Please join the Europe Center for a conversation on “The big bang at twenty: Central and Eastern European perspectives on EU enlargement.” This public event will take place virtually on Thursday, May 2 at 9:00 a.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. CET.

In 2004, the European Union made a monumental decision to expand to eight countries formerly under Soviet influence, as well as Malta and Cyprus, serving as a critical step towards unifying Europe. Twenty years later, Europe is facing a geopolitical challenge unlike any it has faced in decades as Russia wages its brutal war of aggression on Ukraine, highlighting the importance of integrating Europe’s eastern flank into the Euro-Atlantic community. In a year marked by influential elections on both sides of the Atlantic, Central and Eastern Europe can play a key role in driving forward the EU’s transatlantic agenda on topics from support for Ukraine to economic resilience.

Against this backdrop, experts from Central and Eastern Europe will consider the lessons learned from the region’s accession to the EU, how the region will shape Europe’s agenda for 2025 and beyond, and its perspective on further enlargement to Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and more.

This event is part of the Atlantic Council Europe Center’s Transatlantic Horizons series, which seeks to outline a productive relationship for the United States and Europe for 2025 and beyond.

This conversation will take place virtually and will be broadcast on YouTube and X (formerly known as Twitter). To attend virtually, please register above.