The EU Conversations 2026: Michael Holmes moderated a panel discussion on EU enlargement

“Protecting the Future”, an issue at the heart of present debates

In light of the evolving geopolitical landscape and its impact on the European Union, the high-level international conference “The EU Conversations 2026” took place on April 10, 2026, in Riga, Latvia. The annual event brought together politicians, policy experts and academics to discuss and debate important contemporary European issues, under the theme “Protecting the Future”.

Organized by the Latvian Institute of International Affairs in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, this year’s event was attended by participants such as Egils Levits (former President of Latvia), Yves Leterme (former Belgian prime minister), Baiba Braže (Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs) and Roberts Zīle (Vice-President of the European Parliament). Find out more.

A conversation about the challenges facing current prospective members of the EU

Dr. Michael Holmes, Associate Professor of Political Science at ESPOL, chaired a panel on EU Enlargement, which discussed the experiences of countries such as the three Baltic states in adapting to EU membership and the challenges facing the current prospective members, such as the Western Balkan states, Ukraine and Moldova.

The topic was debated by Dr. Giulio Venneri, Deputy Head of the Enlargement Strategy and Coordination Unit (DG ENEST, European Commission), Kristina Baleišytė, Minister Plenipotentiary (COELA), Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU, and Martin Vokálek, Executive Director, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.

“Enlargement is often viewed as a problem in EU states today, but our conversation showed how it has actually been one of the great success stories of integration” — Michael Holmes