Geopolitical aspects of the EU enlargement process: Macedonian and Ukrainian case

This paper compares the integration processes of North Macedonia and
Ukraine, which have recently opened EU accession negotiations. The
significant disparity in the pace of their integration processes - remarkably
slow in the case of North Macedonia and exceptionally fast in the case of
Ukraine - serves to examine whether EU enlargement decisions are shaped
more by the institutional criteria or by geopolitical interests of member states.
Using a comparative approach, the study analyzes the European policies and
relations with both countries and the EU role in addressing their internal and
external disputes. The study aims to demonstrate how EU enlargement is
shaped by EU standards and geopolitical interests, interpreting the findings
through intergovernmental and realist perspectives that emphasize statedriven decision-making and security imperatives. The results reveal that North
Macedonia’s accession was delayed due to non-criteria political disputes,
while Ukraine’s accession process was accelerated for security reasons,
demonstrating how geopolitical considerations can outweigh normative
standards in EU enlargement.