An EU Enlargement for a New Generation: Empowering Young People

An EU Enlargement for a New Generation: Empowering Young People

Dear friends,
Dear young Europeans,
It's really a pleasure to be here.

Every time I travel around the world, and believe me I travel a lot, then I get to also take the time to engage with young people. I do this because I really value the chance to speak with the generation that actually will live with the consequences of the decisions that we are making today.

I just came back from Morocco where I met a group of 50 students from all over Africa. And they were really interested in what Europe's next moves will be. From our investments in green energy but also stepping up educational exchanges. They understood that also European choices and Europe's choices matter to them.

Make no mistake: we are living through a moment when choices really count - choices about power, choices about security, choices about what kind of Europe we want, but also choices about and what kind of world we want.

What we want and what we will have in 10 years depends on choices we make now. Which brings me to the topic of today: enlargement.

Just a few weeks ago, on 10 March, the European Parliament held a major debate on the European Union's enlargement strategy. And It was not a routine discussion. It reflected a simple truth: enlargement is back at the centre of Europe's geopolitical agenda.

But it also reminded us that enlargement is not only something we do for others. It is something we do for ourselves.

In fact, enlargement has always been a geopolitical choice - one that strengthens the European Union as much as those who want to join.

Most EU Member States had to overcome authoritarianism to join this Union. This is the story Germany, Italy, and Austria, which rebuilt democracy after the darkest chapters of the 20th century.

It is the story of Greece, Portugal and Spain, who joined in the 1980s, anchoring their young democracies in a community that protected them from sliding back to authoritarianism.

It is also the story of countries from central, eastern and southeastern Europe, who joined in 2004, 2007 and 2014 after freeing themselves from Soviet domination and the shackles of Yugoslavia.

Enlargement helped lock in their choices. It made Europe safer, stronger, and more stable by:

• extending the area of peace and democracy deep into the continent;
• but also removing grey zones where external powers could meddle;
• and also by creating a single market of unprecedented scale.

Today, we face a moment just as consequential as those in the past - maybe even more so, if you look at the geopolitical picture.

Russia's fullscale invasion of Ukraine has shattered the illusion that Europe's security can be taken for granted.

Hybrid attacks, disinformation, energy coercion, and pressure on our borders are part of our daily reality. Once again, enlargement is not purely a technical process. It is a strategic response.

We already see the consequences of inaction. Look at Georgia. A country whose people overwhelmingly want a European future, yet whose leadership is restricting political expression and shrinking civic space. Georgia is also a stark reminder of what happens when Russia succeeds - when a country is left in a grey zone, exposed to coercion and democratic backsliding.

Enlargement is security policy by another name. Let us apply this to our current candidate countries.

A stable, democratic Ukraine inside the EU would:

• strengthen Europe's security more than any fence or border patrol ever could;
• push the EU's frontier hundreds of kilometres eastward;
• reduce the space for Russian aggression;
• And integrate one of Europe's largest and most innovative defence industries into our collective capacity.

At the same time, it would ensure also the future of Ukraine - a country fighting for its survival - is tied to ours.

The same is true for Moldova. Bringing Moldova into the EU would protect Moldova but also push instability and hybrid aggression away from our borders.

This is also why we have just signed new Security and Defence Partnerships with Moldova, as well North Macedonia, and Albania. Security cooperation strengthens our collective resilience and means these countries are contributing to Europe's security long before they are part of the European Union, long before accession day.

In the Western Balkans, unresolved tensions can be too easily exploited by external actors with spillover effects also to Europe.

This is a region where young people - people like you - are now deciding whether their future is European or not. Democratic or not. Integrating the Western Balkans into the European Union is not a favour to the Western Balkans. It is a strategic necessity for us.

For enlargement to happen, we need to see action on two fronts.

First, Candidate countries must accelerate reforms - especially on the fundamentals: rule of law, judicial independence, media freedom, and the fight against corruption.

And coming from a country that has gone through this, it is not a question of ticking boxes. It is about prosperity for the country. Because if companies trust your country's legal system, then they also trust to bring their money to your country, which in turn means jobs, growth and prosperity for the people.

Second, we need to get ourselves ready. That is why we have launched reflections on EU internal reforms, so that a larger Union can still act swiftly and efficiently. Being ready is also about mental preparedness and public support. This is where all of you come in.

Young people have always been the driving force behind Europe's most transformative moments. You are the ones who:

• study abroad;
• build friendships across borders;
• see Europe as a lived reality, not just a map;
• And understand instinctively that Europe is strongest when Europe is united, not fragmented. But we all have to fight for this. Believe me I am doing this every single day and it is not always easy!

The last time the window for enlargement was open was 13 years ago but then it closed again. Now the window is wide open again. But we already see signs that it is slowly closing.

We really, really need to make everything out of this moment right now so that new countries joining by 2030 is a realistic goal, but it is also a choice that we make, nonetheless.

Together, let us choose a Europe that is larger and safer for it. To paraphrase another famous call to action, ask not what the European Union can do for your country, but what your country can also do for Europe.

Thank you, I am ready to take your questions.