EU enlargement on the agenda at the World Economic Forum

euronews (in English)

As many countries are on the waiting list to join the bloc, European officials talk to Euronews' Sasha Vakulina about corruption, globalisation, and the challenge to expand from authoritarian regimes.

Transcript

00:00 The business case for EU enlargement.

00:03 This was the issue discussed by an EU news discussion panel at the World Economic Forum.

00:08 Several countries are on the waiting list to join the bloc, but they must overcome many

00:12 obstacles.

00:14 Our guests talked to EU news Sasha Vakulina about corruption, globalization and the challenge

00:19 to expansion from authoritarian regimes.

00:22 If you like to attract investment, we need to connect rule of law, anti-corruption, independence

00:27 to the system.

00:29 We need to talk about this.

00:30 I think that we should now stick to this as part of the European project.

00:35 Those countries have to show their wish really to respect this because that means predictability,

00:42 certainty.

00:43 We can build confidence.

00:44 What we've seen over the last year is that globalization is moving in the wrong direction

00:48 and free trade is becoming a scarce resource.

00:51 And now we see a chance to expand the home territory.

00:55 What is EU?

00:56 What all European companies, European-based companies are depending upon.

01:00 Then I think it's really a pity not to take that chance.

01:03 Unfortunately, quite nearby we have the regimes who really want to test and challenge the

01:10 existing world order.

01:12 Those countries like Russia, like Iran, like North Korea and maybe some others, they are

01:18 thinking literally like that.

01:20 So it's a time to take the bold and strong decisions.

01:24 And EU expansion, we believe, is one of them, which really can stop and preserve the normal

01:30 development of the world.

01:32 Euronews is broadcasting several key events and high-level interviews over the course

01:37 of the week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

01:42 [WHOOSH]

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