The third European Political Community summit and the four rings of European integration

The third meeting of the European Political Community (EPC)–the intergovernmental forum proposed by French President Macron and endorsed by the European Union–took place on October 5. Representatives of 44 countries assembled in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain amidst a backdrop of regional tensions and increasing calls for EU reform and enlargement. Expectations were high for this summit to begin paving the way toward a more structured format of cooperation on Europe’s strategic challenges. Furthermore, following the Franco-German report on reforming and enlarging the EU, there was silent anticipation the summit would help solidify the EPC’s potential in contributing towards the EU’s enlargement process. However, the meeting in Granada seems to have done the opposite: spurring debates on the format’s continued purpose and capacity while failing to de-escalate tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Kosovo and Serbia. Despite the setbacks and challenges facing this summit, the EPC can still play a valuable role in maintaining the EU’s relationship to its neighbors and contributing to future enlargement discussions.