Enlargement is often considered to be European Union’s (EU’s) most successful foreign policy tool. However, in the last 15 years, further expansion has become problematic. Conditions and demands to...Show moreEnlargement is often considered to be European Union’s (EU’s) most successful foreign policy tool. However, in the last 15 years, further expansion has become problematic. Conditions and demands to the candidate states have been becoming stricter, leading to delays in the process and the discourse about the EU’s readiness to welcome new members. Considering the negative consequences of stricter criteria, coupled with some visible compliance on the side of candidate states, it is not immediately clear why the EU decided to make conditionality stricter. This thesis explores the causes of the enlargement criteria tightening, focusing on both internal political dynamics of the EU and performance of the candidate states. It finds that stricter conditionality is caused mostly by the increased role of intergovernmentalism in the EU, due to an existing enlargement fatigue. The findings are then applied to and tested in the context of Albania and North Macedonia.Show less
