May 4, 2026.

In the article “EU Integration Without Ratification?”, published in May 2026 by Carnegie Europe, Stefan Lehne examines the obstacles the European Union currently faces regarding enlargement and explores ways to balance the geopolitical urgency of this process with the EU’s institutional challenges.

The European Union’s enlargement has entered a phase marked by tension between geopolitical urgencies and institutional requirements. While the war in Ukraine has strengthened the need to quickly integrate Kyiv and other candidate countries into the European Union, the accession process remains subject to lengthy procedures, the requirement for unanimous approval of an accession treaty by all EU governments and national ratification processes that are becoming ever more uncertain. In a context marked by political fragmentation, the rise of Euroskeptic governments and political parties and the resurgence of bilateral disputes, every stage of enlargement is likely to become a stumbling block.

In response to these challenges, the article advocates a gradual integration approach that would allow candidate countries to participate in certain European policies and programs prior to their formal accession, conditional on the achievement of reform goals agreed on by the EU and each candidate country. This approach seems particularly well-suited to Ukraine, whose relationship with the EU is now considered a major issue for European security.

The analysis highlights that EU should prepare itself for variable levels of engagement and integration. Without replacing full membership, these intermediate mechanisms could allow the European Union to continue its enlargement despite the political deadlocks that are currently delaying the process.

You can find the article “EU Integration Without Ratification?” by Stefan Lehne and published on May 4, 2026 in Carnegie Europe here.