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Podcast Episode
Carnegie Europe

Europe Head-to-Head: Will Enlargement Make Europe Stronger?

Rosa Balfour, Sylvie Goulard, and Gerald Knaus debate the security benefits and political challenges of further EU enlargement.

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By Rosa Balfour, Gerald Knaus, Sylvie Goulard
Published on Feb 24, 2026

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Europe Head-to-Head

Moving beyond rhetoric that calls for Brussels to face its challenges, the Europe Head-to-Head project proposes a continent-wide debate on what the EU must do to meet the moment, navigating the increasingly difficult global landscape to deliver for its citizens.

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The EU and its member states are weighing the costs and benefits of offering Ukraine a fast-track accession process, while also considering how to manage relations with other candidate countries.

Rosa Balfour, Sylvie Goulard, and Gerald Knaus examine how further enlargement could shape the EU’s cohesion, decisionmaking capacity, and ability to act effectively on the global stage.

Carnegie Europe will be addressing the toughest questions facing the EU in its new project “Europe Head-to-Head.” Follow our work for insights and discussions shaping the continent's future.

Read more:

Rosa Balfour, March 25, 2025, “The Case for Europe,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Rosa Balfour, October 3, 2024, “EU Should Enlarge, Even Out of Despair,” Visegrad Insight.

Dimitar Bechev, Iliriana Gjoni, October 28, 2025, “How the Western Balkans Can Contribute to European Defense,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Stefan Lehne, Zoran Nechev, Richard Grieveson, August 27, 2025, “Access Before Accession: Rethinking the EU’s Gradual Integration,” Carnegie Europe.

Rym Momtaz, February 10, 2026, “To Survive, the EU Must Split,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Hosted by

Rosa Balfour
Director, Carnegie Europe
Rosa Balfour

Featuring

Gerald Knaus
Director, European Stability Initiative
Gerald Knaus
Sylvie Goulard
Professor of Practice, SDA Bocconi, former deputy governor of the French Central Bank and former French minister of the armed forces
Sylvie Goulard

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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