Steven Blockmans

📝 A wider #EU must also be a deeper one. @stevenblockmans.bsky.social argues that enlargement and institutional reform must advance together, so the EU can expand without sacrificing its capacity to act. #Op-ed originally published by @feps-europe.eu ⬇️ sl1nk.com/g2isa4f @horizoneu.bsky.social

JOIN US in BERLIN on 7 OCTOBER for our joint conference on EUROPEAN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE with @guntramwolff.bsky.social @stevenblockmans.bsky.social @corneliawoll.bsky.social @general-ben.bsky.social @schularick.bsky.social & more. Program and registration at www.zbw.eu/en/about-us/...

The EU does not need more centres of expertise. It needs one political system capable of making countries work together, writes Steven Blockmans. @stevenblockmans.bsky.social

It’s the timing that stings most. With Arctic shipping lanes opening & great powers circling Greenland’s minerals, the EU has lost its chance to firmly anchor a like-minded democracy and partner in its Arctic strategy at the moment it matters most. My 2 cents in WSJ. Via @icds-tallinn.bsky.social

Iceland’s voters chose the devil they know: EEA membership without a seat at the table, market access without a vote on the rules. It’s a very Icelandic compromise-close enough to the EU to benefit, far enough to avoid answering to it. The EU will have to make peace with that arrangement, once again

Iceland's vote is about more than domestic politics. Though not about EU membership itself, it will be read across Europe as a signal of the EU's attractiveness and the credibility of enlargement as a strategic policy, writes Steven Blockmans. @stevenblockmans.bsky.social

Eurosceptic actors could portray a negative result as evidence that even one of Europe’s most prosperous democracies sees little gain in joining the EU. It would reinforce resistance to enlargement and weaken reform momentum among both candidate and EU countries. Via @icds-tallinn.bsky.social

At what point does the Sisyphean pursuit of a “Russia first” accommodation stop being seen as a viable strategy? Igor Gretskiy argues that one-sided concessions do not help Ukraine—they only reinforce the Kremlin’s confidence that its strategy is working.

The EaP is an increasingly outdated framework to structure the EU’s relations with 6 states whose paths have diverged sharply since 2022. With a view to the allocation of budget in the next MFF, it should be retired and replaced by a more flexible policy fabric. @dgap.org @icds-tallinn.bsky.social

🤝 ICDS is pleased to announce that Dr Steven Blockmans assumed the position of Deputy Director and Head of the Foreign Policy Programme in June 2026, following his previous role as Senior Fellow. @stevenblockmans.bsky.social More: icds.ee/en/steven-bl...

Finally…! www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

On 26 May, REUNIR & CRoLEV, UCLan Cyprus co-hosted a policy panel at the EU House in Nicosia: "Towards an Enlarged EU: How to Uphold Democracy and the Rule of Law?" — on the occasion of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU. 🇪🇺 @horizoneu.bsky.social @stevenblockmans.bsky.social @ceps.eu

I spoke to Milan Nic @milanninberlin.bsky.social about where things are going (but also, not going) on enlargement and how to make sense of the recent flurry of ideas on associate membership, veto rights, etc. It turned out to be a more optimistic conversation than I expected! Tune in below 👇

In a system built on consensus rather than majority voting, having a seat at the table can matter as much as having a vote, write Steven Blockmans and Michael Emerson. @stevenblockmans.bsky.social @ceps.eu

The extension of decision-shaping rights prior to accession does not relegate candidate countries to a waiting room. It marks an important signpost on the formal trajectory towards full membership. My OpEd with Michael Emerson in European Pravda www.eurointegration.com.ua/rus/articles...

Missed the launch of the new Niinistö report? Watch it on youtu.be/oBfM1vOf0JQ @ceps.eu @rusi.bsky.social @clingendael.bsky.social

Not everything which is said on the other channel is drivel. 📎 www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

Insightful overview of the future developments of European defence by President Sauli Niinistö & @ceps.eu. All the possible options: more European NATO, new European intergovernmental treaty on defence, European Defence Union & European Security Council, etc. 1/2🧵 www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

Very good & important analysis and answers to my questions regarding the path towards the European Defence Union. Thanks to @stevenblockmans.bsky.social & @karstenmeijer.bsky.social for intellectual input - a new intergovernmental treaty is the best way! ⬇️ verfassungsblog.de/european-def...

#Blog If America Wants KFOR Out, the EU Must Be Ready to Step In Tony Lawrence @icds-tallinn.bsky.social Ending #KFOR would deepen doubts about U.S. reliability & the EU would have to take over to maintain regional stability & prove its own security commitments Read here tinyurl.com/4rpbwc2c

#REUNIR Panel at the @ceps.eu Ideas Lab! On March 2, 50+ policymakers, diplomats and experts gathered for a high-level debate on Europe’s security architecture and the future of #EUenlargement 🌐 Read the news on our website tinyurl.com/4wkfwykp @horizoneu.bsky.social @stevenblockmans.bsky.social

Great discussion on European Security Council and future of European defence at #CEPSLab2026 w President Sauli Niinistö, who leads special @ceps.eu Task Force on the European pillar for NATO. Glad to see we have similar views on most of the ideas!

Very interesting session on the future European Security Architecture at CEPS Ideas Lab with @andriuskubilius.ec.europa.eu @nathalietocci.bsky.social @stevenblockmans.bsky.social

In recent years, security and defence have become key EU policy priorities. At #CEPSLab2026, our second plenary will explore the future of EU security. Our speakers will discuss a European pillar within #NATO and policy options for long-term stability. Learn more: ideaslab.ceps.eu/plenary-2-wh...

✨ The ENSURED policy brief that brings it all together ✨ As geopolitical tensions rise, the EU faces strategic choices. What does it take to defend global cooperation? 🔗 Answers in @stevenblockmans.bsky.social's new policy brief: www.ensuredeurope.eu/publications... @ceps.eu

EU Enlargement Conference 2026: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back? #EUEC2026 Matching the need for speed and the merits-based approach @martakos.ec.europa.eu, Taras Kachka, Cristina Gherasimov, @iivanisevic.bsky.social, @vseviov.bsky.social. Moderator: Helga Kalm 🎦 www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGG9...

HAPPENING NOW | EU Enlargement Conference: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back? Keynote address: Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement @martakos.ec.europa.eu 🔴 Follow us LIVE: www.youtube.com/live/rGG95L5... #EUEC2026

The European Union enlargement methodology was made for peaceful times... — yet we are living in times that are quite the opposite. For the first time, we have outside forces that want to see us fail as enlargement project — we have to react, said Marta Kos. @martakos.ec.europa.eu #EUEC2026

Re-watch the introduction and welcoming remarks by Steven Blockmans and Margus Tsahkna and the keynote address by Marta Kos. @martakos.ec.europa.eu @tsahkna.bsky.social @stevenblockmans.bsky.social #EUEC2026

There is now a rare opportunity to rewrite the rules behind the long and arduous enlargement process and introduce much-needed flexibility. Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional measures, write Steven Blockmans and Michael Emerson. @stevenblockmans.bsky.social @ceps.eu

What does "grabbing Greenland" mean for NATO and the EU? With solidarity potentially fading in both organisations, STEVEN BLOCKMANS (stevenblockmans.bsky.social) suggests a European security framework that complements existing alliances. verfassungsblog.de/greenland-na...

#REUNIR: 2025 UNWRAPPED! 🎄 As 2025 draws to a close, we invite you to explore the latest analyses and research from REUNIR 🌐 Read the full newsletter on our website: reunir-horizon.eu/reunir-2025-... Happy Holidays! Warmest Wishes for a Bright 2026! @horizoneu.bsky.social

🚨 REPORT | "Actorness in Different Shades? Comparing EU External Action Across Global Governance Institutions" Drawing on 15 ENSURED case studies, @franziskapetri.bsky.social, @stevenblockmans.bsky.social, Edith Drieskens & @cerenjilan.bsky.social analyse how the EU performs across 5 policy areas.

Five reasons for the Belgian holdout on a reparations loan for Ukraine. Launching proceedings before the ECJ to test the legality of the proposal could be a way for the PM to save face while allowing the EU to move on. Wouldn’t be the 1st time BE used this escape hatch (🇨🇦) forbes.ua/svit/zberegt...

🌍 Reflecting on an inspiring three days at the Belgrade Security Conference 2025! @bezbednost.bsky.social 📌 Held from 17–19 November, the conference brought together policymakers, diplomats, researchers, & civil society leaders pressing political & strategic challenges. @horizoneu.bsky.social

Interesting read on my way to Belgrade for #BSC2025

Turkey has become one of the most active middle powers navigating a fragmenting global order. 🇹🇷 In their new policy brief, guest authors Jeffery Mankoff and @muhdansaglam.bsky.social outline how the US and Europe can strengthen cooperation with Turkey. Read it here: www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

🚨New #Blog Moldova’s New Beginning: Lessons from Russia’s Hybrid Interference and a Test for Democratic Resilience ✍Iulian Groza, Executive Director, Institutul pentru Politici și Reforme Europene (IPRE) 🌐Read the full blog on our website: reunir-horizon.eu/moldovas-new... @horizoneu.bsky.social

#REUNIR #Confessionals In this edition, 🇦🇱's Ambassador to the 🇪🇺Ferit Hoxha, shares his reflections on the key external threats facing Albania today - and how resilience and progress toward EU accession remain deeply interconnected. 🇪🇺🇦🇱 @horizoneu.bsky.social More: reunir-horizon.eu/reunir-confe...

We are live (streaming): www.ceps.eu/ceps-events/... with DG Koopman 🇪🇺 and Ambassadors of Albania 🇦🇱, Kosovo 🇽🇰, Moldova 🇲🇩, Montenegro 🇲🇪, Ukraine 🇺🇦

#Lawfare: Many advanced weapons systems rely on rare-earth elements, incl. F-35 fighter jets, radar systems, Predator UAVs, the Joint Direct Attack Munition series of smart bombs, and Tomahawk missiles, which Trump is considering sending to Ukraine. www.rferl.org/a/33558748.h...

One more of our trusted partners falls victim to the Georgian Dream’s increasing repression. As an independent policy research institution sharing GIP’s democratic values, @ceps.eu stands with its Georgian colleagues civil.ge/archives/703...

The ability to manage and resolve disputes is not merely a technical requirement for EU enlargement but increasingly a strategic necessity in a more conflicted geopolitical environment. 📄 New report by Steven Blockmans and Butrint Berisha. @stevenblockmans.bsky.social @butrintberisha.bsky.social

With references to my recent @ceps.eu policy brief with Michael Emerson on how to radically simplify and streamline the EU enlargement process 👉 www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

VDL has promised to widen the ‘simplification’ agenda to other policy areas. With various forms of ‘gradual integration’, her Commission has gone the opposite way, adding administrative burden to an already long and cumbersome process. Here’s a proposal to radically simplify EU enlargement 👇

#REUNIRBlog 🇲🇩 In a new op-ed, Iulian Groza (IPRE - Institutul pentru Politici și Reforme Europene) highlights how civil society, independent media, and state institutions are working together to safeguard democratic integrity. 👉 Read more: reunir-horizon.eu/op-ed-moldov... @horizoneu.bsky.social

Can international organisations be both effective and robust — or must one always come at the expense of the other? Read about the trade-offs IOs must navigate to deliver results while remaining resilient to existential challenges: www.ensuredeurope.eu/publications

Noting that Von der Leyen’s drive to simplify EU regulations and governance is an open-ended commitment, Michael Emerson and I advocate that the Commission takes up the enlargement process as a next case of application. Via @ceps.eu www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

📢 We are launching a new Task Force on a European Pillar within NATO with @rusi.bsky.social, Clingendael and the Institute for European Policymaking of Bocconi University. It will bring together experts to define practical steps for strengthening Europe’s defence readiness. 👉 bit.ly/4mGWJnr