Brussels – The “huge opportunity” to advance the EU enlargement process lies not only in negotiating chapters but also in strengthening the “soft power” of culture and sports. During her exchange of views with the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on 14 January, the new Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, emphasized that there is a “realistic prospect” that, within this five-year mandate, “we can bring one—in my opinion, two or three—more countries to the finish line.”
Talking to the members of the AFET Committee, Commissioner Kos underlined the EU “responsibility” to help future Member States “prepare their place inside the European Union.” While the Russian invasion of Ukraine has opened a huge window of opportunity, “I have been very clear with all my interlocutors that there will be no geopolitical discount, the enlargement process remains merit-based.”
According to the Commissioner for Enlargement, “peace, freedom and prosperity in our continent depend on the strength, unity and—yes—the size of our Union.” She highlighted that the situation in Georgia and the energy “blackmail” in Moldova represent a “stark reminder” that “many want to see Europe fail, and they are investing significant resources to achieve that,” Kos emphasised that “this is why I believe that our enlargement policy has a higher purpose—it benefits all Europeans in existing Member States and in future ones.”
Attention now turns to the European Commission’s next steps, starting with the communication strategy on the benefits of EU enlargement—not just for candidate countries, but also for current Member States. “The first draft will be prepared at the end of January,” Commissioner Kos announced. It will be “underpinned in facts and figures, but it must go further.” The strategy aims to focus on “things that steer emotions and create connections,” such as sports and culture, which “hold a unique power to unite people across borders,” she stated. “We have to bring the soft power of enlargement into the core of the process, which consists of chapters, benchmark and clusters,” Kos stressed.
In this context, sports seems to be a key driver of the European Commission’s communication strategy. “We are already in talks with candidate countries to organise a football match between a team of candidate countries and a team of Member States,” Kos revealed. She also mentioned potential plans to do “the same with basketball“—in partnership with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, a former basketball player—”and with handball,” as the European Men’s Handball Championship is set to begin next week in Croatia, Denmark, and Norway. The Giro d’Italia, the iconic bicycle race, is “another great European project,” the Commissioner for Enlargement emphasised, adding that “it is very important” that this year’s race will start in Albania on 9-11 May.
The prospects for EU enlargement
Commissioner Kos is aware of the fact that this process “is not only something about my work,” as Member States’ decisions are always decisive. For this reason she was in Warsaw last week to discuss with the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union “how to move forward more efficiently as possible.”
The Commission and the European Parliament depend on the support of the Council throughout all the decision-making process, a reality that can be highlighted through some figures. “We need 150 unanimity decisions for each candidate country to start and finish the negotiating process,” which amounts to 1,500 potential vetoes by current Member States in relation to the ongoing negotiations with the seven negotiating countries and three candidates and aspiring candidates (which may eventually start negotiations). For instance, “we already need three unanimity decisions for both Ukraine and Moldova,” Kos emphasised, referring to the screening report that will be submitted to the Council “this week,” as well as the benchmarks and, ultimately, the Commission’s opinion.
In any case, at the beginning of what could be a transformative year for EU enlargement, Commissioner Kos remains optimistic about the prospects for admitting new Member States. “If candidate countries stick to their reform efforts, we could see more progress during the Polish presidency than in the last ten years,” she emphasised. If this is the case, it could lead to “ten Intergovernmental Conferences” and, most importantly, “the opening of one or two clusters with Ukraine and Moldova, alongside significant progress on several other clusters and chapters in the Western Balkans.”
Specifically, it may be possible to “open the first cluster on Fundamentals and the 31st negotiating chapter” (Foreign, Security & Defense Policy) with both Ukraine and Moldova. As for the Western Balkans, Montenegro has set the goal of concluding negotiations by the end of 2026: “They will need to continue working through the remaining chapters with determination, and I will encourage further progress throughout the Polish presidency.” After “this week’s visit” to Montenegro, Commissioner Kos is scheduled to travel to Albania “in February,” a country she considers “another front-runner in the process.” Tirana aims to complete negotiations by the end of 2027: “It will be hard work, but we will support them.”
Who is Marta Kos
Marta Kos, born on 28 June 1965 in Prevalje, is a prominent Slovenian figure who has served as the European Commissioner for Enlargement since 1 December 2024. A former Slovenian and Yugoslav swimming champion, Kos began her professional journey in journalism, working as a correspondent in Germany for Radiotelevision Slovenia and Deutsche Welle. She later transitioned into politics, first as the head of the Slovenian government’s press office and eventually as its spokesperson.
Her diplomatic career began in 2013 when she was appointed Slovenia’s ambassador to Germany. From 2017 to 2020, she served as Slovenia’s ambassador to Switzerland. After concluding her diplomatic tenure, she became a consultant for businesses and international organisations. In 2021, Kos co-founded the ONA VE (She Knows) Association alongside Slovenia’s current President Nataša Pirc Musar and Minister for Digital Transformation Emilija Stojmenova. The association focuses on amplifying women’s representation in the media and public discourse.
Kos has also been active in politics, aligning with the centre-left Freedom Movement led by Prime Minister Robert Golob. She served as the party’s vice-president and briefly announced her candidacy for the Slovenian presidency in June 2022 before withdrawing.
In 2024, following the European elections, Kos emerged as a leading contender for Slovenia’s representative in the next European Commission. Initially, Prime Minister Golob proposed Tomaž Vesel for the role. However, under pressure to ensure gender balance in the College of Commissioners, Kos was ultimately chosen for the position and confirmed by President von der Leyen.
