Hello and welcome to the CER podcast on Packing Europe.

My name is Jacques Acki and I'm a senior research fellow at the CER.

I will be your host today and we will be discussing the latest on enlargement.

Because in recent weeks, there have been quite a few ideas swirling around. today and we will be discussing the latest on enlargement.

Because in recent weeks, there have been quite a few ideas swirling around from a German plan on associate membership to various versions of gradual integration, to participation

in certain parts of a European project or membership without veto rights.

So to make sense of all of this, I am joined by Milan Nietzsche. in certain parts of a European project or membership without veto rights.

So to make sense of all of this, I'm joined by Milan Nitch, a senior research fellow at DGAP,

the German Council on Foreign Relations, and an expert on EU enlargement,

Central Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans, among other things.

So Milan, welcome to the show.

Thank you, Jolka.

Thank you for having me.

Let me start by asking you to describe the state of play, to make sense of all of this.

Basically, what are the proposals that have come up in recent weeks, or maybe even the last few months,

on enlargement, and how different are they from previous proposals if they are

different at all?

Well, let me start by saying that there are too many moving pieces in this debate, so it's still

quite fragmented debate.

And there is also the other side of this coin is that there is still lack of leadership and

lack of decisions.

So before I come to Chancellor Merth's letter on special status for Ukraine and other ideas,

...