Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If peace in Ukraine can be achieved, the issue of that country’s path to membership in the European Union will become one of the most important – if not the most important – facing the EU. European leaders have promised accelerated membership, and Ukraine’s agreement to a peace settlement is partly dependent on this promise. Given Ukraine’s deep internal problems and the destruction wrought by the war, it is however very doubtful that the country can meet the stringent conditions of the acquis communautaire for many years to come. Ukrainian membership will also face strong opposition from farmers and national populist parties in several existing EU member states. This has led to renewed discussion of a possible “two-tier EU”.
At the same time it faces this challenge (and that of expansion to the western Balkans), the EU continues to push ahead with the extension of the Euro to new countries, with Bulgaria adopting the currency on January 1st of this year. This was despite deep (and roughly equal) divisions on the subject in the Bulgarian population, and the doubts of some economists as to the country’s readiness to join and ability to withstand any future economic crisis like that of 2008.
To discuss these issues, QI held a distinguished panel of experts featuring Robert Skidelsky, British economic historian, Wolfgang Streeck, director emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne, and Rada Laykova, Bulgarian politician of the Revival party. Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program, moderated.
*Download the full webinar transcript here*:
quincyinst-2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/10140842/The-Further-Expansion-of-the-European-Union-and-the-Euro.docx.pdf
###
Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank.
Help fund our research: quincyinst.org/donations
Read our reporting: ResponsibleStatecraft.org
Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInst
TikTok: tiktok.com/quincyinst
Facebook: facebook.com/quincyinst
Instagram: instagram.com//quincyinst
Website: quincyinst.org
If peace in Ukraine can be achieved, the issue of that country’s path to membership in the European Union will become one of the most important – if not the most important – facing the EU. European leaders have promised accelerated membership, and Ukraine’s agreement to a peace settlement is partly dependent on this promise. Given Ukraine’s deep internal problems and the destruction wrought by the war, it is however very doubtful that the country can meet the stringent conditions of the acquis communautaire for many years to come. Ukrainian membership will also face strong opposition from farmers and national populist parties in several existing EU member states. This has led to renewed discussion of a possible “two-tier EU”.
At the same time it faces this challenge (and that of expansion to the western Balkans), the EU continues to push ahead with the extension of the Euro to new countries, with Bulgaria adopting the currency on January 1st of this year. This was despite deep (and roughly equal) divisions on the subject in the Bulgarian population, and the doubts of some economists as to the country’s readiness to join and ability to withstand any future economic crisis like that of 2008.
To discuss these issues, QI held a distinguished panel of experts featuring Robert Skidelsky, British economic historian, Wolfgang Streeck, director emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne, and Rada Laykova, Bulgarian politician of the Revival party. Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program, moderated.
*Download the full webinar transcript here*:
quincyinst-2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/10140842/The-Further-Expansion-of-the-European-Union-and-the-Euro.docx.pdf
###
Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank.
Help fund our research: quincyinst.org/donations
Read our reporting: ResponsibleStatecraft.org
Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInst
TikTok: tiktok.com/quincyinst
Facebook: facebook.com/quincyinst
Instagram: instagram.com//quincyinst
Website: quincyinst.org
