New Eastern Europe Magazine

Twenty years ago, the European Union experienced its largest enlargement ever, the so-called Big Bang, with the addition of 10 new member states. This enlargement included many of the countries in our region – Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This momentous occasion marked the culmination of hard work by the EU and the post-socialist countries, which aptly referred to it as the final “return to Europe”. With a newly united Europe (and more members on the way), it seems as that Euro-optimism had reached its pinnacle moment. And since 2004, the new member states have certainly made some remarkable achievements. The GDP per capita in purchasing power parity of the new states grew from 59 per cent of the EU average in 2004 to 81 per cent in 2022. The income gap between the older and newer states has also narrowed over the last 20 years. Some countries’ living standards, such as Czechia or Slovenia, have even surpassed those of older EU members.
Yet, at the same time, these past two decades were not without challenges. Issues related to democratic backsliding, the rule of law and corruption have tainted the legacy of the enlargement. Voices in many western European capitals began questioning whether the enlargement itself was too soon. After a series of crises hit the EU, which began with the 2008 financial crisis, a rise in Euroscepticism began to counter the accomplishments of the previous generation of Euro-optimists and putting a major damper on any future enlargements. Thus, the question today is: how united is Europe after these past 20 years?