Five EU countries push vote curbs for future members as bloc eyes expansion
The EU is discussing new rules for candidate countries seeking membership. (Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are
proposing temporary limits on future EU members’ voting rights and stronger
tools to monitor compliance with democratic standards, Reuters
reported on June 9, citing a joint document by the countries that it reviewed.
The initiative comes as the EU weighs another round of
enlargement, with Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova seeking membership.
It also reflects concern that democratic standards could erode in new member
states, as seen in Hungary.
The document proposes additional monitoring and safeguards
that would allow the EU to respond to violations of democracy, media freedom
and other basic principles.
The countries also want to discuss temporarily limiting new
members’ voting rights in areas where decisions require unanimity, including
foreign policy, the EU budget and further enlargement.
Where Ukraine’s EU accession talks stand
Kyiv has agreed to 10 of Hungary’s 11 demands as part of
technical consultations on EU integration, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
reported. Ukraine pledged to amend its secondary education law and
significantly expand the civic and political rights of national minorities.
Education and Science Minister Oksen Lisovyi welcomed the
agreements with Budapest, saying the basic principles of Ukraine’s education
system remain unchanged. The only unresolved issue with Hungary is the
representation of national minorities in the Verkhovna Rada.
Separately, the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU
said preparations had begun for the official opening of the first cluster in
Ukraine and Moldova’s accession talks. Slovakia also strongly supports the
step.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects to move
toward opening the first negotiating clusters as early as June 2026, despite
sensitive bilateral disputes with neighboring EU countries.
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