(Re)uniting the East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU Enlargement in View of Future Accessions

By invitation only

Twenty years ago, 8 former socialist countries in Central and Eastern Europe and two Mediterranean countries joined the EU. At the time, the 2004 enlargement was framed through the promise of reuniting Eastern and Western Europe after the end of the Cold War. There is no doubt that the 2004 enlargement was an historical event that contributed to shape Europe as we know it. Among others, this enlargement wave has been celebrated for its role in driving the political and economic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as for its contribution to the achievement of peace, stability and prosperity across it. At the same time, however, the 2004 enlargement has been considered as one of the causes behind many challenges that the EU has been facing over the past twenty years. These include democratic backsliding in some new EU member states, which challenges the application of the rule of law in the EU, as well as inefficiencies in EU’s institutional functioning and decision-making processes due to the rise in the numbers and in the heterogeneity of its membership.

On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the 2004 enlargement, the time is ripe for reflecting on the different perceptions and assessments of what has become known as the ‘big-bang enlargement’, in Italy and across Europe, as well as for discussing the current challenges related to the preparation of future accessions. The conference is organized by Istituto Affari Internazionali and LUISS Guido Carli’s Department of Political Science, within the framework of the '(Re)uniting the East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU enlargement (REWEU)' project supported by the European Commission.