EU Enlargement: From a Success Story to Fatigue

This paper examines the prospect of European Union (EU) enlargement as a crucial step in the context of “enlargement fatigue”. It reviews the enlargement process in the post-2000s. From the late 1950 onwards, the idea of European unification has gradually been emphasized by an attempt to bring peace and stability. Between 1957 and 1995, the EU grew from six to fifteen members. The high point of this development was reached in 2004 and 2007, with an inclusion of Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), who had the communist traditions. After a decade of difficult economic and political reforms, the applicant countries finally edged toward centre stage. Since then, the debate has focused on the question of whether enlargement is fundamental to European unity and how far new member states can contribute to European integration and share the Unin’s benefits. The study relies on the key findings from the European Commission and the number of independent studies in this field. The study draws upon interpretative models in the existing literature.