The New Union Post, an online magazine on EU enlargement, is online

Brussels – The New Union Post, an English-language magazine dedicated to one of the critical issues for the future of the European Union — its enlargement — went online this morning (Jan. 9). Leading the project is journalist (an ex-Eunews editor) Federico Baccini, a contributor to Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso, former founder of BarBalcani, and author in the past months of reports from Georgia, where, in recent months, the issue of EU membership has become intertwined with Russian influence triggering a mass protest movement by pro-European civil society.

“Filling the knowledge gap on EU enlargement, shedding light on the opportunities and the challenges it entails.” It is the mission the new publication sets for itself, along with “promoting dialogue among politicians, academics, and citizens across Europe.” According to its founder, the EU enlargement process “goes far beyond” the inclusion of new members: it represents “an effort to promote peace, democracy, and the rule of law in neighboring regions, to stimulate economic growth through trade, investment, and innovation within an integrated market, and to enrich European culture by welcoming new voices and diverse traditions.”

The site explores these issues through sections devoted to the ten countries seeking to join the EU — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine — providing in-depth analysis of their social and political contexts in addition to interviews with leaders, citizens, and organizations from the candidate countries and an account and analysis of the negotiation stages with Brussels.

One can support The New Union Post’s independent project from the website with just a few clicks. By 2030, the EU bloc could exceed the 30-member state threshold, resulting in treaty changes, the expansion of the single market, and a host of enormous challenges and opportunities. It is opportune that someone is ready to tell us about them.