
Natacha Wunsch
Professor of European Studies and Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of Fribourg; political scientist specializing in democratic backsliding and EU enlargement.
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OCT 5
Jul 16, 2026
Discussing France, EU Enlargement, and the Future of Europe
22:05
22:18
22:27
22:40
22:51

Donika EminiHOST
Or is this debate that French political elites prefer to keep quiet for as long as possible with the strategy, let's cross that bridge when we are there?

Natacha WunschGUEST
If we look at French public opinion of the past two decades, support for enlargement really has consistently been among the lowest in the European Union.

Natacha WunschGUEST
Enlargement in the French mind is often associated with concerns about migration, economic competition, pressure on public finances, and also just more broadly, this fear that the EU is becoming too large, too heterogeneous to function effectively.

Natacha WunschGUEST
And these concerns became particularly visible during debates surrounding the Turkish membership in the run-up to the French rejection of the constitutional treaty, and then more recently in discussions about Ukraine's accession.

Natacha WunschGUEST
And opinion polls show that while the French public has become more sympathetic towards Ukraine since Russia's invasion, this does not automatically translate into support for rapid enlargement.
14 MINS LATER