On 28 February 2025, the European Institute of Romania organised an online event dedicated to researchers who published articles in the Romanian Journal of European Affairs in 2024. Entitled “RJEA Network of Research Event – 5-minutes ideas”, the event, now at its 3rd edition, offers a platform for communication and debate for researchers from various countries in order to outline new lines of research and projects of common interest. On this occasion, authors from Poland, Romania and Hungary took part in the event.
From the presentations and comments made by the participants, the following ideas emerged:
- A new perspective is needed in future research on EU enlargement, one that is relevant to EU policies and takes into account the lessons learned from the last waves of enlargement (2004/2007/2013). The current candidate states face major challenges, which will be at the forefront of the EU’s concerns, not only at the political and institutional level, but also at the level of civil society organisations. We should also lay emphasis on empirical research, not only on theoretical studies.
- The increase in EU defence spending, triggered by US President Donald Trump’s new approach, will put pressure not only on the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), but also on the next MFF and will have considerable consequences for the Union’s ambitious objectives in terms of social policy, enlargement policy, and the triple transition (digital, green and demographic).
- State aid policy is very strictly regulated in the EU, but the derogations applied during the COVID-19 pandemic can serve as an example for other mechanisms, measures and financial instruments that could enable the recovery of the European economies in times of crisis.
- The new EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans can be an alternative to USAID funds that will no longer benefit countries in this region. In addition to the expertise that the EU can provide to the Western Balkan countries, there is also a need for greater involvement of civil society organisations and researchers in supporting democracy and the European path.
- It is wrong to think that the internal problems of the candidate states will be solved exclusively by their joining the European Union or by the process of Europeanisation. Citizens must trust the domestic institutions and thus support their efficient functioning. The politicisation of EU accession has significant effects on social consensus. That is why concrete results are needed to show the effectiveness of the preparation process for EU membership and how this improves the citizens’ quality of life.
- In the current global context, we may see a decrease in spending on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.