At the Euronews Enlargement Summit held in Brussels on Tuesday, Euronews owner and chairman Pedro Vargas David made a forceful case for bringing new members into the European Union quickly, arguing that the continent's future depends on seizing the current momentum.
Addressing policymakers, political leaders, experts and business representatives from across Europe, Vargas David echoed the sentiment of many candidate countries: "Let us in as fast as you can, we will show you once inside, we are worthy members of the EU." His words resonated with nations like Albania, Georgia, Serbia and Ukraine, all of which are seeking membership.
Public support for accession varies widely among candidates. Albania leads with 92% of its population backing EU membership, while Turkey and Serbia show the least enthusiasm, with only 46% and 31% support respectively. Vargas David also praised Armenia and Georgia, noting that their "populations are European by culture and tradition."
He questioned whether the EU is doing enough to counter negative narratives in candidate countries: "Are we doing all we can to counter the narratives of our opponents? Are our EU ambassadors in the candidate countries not too many times seen as the spokespeople of everything that is wrong and not the promoters of the good cases?"
A 'Gibraltar model' for the Western Balkans
Vargas David proposed a "Gibraltar model for a swift application of Schengen" for Western Balkan nations, suggesting a fast-tracked membership status that could involve "potential changes to the rights and obligations" of member states, such as limitations on veto powers, voting rights, and access to certain programmes. He called for a debate on this idea, "in particular in the Council and also in the Parliament."
He pointed to recent elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia as evidence that the region is ready: "democratic elections, perfect, surely not, but no one doubts that the result reflected the will of the people."
Vargas David warned against hesitation: "We can either step up our game and move fast, or continue to be tangled in our old positions. We have a historical opportunity, but make no mistake, if we miss it, others will not."
Mixed support within the EU
While 53% of EU citizens support enlargement, enthusiasm varies sharply by member state. Sweden shows strong backing at 79%, while France lags at just 35%. Vargas David believes better information could shift opinions: "More than 2/3 of Europeans say they don't know enough and want to be more informed. These Europeans are ready to change their views if they get the right information. And that is the responsibility of political leaders, but also the responsibility of the media. The responsibility of Euronews."
He also renewed his call for the United Kingdom to rejoin the EU, saying: "In next year's summit, let's make sure we have the United Kingdom back at the table. I said a month ago, if GB News was Brexit TV, let Euronews be the Rejoin TV. Mistakes can always be made, but they can also be corrected. We, as Europeans, are poorer and weaker without the UK, and so is the UK without Europe."
The summit comes amid clashes among MEPs over enlargement, and follows EU efforts to tie enlargement to strategic alignment, which has put pressure on Serbia, Georgia and Turkey. As the bloc considers its next steps, lessons from the summit may shape the path forward.
