Qui a peur de l'élargissement ?

A large majority (61%) of the citizens of the ten accession countries do support the entrance of their nation into the European Union, to be compared to a smaller majority (51%) among EU member countries. Such support somewhat hides many fears as expressed in the opinion polls or in the low turnout during the accession referenda. This article summarizes and challenges these fears. European history since World War II as well as the history of the previous enlargements to include rather poor countries demonstrate that on the economic and monetary side a rather rapid and successful catch-up process can be expected, helped by the structural reforms that were quickly and firmly introduced into the « Ten», monitored by the European Commission. On the political side, there is no evidence that the citizen and their governments would be less European than those of the « old» Europe. Nevertheless progress toward a political union may be rendered more difficult if coherent institutional reforms are not introduced within the EU. It may be that the main challenge of the EU will not be enlargement, but transatlantic relations. The American unilateralism, if pursued, would certainly require a rapid economic catch up of the « Ten», as well as their full participation in the Euro to strengthen the European voice in the world.