Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union’s Western Balkans policy has increasingly linked enlargement with security, geopolitical alignment and defence cooperation. This article examines whether deeper security engagement provides aligned candidate countries with meaningful strategic voice before membership. Focusing on Albania and Montenegro as two high-alignment cases, it asks whether their incorporation into EU security practices generates agenda-setting or decision-shaping capacity. Methodologically, it uses a structured-focused comparative case study and qualitative policy document analysis of EU country reports, summit declarations, enlargement communications, CFSP/CSDP documents and European Peace Facility measures. The findings show that Albania and Montenegro display very high security alignment through CFSP and sanctions compliance, CSDP contributions, NATO compatibility, EPF support and security dialogues. Yet this operational inclusion remains primarily consultative and weakly institutionalised. The article argues that the EU’s post-2022 approach produces asymmetric pre-accession security integration: candidate countries are increasingly included as security contributors, but without equivalent strategic voice. By distinguishing security alignment from strategic voice, the article contributes to debates on EU enlargement, differentiated integration and European security governance.
Samet İşbilen (Thu,) studied this question.