Why the next Commission cycle will be defined by enlargement

If the current Commission cycle has been defined by the green and digital transitions, the next one will be defined by enlargement. Eight candidate countries are at various stages of the accession process, and the political momentum behind expanding the Union further has rarely been stronger since the 2004 “big bang” wave.

But the institutional implications are profound. Voting weights, the size of the Commission, the structure of Parliament, the use of unanimity, the Multiannual Financial Framework — all are predicated on assumptions that simply do not survive contact with a 35-member Union.

Reform of the EU’s internal arrangements is no longer a matter of preference or ambition; it is a precondition for credible enlargement. The work needs to begin now — not in 2027.