The future of EU enlargement

At a summit in the Spanish city of Granada on October 6, the European Union’s 27 governments expressed support for integrating new countries into the bloc. However, they failed to provide a clear timetable for enlargement and made only vague promises of progress by 2030. This lack of progress is symptomatic of internal divisions on the issue, as some leaders say that enlarged membership would strengthen the geopolitical influence of the European Union. while others warn against adding new members to an already difficult-to-govern bloc. The European Union is unlikely to resolve this dispute in the near future, exposing it to frequent instability in its periphery and opening the door to greater influence by foreign actors in EU candidate countries.…