Rome – ESI at debate on EU enlargement

Tieless panel on “Which enlargement is the EU working on?” (from left to right): Nicoletta Pirozzi (IAI, head of programme), Remzi Lani (Albanian Media Institute, executive director), Kristof Bender (ESI), Luisa Chiodi (OBCT, director), Bartosz Wielinski (Gazeta Wyborcza, deputy editor-in-chief), Donika Emini (BiEPAG). Photo: IAI

Kristof Bender was invited to participate in a conference titled “Advancing EU Enlargement: Italy’s role and strategic convergence on the Western Balkan’s integration”. The event, taking place on 15 April 2025 at the Italian MFA, was organised by the Instituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kristof spoke on a panel on “Which enlargement is the EU working on?” and presented ESI’s research on the deficiencies of the current accession process and proposals how the process can be revived in a way that addresses the concerns of European leaders that are reluctant to enlarge the EU. A new report on this topic is in preparation.

• ESI proposal: “Offer the four freedoms to the Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova For a merit-based EU accession process with a credible goal”
• Kristof Bender, EU enlargement: A new approach, essay, Eurozine, 4 October 2023
• ESI proposal: “End the turtle race How the EU can address the crisis of the accession process”
• ESI report: “Scoreboard - The true state of accession - What the Commission assessments reveal”, 31 October 2025