The European Commission will host the first EU Enlargement Forum in Brussels on 17 November, bringing together heads of governmens, political leaders policy experts, civil society representatives and other influential figures from EU members states and enlargement coutnries to discuss the future of the Union and the next phase of EU enlargement.
Under the slogan Completing the Union, Securing Our Future the event aims to turn political ambition into concrete progress on EU expansion.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will open the Forum with a video address, followed by a keynote speech from Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement. The day will close with remarks from António Costa, the President of the European Council.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will deliver a keynote speech in early afternoon.
Enlargement Back at the Top of the EU Agenda
According to the European Commission, enlargement has become one of the EU’s central strategic priorities for the 2024–2029 mandate — a key part of its efforts to promote peace, stability, and prosperity across the continent.
The Forum comes at a moment of renewed momentum for countries in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova, with the EU describing this as “the most ambitious enlargement agenda in more than a decade.”
The first panel, titled The Geopolitical Imperative for Enlargement will feature senior European leaders including Commissioner Kos, Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, Moldova’s Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who will also deliver a keynote address later in the day.
Discussions are expected to focus on the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine and on the geopolitical importance of integrating the Western Balkans.
Albania’s Role in the Debate
For Albania, the Forum is an important opportunity to reaffirm its place among the countries next in line for membership.
In her remarks, Commissioner Kos is expected to highlight Albania’s steady alignment with EU foreign policy and its ongoing reforms in justice, governance, and energy — areas the European Commission recently praised in its 2025 Progress Report.
Later panels will explore how EU citizens and candidate countries perceive enlargement, and how better communication, institutional reforms, and joint efforts can help bring the EU closer to its future members.
As the EU moves “from ambition to delivery,” the Brussels Forum sends a clear message: enlargement is no longer a distant dream, but a shared European project — and for Albania, the next few years could prove decisive.
