"For obvious reasons, the EU is now seeing enlargement as a security instrument. And the budget is part of the discussions, but it might not necessarily be the deciding factor," Thu Nguyen ...

The report comes as the debate around EU expansion "intensifies", with the bloc under pressure to begin admitting new members by 2030. There are major concerns over the EU's "capacity to integrate ...

EU enlargement has stalled since the last member joined over ten years ago, marking the longest period without expansion since 1973. This elapsed time contrasts with the potential income gains ...