EU's New Enlargement Chief Signals Cautious Optimism

Prospective EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos got the thumbs-up from the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in Brussels on November 7. The Slovenian, a former journalist, businesswoman, and diplomat, could now be sworn in with the rest of the new European Commission before the end of this year. During her three-hour hearing, Kos repeated the talking points of so many of her predecessors: that EU enlargement is "a marathon not a sprint;" that the accession process for new members is "merit-based with no shortcuts;" and that enlargement…