The Neighbourhood: Europe’s enlargement moment

The Neighbourhood: Europe’s enlargement moment

EU enlargement is back at the top of the EU’s political agenda as Russia’s war against Ukraine has transformed it from a bureaucratic process into a matter of European security.


This episode marks the launch of ECFR’s new RE-ENGAGE podcast series: The Neighbourhood, which will unpack how countries hoping to join the EU navigate political change and outside pressure, and what that means for Europe’s democracy and security.


In this episode, Mark Leonard speaks with Lykke Friis, co-chair of ECFR’s council, director of the Danish think-tank Europa, and former Danish minister, as European leaders gather for the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen. Together they discuss why Denmark has shifted to advocating for enlargement and why Europe’s future security may depend on bringing Ukraine and Moldova closer.


Is the EU ready for a new wave of member countries? Can enlargement be both geopolitical and merit-based? And what role will Denmark play in defining the EU’s next chapter?


Bookshelf:

Strength in members: How to rally EU enlargement for defence by Gustav Gressel, Nicu Popescu

Deutschland 1946: Das Wunder beginnt by Rüdiger Barth, Hauke Friederichs

Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi


This episode was recorded on October 2nd, 2025.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(632)

Liberal tides, populist currents: Elections in Poland and Romania

Liberal tides, populist currents: Elections in Poland and Romania

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Piotr Buras, head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, for an emergency room episode dissecting Sunday’s pivotal elections in Poland and Romania. Their discussion, which was r...

21 Mai 202515min

Reset or compromise? Taking stock of the EU-UK summit

Reset or compromise? Taking stock of the EU-UK summit

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Mij Rahman, managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group and ECFR council member, for an emergency room episode dissecting the long-awaited EU-UK summit. While t...

19 Mai 202515min

Trump’s new Europe: From ally to adversary

Trump’s new Europe: From ally to adversary

Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, head of ECFR’s Paris office and senior policy fellow, to discuss how President Donald Trump’s return to the White House could reshape Europe’s political landscape. T...

16 Mai 202530min

Truce or trap: Decoding the US-China trade pause

Truce or trap: Decoding the US-China trade pause

Far from a grand bargain, the US-China trade deal rolls back President Donald Trump’s post-Liberation Day tariff spiral—which peaked at 145%—to pre-April levels. This will avert empty US shelves, but ...

14 Mai 202513min

Border geopolitics: India and Pakistan revisited

Border geopolitics: India and Pakistan revisited

Over the weekend, India and Pakistan came closer to all-out war than perhaps at any point in the past 20 to 25 years as missiles flew back and forth across the border. At the point of this podcast rec...

12 Mai 202516min

A new chapter in German politics

A new chapter in German politics

As of May 6th, Germany has a new government, led by the CDU’s Friedrich Merz in coalition with the CSU and SPD. Despite a last-minute hitch, Merz is now safely installed in the Bundeskanzleramt in Ber...

9 Mai 202532min

100 days of Trump

100 days of Trump

Trump’s first 100 days in office have brought chaos to US foreign and domestic policy. From imperial gestures to institutional erosion, Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Shapiro to unpack what this means f...

2 Mai 202528min

What’s next for Berlin?

What’s next for Berlin?

Friedrich Merz is set to become Germany’s next chancellor after Social Democratic Party members approved a coalition agreement with the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party the Chr...

30 Apr 202514min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
forklart
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
det-store-bildet
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
nokon-ma-ga
fotballpodden-2
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
rss-ness
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik