What does it actually take to join the European Union, and why does the path to membership often resemble entry into one of the world’s most demanding clubs? In this episode of EU Untangled, Victor and Alex explore the EU’s enlargement history, why countries seek membership, the political and economic conditions they must meet, and how the accession process unfolds. The episode also examines what membership requires in practice, why expulsion is not foreseen in the treaties, and how withdrawal works when a member chooses to leave. Finally, it looks ahead at the rationale for further enlargement, the EU’s potential limits, and the scenarios that could shape its future.
Hosts and producers: Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth
Research and communication support: Martina Domladovac
Further reading
- Key European Union achievements and tangible benefits (European Union)
- About EU enlargement (European Union)
- How EU enlargement works (European Council)
- New EU members could join without full voting rights (Politico)
- Member states can leave the EU, but can the bloc kick one of them out? (Euronews)
- Could we found a new EU without Hungary and Poland? (euobserver)
- The Need for an EU Expulsion Mechanism: Democratic Backsliding and the Failure of Article 7 (Res Publica)
- Dutch PM Rutte: No place in EU for Hungary with anti-LGBT law (BBC)
- EU slams Hungary, Poland over democratic standards (DW)
- EU 2.0 Revisited: Between Vetocracy and Rule of Law (Maastricht University)
- How much do countries benefit from membership in the European Union? (CEPR)
- Expanding the Neighbourhood: The Benefits of Ukraine Joining the EU (ECIPE)
- The Economic Benefit of EU Membership (Bocconi University)
- Estimating economic benefits of the Single Market for European countries and regions (Bertelsmann Stiftung)
- White Paper on the future of Europe (European Commission)
Listen
… to a few of our previous episodes:
- “Can Europe cash in on the digital euro?”
- “Tastes like Europe: how the EU protects its most famous products?”
- “Explaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)”
- “Can the EU have an army?”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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