The EU’s Coupling Decoupling Dilemma
Nearly two decades after the EU’s last enlargement rounds in 2004 and 2007, Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought enlargement back to the top of the EU’s strategic agenda.
Nearly two decades after the EU’s last enlargement rounds in 2004 and 2007, Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought enlargement back to the top of the EU’s strategic agenda.
Reconciling Strategic Unity with Merit-Based Accession
Nearly two decades after the EU’s last enlargement rounds in 2004 and 2007, Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought enlargement back to the top of the EU’s strategic agenda. This paper examines the EU’s contemporary practice of political coupling – grouping candidate countries together during key accession milestones – and the tension it creates between regional solidarity and the merit-based progress that has long underpinned the credibility of enlargement. Drawing on cases such as Ukraine–Moldova, it highlights how tight procedural coupling can stall high-performing candidates, weaken reform incentives, and risk destabilising both European security and public trust in the EU. The paper proposes three key reforms: introducing time limits on procedural coupling, transitioning to looser models that allow differentiated advancement, and institutionalising strategic mentorship to stabilise reforms and maintain unity without undermining merit-based principles.