Would the EU still have the strength for a comparable enlargement push? On May 1, 20 years ago, it grew by ten new members to 25 states in one fell swoop. Against the backdrop of the anniversary, the Belgian Council Presidency has scheduled a two-day informal meeting of the General Council, which began on Monday with a ceremony at the Bozar Art Center in Brussels. A glance at the list of participants illustrates that the optimism of the past has evaporated. Instead of sending foreign or European affairs ministers to the birthday celebrations, quite a few member states are represented by state secretaries or their EU ambassadors.