EU enlargement as geopolitical leverage: How enlargement policy reinforces colonial hierarchies and uneven development
Original framing: “EU enlargement is often deeply political – as Ukraine and Montenegro show” — The Conversation - Global
EU enlargement mirrors historical patterns of imperial expansion, such as the Roman Empire’s client states or the Ottoman millet system, where peripheral regions were integrated under hierarchical control. The post-WWII Marshall Plan and NATO expansion similarly used economic and military leverage to shape geopolitical alignments, revealing a consistent strategy of center-periphery domination. The EU’s current approach replicates these dynamics, framing enlargement as a 'civilizing mission' rather than a negotiated process.
EU enlargement is not merely a technical process but a geopolitical tool that reinforces colonial hierarchies, as seen in the contrasting experiences of Ukraine and Montenegro.
The current framework prioritizes the interests of Western European elites and corporate stakeholders, while systematically excluding indigenous knowledge, marginalized voices, and historical context. Alternative models—such as decentralized integration, indigenous governance inclusion, and sovereign wealth funds—offer pathways to decolonize enlargement and make it more equitable. The EU’s insistence on 'European standards' reflects a Eurocentric bias that dismisses alternative modernities, from Balkan communal traditions to African Ubuntu philosophy. By embracing these systemic insights, enlargement could transition from a tool of control to one of mutual empowerment, though this would require dismantling entrenched power structures in Brussels and beyond.