The European Union’s (EU) enlargement process was an integral part of the EC/EU’s wider integration project and, surprisingly, it has not yet halted. The journey from six to twenty seven has been a long and complicated one, and the realisation of some of the projects has required much time and political consideration. It seems that the queue of countries that are on the waiting list to join the EU remains a long one even after the 2004 and 2007 enlargements. Enlargement cannot be considered an automatism and must not be taken for granted when reviewing past, as well as future extensions. For example, it is noteworthy, that even those European countries that maintained strong reservations towards continued integration projects of the European Community (i.e. Great Britain) eventually pursued accession to the EC/EU, in spite of efforts to direct the trajectory of integration towards either an economic or political objective. Integration became a notable valve for the consensual solution to achieve the interests of a number of European states, mainly; France and Germany. The current, positive state of European relations, confirms that history may teach many valuable lessons.
Central European Journal of International and Security Studies