The candidate countries must be seen as participants of the enlargement process, not its objects. The EU cannot afford any more to see itself as an exclusive club that dispenses or withholds the grace of accession to the candidate countries. To the contrary, now EU must get serious about its own overused metaphor: “It takes two to tango”. , — stated Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, in his speech at the first (founding) conference of the Speakers of Parliaments of EU candidate countries.

He emphasized that it is extremely important for the parliaments of candidate countries to also be involved in coordinating efforts toward integration into the European Union.

As Papuashvili noted, it is time for the European Union to take seriously its own well-established but now somewhat worn-out metaphor that “it takes two to tango.”

“First, the enlargement of the European Union is the main vehicle for Europe’s future strategic viability. The new political and economic reality in the world, global competition, and the evolving distribution of power all require EU’s changed attitude towards enlargement. Maintaining a Fortress Europe for decades, without enlargement, is no longer a viable option. The title of our gathering, ‘Shaping Europe’s Future Together’, captures this momentum well: The candidate countries must be seen as participants of the enlargement process, not its objects. The EU cannot afford any more to see itself as an exclusive club that dispenses or withholds the grace of accession to the candidate countries. To the contrary, now EU must get serious about its own overused metaphor: “It takes two to tango”, said Shalva Papuashvili.

The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament also noted that “the EU should perceive enlargement as a historic opportunity for renewal and the return of global leadership, and not as a burden or an act of charity, as some try to present it.”

According to him, the parliamentary dialogue on EU membership should serve as a platform for practical cooperation, joint initiatives, and the formation of a common message toward the European Union.

“When we address problems individually, our voice is weaker, our influence diminishes, and it becomes easier to prolong, politicize, or extend the enlargement process indefinitely. We must avoid the parliamentary format of candidate countries turning into a space for ranking countries, lecturing, or discussing bilateral disputes. It should be a platform for practical cooperation, joint initiatives, and the formation of a common message to the European Union. The joint declaration we plan to adopt today clearly states that we have gathered here for unity, not for division. The Parliament of Georgia fully shares this message.

Finally, the best way to strengthen the currently weakened geopolitical and economic positions finally, the best way to address the European Union’s currently weakened geopolitical and economic positions is to step up the game and enlarge to strategically critical geopolitical areas – the Balkans and the Black Sea. This is why, EU should see enlargement as an historic opportunity to revitalize itself and regain global leadership, and not as a burden or charity, as often presented by some.

As Georgia’s national motto puts it, strength is in unity. Let us, therefore, use this gathering for the purpose of shaping our European future together,” Papuashvili stated.