A stable and liberal democratic European Union (EU) and neighbourhood where the Union’s core values are upheld is not only morally desirable, but also essential in the current geopolitical context. Yet, across the Union, its core values are under pressure. At home, several Member States experience full-blown democratic and rule of law backsliding, while in others, pressure on the rule of law is less severe but nevertheless present. Moreover, up till now, the instruments that the EU has at its disposal to tackle rule of law violations are largely ineffective due to inconsistent and politicized use. In this context, an enlargement of the EU to include countries where democratic institutions and the rule of law have not been consolidated comes with risks. It would risk undermining the functioning of the single market and lead to an erosion of the values on which the EU was built. However, these risks can be contained if the EU enlargement is implemented in such a way that geopolitical interests and values are mutually reinforcing. This means, among others, that the EU and its Member States should:
i) strengthen conditionality in the EU-accession process
ii) pro-actively support candidate countries (including civil society) in their democratic transformation process
iii) ensure a more consistent and depoliticized use of the Union’s instruments to protect the rule of law in its Member States
About the Author
Saskia Hollander is a Senior Research Fellow at the EU & Global Affairs Unit at Clingendael.