\"twingle-public-embed-' + id + '\"><\/div>');\n\t\tg.type='text\/javascript'; g.async=true; g.defer=true; g.src=u+'\/'+id; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s);\n\t})();\n<\/script>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Hat Ihnen unser Beitrag gefallen? 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What oppor\u00adtu\u00adnities do models of gradual integration offer? And how is Russia attempting to undermine the European integration of its neigh\u00adbouring countries? These questions were at the heart of the inter\u00adna\u00adtional conference \u201cThe Future of EU Enlargement: EU Integration as a&nbsp;Geopo\u00adlitical Necessity\u201d, held on 5&nbsp;October 2026. The Zentrum Liberale Moderne, together with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, hosted the public event in&nbsp;Berlin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":257,"featured_media":80227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14789],"tags":[2987,14068,15601,10657],"class_list":["post-80196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-event","tag-current","tag-moldova","tag-montenegro","tag-ukraine-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.7 (Yoast SEO v28.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Conference report The Future of EU Enlargement: EU Integration as Geopolitical Necessity - libmod.de - Zentrum Liberale Moderne<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How can the European Union adapt its enlargement policy to new geopolitical realities? What opportunities do models of gradual integration offer? And how is Russia attempting to undermine the European integration of its neighbouring countries? These questions were at the heart of the international conference \u201cThe Future of EU Enlargement: EU Integration as a Geopolitical Necessity\u201d, held on 5 October 2026. 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