The second edition of the EU Enlargement Forum will take place on 15-16 November in Brussels, under the motto “A Wider Europe – A Stronger Europe”. It is organised by the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos. She has assembled a broad list of participants: from national and regional political leaders to representatives of civil society, entrepreneurs, artists, young voices and policy experts from EU member states and enlargement countries.
The forum aims to address the enlargement perspective in the context of ongoing geopolitical challenges and tectonic shifts. The goal is also to encourage action among all stakeholders to stay the course and move the process forward, the organisers said in their announcement.
Among the confirmed speakers and participants are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Regional political representation includes heads of government and senior officials from candidate and partner countries.
Among them are Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi. The list also includes a representative of the Student List from Serbia.
In addition to plenary sessions, the forum has scheduled panels with foreign ministers and ministerial-level delegates from EU member states, including Spain, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Ireland. These panels will focus on institutional reforms, security and the future shape of the Union.
According to the organisers, this year’s edition brings together a diverse range of participants, from the highest political levels to civil society and experts. In this way, EU enlargement becomes a space for dialogue on the future of the process.