EU Marks 20th Anniversary of Largest Enlargement

Today, on May 1, 2024, the European Union celebrates the 20th anniversary of its largest enlargement, when ten countries - Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - joined the union in a single day on May 1, 2004. The European Commission has expressed its congratulations on this occasion.

"Today, we celebrate 20 years since the great EU enlargement! Since then, we have witnessed growth and prosperity. From 2004 to 2023, real wages in these ten countries doubled, and the poverty rate halved. The EU's modern infrastructure, supported by investments and EU funds, has strengthened the ties among the 27 EU countries," the European Commission's statement reads.

European leaders have also shared their thoughts on the 20th anniversary of the EU's largest enlargement. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called her country's accession to the European Union a success story. She emphasized that the EU is constantly evolving, and over 20 years, Estonia has played a significant role in shaping this development.

"Estonia's accession to the European Union was a success story that allows us now to assist other countries, including Ukraine, on the path to EU membership," Kaja Kallas said.

It is also noted that the presidents of the three Baltic countries, in a joint statement on the 20th anniversary of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia's EU membership, called for intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine and Moldova and the start of accession negotiations with them in June 2024.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, in his address on the 20th anniversary of his country's EU accession, focused on the positives that membership has brought to Poland.

"Thousands of investments, excellent use of European funds, the expansion of Polish companies in Europe. Look at how Poland has changed during this time. We have made excellent use of this period," emphasized the Polish president.

Czech President Petr Pavel expressed support for further EU enlargement on the occasion of this memorable date.

During the conference marking the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic's accession to the EU, he stated that EU expansion is a "geostrategic necessity."

"If we leave the Western Balkan countries, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia on the doorstep (of EU membership) for a long time, we will leave them vulnerable to forces like Russia, which do not wish well for Europeans or Europe in general," Pavel warned.

At the same time, he also stressed the need for EU reforms, stating that the EU can "undoubtedly" improve.