On May 1, 2026, Lviv will host a public lecture by Sebastian Schäffer, Director of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, addressing a striking paradox in today’s Europe: the absence of nostalgia for EU enlargement.

Across Europe, political debates increasingly draw on images of a more stable past — from pre-crisis economic prosperity to earlier political systems. Yet one notable exception stands out: EU enlargement is rarely remembered in this way.

This is surprising. Enlargement transformed the political rupture of 1989 into a lasting success story. It strengthened democracy, expanded prosperity, and helped reconnect a divided continent. However, it was largely framed as a technical process — structured around chapters and benchmarks — rather than as a political achievement that societies could relate to and embrace.

This absence has important implications today. For Ukraine, EU enlargement is not a matter of history, but a strategic choice made under the conditions of full-scale war. Meanwhile, across much of the EU, the last successful enlargement is barely remembered — making it harder to advocate for future enlargement.