IDM Conference – Shifting Narratives of Enlargement

Join the IDM conference, Shifting Narratives of Enlargement, on 4 December 2025 at the House of the European Union in Vienna. This year, we explore how shifting perspectives on democracy, EU reform, and peacebuilding are reshaping enlargement policy and citizen participation.

Participate in person or online to engage with these narratives from our region and celebrate the IDM’s ongoing commitment to dialogue and democratic values as we mark the anniversary of the IDM’s founding.

The programme will also feature a presentation of the key findings of the research project “A Comparative Approach to Different Models of EU Integration: How to Achieve a Citizen-Based, Enlarged and Reformed EU?” and a keynote by Richard Kühnel, Director for Representation and Communication in Member States of the European Commission (tbc).

Background

At a time when democratic backsliding, shrinking civic space, and growing geopolitical uncertainty challenge the European project from within and without, this year’s IDM Conference reflects on how to safeguard democracy and ensure that EU enlargement and reform remain citizen-oriented and inclusive.

Against the backdrop of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EUSDR Presidency and 30 years since the Dayton Peace Agreement as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine, a panel discussion will explore how the European Union can contribute to reconciliation and ensure a just as well as lasting peace. Which lessons can we learn and what mistakes should be avoided? How can the EU reconcile deepening and widening, advancing institutional reform while simultaneously pursuing enlargement?