Macron's EU Political Community Sparks Staged Integration Debate
President Macron's 2022 launch of the European Political Community has sparked a new approach to EU enlargement: staged integration. This method aims to revitalise the process without compromising standards, as backed by former Council President Charles Michel. The European Commission has endorsed early integration in certain areas, but not full institutional access.
Staged integration, also known as gradual accession, is gaining traction as a way to revitalise EU enlargement. It offers a path forward rooted in fairness, transparency, and democratic transformation. Key principles include internal EU reform accompanying enlargement, trust-based conditionality, and treating enlargement as a capacity-building opportunity. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reignited the debate, exposing limits of the 2020-revised methodology.
Expert blueprints for staged integration generally fall into three categories: incremental, sectoral, and hybrid models. These models promise earlier access to EU benefits but risk institutionalising second-tier status and delaying full membership. Ukraine, both a candidate and a contributor, argues that staged integration can work if it remains fair, merit-based, and politically coherent.
The EU stands at a pivotal juncture, with enlargement regaining strategic urgency and requiring institutional adaptation. Staged integration offers a credible path forward, but it must be carefully managed to avoid creating second-class members. As the debate continues, the EU must ensure that any new approach is fair, transparent, and genuinely committed to democratic transformation.
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