Editors’ Foreward:

Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia, and Romania are just some of the EU member or candidate countries that in the last twelve months have faced major unrest, whether due to an armed foreign invasion, mass protests or electoral irregularities. In the face of these events, the European enlargement process can act as a tool to strengthen the European Union both from the inside and the outside. However, as the EU is continuing to evolve, its structure institutional setting, and decision-making mechanisms will need to further adapt to include current candidate countries and accommodate members’ requests.

In this year’s edition of the European Policy Review, young researchers are engaging in a conversation over the potential opportunities and challenges that surround the EU enlargement process. We are proud to publish eight contributions that cover topics as diverse as pre-accession assistance, institutional reform, defence policy, anti-corruption, media discourses on enlargement, elite rhetoric, fragmentation, and phased integration. Additionally, we are excited to share the winning submission of this year’s edition of the European Policy Prize. We would like to thank everyone that made this year’s EPR possible, including the writers, peer reviewers, and editors.
Giulia Cera and Anne Noël
EPR Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Editor-in-Chief