In his address to the IIEA, the Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs discusses the impacts of the upcoming enlargement(s) on the functioning of the EU and how the EU must reform itself in order to prepare for such enlargement(s). Secretary of State Antunes focuses on the challenges and opportunities of an enlarged EU, with a particular emphasis on the timing, the scope, the content and the processes of internal reform, as well as potential mechanisms to accommodate existing and prospective Members States’ participation in the European project.

Tiago Antunes is the Secretary of State for European Affairs of Portugal, a position that he has held since March 2022. Prior to his current role, he was Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers between from 2017 to 2019, in charge of the Portuguese Government’s law-making process, and Secretary of State Assistant to the Prime Minister from 2019 to 2022, responsible for the internal coordination of the Government and its communication.

Tiago Antunes holds a PhD in Law from the University of Lisbon, where is a member of the faculty since 2001. Besides being Assistant Professor at the School of Law, he is also a lead researcher at CIDP – Research Centre for Public Law. Along with his academic career, Tiago Antunes has a long and diverse professional experience in the fields of law and policy, having practiced law from 2001 to 2005. He also worked at the cabinet of the Secretary of State Assistant to the Prime-Minister, first as an advisor from 2005 to 2009 and then as its Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2011.