Vienna – ESI takes part in online seminar on challenges to EU enlargement in the Western Balkans

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Bulgarian and North Macedonian prime ministers Boyko Borrisov and Zoran Zaev meet in August 2019. Will Bulgaria now, in late 2020, block the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia? Photo: Radio Free Europe

ESI's Kristof Bender participated in an online seminar titled "What is progressive? The EU and the challenge of enlargement to the Western Balkans". It was organised on 6 November 2020 by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and the Fondation Jean Jaurès. Kristof presented ESI's idea of introducing membership in the EU's Single Market as an interim goal on the way towards EU membership.

For a more detailed presentation of the proposal see the first two links below.

• "Escaping the Hamster Wheel: For a reformed, merit-based EU accession process that offers a credible interim goal", ESI report, 15 January 2020.
• Kristof Bender, Adnan Cerimagic and Gerald Knaus, "EU Has Turned Enlargement into a Hamster Wheel", Balkan Insight, 21 January 2020.
• Kristof Bender, The EU can strengthen Balkan reformers just by keeping its word", Open Democracy, 15 June 2019.