The EU highlights the “success” of its enlargement 20 years ago and prepares the ground for the next
Los European Union countries (EU) highlighted this Tuesday the “success“which meant the expansion of the community club in ten countries in 2004of which tomorrow, Wednesday, marks twenty years, and they addressed the reforms that will be necessary to prepare the future accession of new members, including Ukraine.
“This expansion was a success (…) beyond the economy, it was a triumph of European values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” said the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbibwhose country chairs the EU council this semester, after an informal meeting of ministers in the field focused on the future of the bloc’s enlargement and the role of the rule of law in that process.
The meeting served to mark the 20th anniversary of the largest enlargement in the history of the EU, which on May 1, 2004 they joined Cyprus, Malta, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, and at a time like the current one in which the debate on future accessions in the context of the war in Ukraine is gaining momentum.
“The EU is once again in a crossroadsonce again millions of people are watching us,” said Lahbib, who stressed that the enlargement “is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity“, but it will “necessarily require reforms” both in the candidate countries and in the community club itself.
