'If Europe wants long-term security, it needs to enlarge': EU Commissioner Várhelyi
Várhelyi insists that there has been a new approach to EU enlargement since the war in Ukraine: “We've seen that with the war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine, there's a clear rethinking about enlargement being a priority,” he says. “I think by now it is clear for everyone in Europe, not only for the leaders but also for the general public, that if Europe wants to ensure its long-term security and prosperity, it will need to enlarge, and it will need to have a larger population coming under the same values and creating the same area for everyone in a Europe of peace, stability and security. Now, if you want to look at the State of the Union speech in that context, I think this speech paved the way for how to achieve this, as a mid-term or even short-term reality.”