29. Crossroads of the Union: EU enlargement and the Balkans aspirations

Welcome to the Grassroots View, where we delve into the dynamics of EU enlargement, shedding light on the Western Balkans as we near the twentieth anniversary of the Union's most significant expansion. In this episode, we're joined by Oliver Röpke, President of the EESC; Alexandra Voudouri, journalist and foreign policy analyst; Biljana Spasovska from the Balkan Civil Society Development Network; and Danuta Hübner, former Polish Minister of European Affairs and MEP. Together, we explore the European Parliament's role, 'enlargement fatigue,' and alternative pathways to EU membership. We talk about press freedom, citizen sentiment, civil society, and the region's perception of the EU, and President Röpke explains the EESC's decision to appoint candidate members from enlargement countries.