Eastern Europe’s breaking point: When crises collide and the EU hesitates

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges facing Eastern European countries in their pursuit of EU integration amidst various crises and political tensions.

Jessica Hendrick welcomes Sophie Gueudet , research fellow at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies working on the RE-ENGAGE project, and Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze , Ukrainian member of parliament and chair of the Parliamentary Committee on EU Integration to explore how external crises and internal fractures—from oil price surges triggered by the Iran conflict to Hungary’s veto politics inside the EU—are testing paths to accession. Drawing on RE-ENGAGE’s four-scenario framework, the conversation examines whether Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are moving toward deeper integration, or drifting into fragmentation and uncertainty. Jessica, Sophie and Ms. Klympush-Tsintsadze explore how energy shocks, political divisions and stalled EU decision-making are reshaping regional trust, resilience and strategic direction. As pressures mount, the credibility of the enlargement process—and the EU’s role as a geopolitical anchor—is being called into question. What signals should Europe be watching for to understand where the region is heading? At what point do repeated crises stop being temporary disruptions and start reshaping the system itself? And if trust in the EU’s enlargement…

People in this episode

Guests: Sophie Gueudet, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze

Topics covered

• Eastern Europe
• EU integration
• geopolitics
• energy shocks
• political divisions

Keywords

• RE-ENGAGE
• Georgia
• Moldova
• Ukraine
• enlargement process

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Eastern Europe’s, Iran, Hungary, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Europe

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