20 years after the ‘Big Bang’ enlargement: the EU looks East

• DossierEurope and Global Governance · Russia Caucasus and Central Asia
  by Eleonora Tafuro Ambrosetti and Mattia Massoletti

In 2004, ten countries simultaneously joined the European Union, in what went down in history as the "Big-Bang" enlargement - the single largest EU expansion wave. Twenty years later and following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the debate around new members has revamped. Several post-Soviet states were granted the status of candidate (Georgia) or opened accession talks (Ukraine and Moldova). While their short-term membership looks farfetched, former USSR states seem to have been placed on top of the European enlargement agenda, leaving other longtime candidates in the Western Balkans seemingly stuck in their path towards the EU.

With European elections underway, this Dossier looks at the possible future paths of EU enlargement, both generally and specifically in the post-Soviet context. Is the EU ready to welcome new members? What is the state of Ukraine and Moldova's accession process? How does Georgia's democratic backsliding affect its European aspiration? How is Armenia planning on deepening its ties with the EU? How do long-standing candidates view the enlargement process in the former USSR?