Next Monday, the Socialists and Democrats will kick off a process to strengthen cooperation with progressive forces in the ten countries aspiring to join the EU by relaunching our flagship Willy Brandt Programme for EU Enlargement. Our mission remains clear: to make Europe whole and complete. In the face of monumental geopolitical shifts, Europe must give a fresh push to the enlargement process, its most successful peace project. In an increasingly unpredictable and adversarial world, we are reinvigorating this process to reinforce democracy, security and prosperity in our immediate neighbourhood and thus within the EU.
Ahead of the 2004-2013 EU enlargements, the S&Ds played a key role in preparing political partners from aspiring countries through the Willy Brandt Programme, named after the visionary leader who strove to reconcile Eastern and Western Europe. As we enter the 2024-2029 parliamentary term, we are relaunching this initiative with renewed commitment. Over the next four years, the programme will strongly support EU enlargement and enhance the role of progressive forces and civil society in EU candidate countries.
The programme’s relaunch will be marked by a high-level conference hosted by S&D vice-president for enlargement Kathleen Van Brempt, S&D spokesperson on foreign affairs Nacho Sánchez Amor, European Parliament rapporteur on Serbia Tonino Picula and European Parliament rapporteur on Albania Andreas Schieder. We will engage with several high-level speakers from the ten aspiring countries, among them Kosovo’s prime minister Albin Kurti, deputy prime ministers and party leaders.
Join us on Monday 7 April 2025 from 15:00 to 18:30
You can follow the live streaming here
Interpretation: EN HR
A detailed programme is attached below
15:00: Opening remarks
15:15-16:45: High-level panel discussion on “Practical support for EU accession preparations”
16:45-17:15: Coffee break
17:15-18:20: High-level panel discussion on “Progressive agenda for EU enlargement”
18:20-18:30: Closing remarks
