Europe has made a promise to the countries hoping to join the EU: reform your courts, fight corruption and strengthen democracy, and membership will move closer. But Ukraine can push through reforms during a war, Moldova can resist Russian interference, and North Macedonia can even change its name—yet political vetoes can still stop everything. At what point does a long wait become a broken promise?
In this episode, Jessica Hendrick welcomes Tiago Antunes, senior policy fellow with ECFR’s European Power programme and former Portuguese secretary of state for European affairs, with senior government experience across the prime minister’s office and Council of Ministers, as well as the European Parliament; Leo Litra, visiting fellow at ECFR and senior fellow at Kyiv’s New Europe Center; and Engjellushe Morina, senior policy fellow with ECFR’s European Security programme. Tiago takes listeners inside the political bargaining that can override a country’s progress. Leo explains why Ukraine and Moldova may lose faith if the EU fails to reward their reforms. Engjellushe shows what decades of delay have already done to public trust in the Western Balkans.
Drawing on Ukraine’s wartime reforms, Moldova’s rapid progress, Georgia’s democratic reversal and North Macedonia’s long wait, Jessica, Tiago, Leo and Engjellushe ask whether enlargement is bringing countries closer to Europe—or trapping them in an endless waiting room. They also examine whether promised benefits such as cheaper bank transfers and roaming are improving ordinary lives, and why the EU keeps demanding changes from candidate countries while postponing reforms of its own.
Can one EU government hold an entire country’s future hostage? How long can citizens be asked to reform without seeing results? And is the biggest obstacle to the EU’s next enlargement the EU itself?
The episode was cross-published to NUPI’s World Stage by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
Director of ECFR Mark Leonard launched the first episode of The Neighbourhood on his podcast World in 30 Minutes.
Further reading:
This podcast was recorded on November 12th, 2025.
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