Brussels is reportedly developing a scheme to sidestep Hungary’s opposition to Kiev’s bid to join the bloc
The EU is considering a proposal to allow potential member states such as Ukraine to join without full voting rights, breaking one of the bloc’s core principles, Politico has reported.
Under the proposed scheme, potential new members including Ukraine, Moldova, and Montenegro would be barred from exercising veto powers until the EU implements a broader reform of its decision-making process. The step would require politically difficult amendments to the bloc’s foundational treaties and could take years.
Backers of the plan expect it will allow Brussels to bypass vetoes from Hungary, which has stalled formal accession talks with Ukraine, citing issues including Kiev’s treatment of ethnic Hungarians. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto warned last month that Ukraine’s accession “would be the coup de grace to the European Union,” asserting that the bloc would have to divert “practically all” its financial resources to support Kiev while cheaper Ukrainian agricultural products could “destroy European agriculture.”
The EU is seeking to expand its membership to 30 countries within the next decade, Politico reported, noting that efforts to eliminate veto powers for existing member states face strong opposition not only from Hungary, but also from France and the Netherlands due to concerns over competition and security interests.
Brussels’ latest proposal signifies a departure from the previous requirement that treaty reform was necessary for enlargement.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky claimed that Kiev “will be in the European Union – with [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban, or without,” insisting the decision “is the choice of the Ukrainian people.” Zelensky has also proposed that the EU change its accession procedure to circumvent a likely Hungarian veto.
Orban fired back at Zelensky, stating that Hungary has “no moral obligation to support Ukraine’s EU accession” and that “no country has ever blackmailed its way into the European Union.”
Russia does not oppose EU membership for Ukraine but has condemned the bloc’s transformation into what Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described as an “aggressive military-political bloc” and an “appendage of NATO.” He cited EU-NATO agreements that obligate member states to host the military bloc’s forces as evidence of the shift from its original economic purpose.
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