The expansion of the European Union

Abstract

In its 50 years of existence, the EU has managed to transform «enlargement» in one of its most important political achievements. The so called «Big Bang» of Copenhagen, (2002) increased its membership to 25 followed in 2007 by another two former communist States, event that has had a powerful historical and political impact, putting an end to the artificial division of Europe. The building up of the «Great Europe» has been a long process of successive enlargements which more than once has led to differences in the forces coexisting inside the European Union: those who prefer «consolidation» and those that opt for «expansion». However, both processes developed side by side, resulting in significant changes in the institutional and financial architecture of the Union. Institutional adjustments are still being developed in the recently adopted Lisbon Treaty. Enlargement has brought about serious challenges for the European Union, such as how to cope with the «Euro scepticism» of its citizens. In this context, ones of the most difficult one is the admission of Turkey.