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Shkruar nga Pamfleti"I don't want to go down in history as the commissioner who brought in 'troops' that became 'troops' after 5, 10 or 15 years," EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told the Financial Times.
New members of the European Union could be placed under a kind of "probationary period" for several years and even expelled from the bloc if they violate democratic standards.
This is part of a new proposal from the European Commission aimed at preventing the emergence of "new Trojan horses" in the EU that could follow Hungary's example.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the desire to integrate the remaining Western Balkan countries, Brussels has revived the enlargement process, which had stalled for more than a decade.
But despite support for enlargement, some European capitals fear that Ukraine, Moldova or Balkan states could undermine the principles of the rule of law, media freedom and judicial independence and even move closer to Moscow after membership.
“I don’t want to go down in history as the commissioner who brought in ‘Trojan horses’ that became ‘Trojan horses’ after 5, 10 or 15 years,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told the Financial Times. She explained that the Commission is discussing ideas such as “a transition period, a kind of trial, safeguard mechanisms,” although they are still in the early stages.
In the European Commission's annual enlargement report, published yesterday, Montenegro is noted as the country that has made the most progress in the reforms needed for membership. It is followed by Albania. North Macedonia is in the middle, while Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have the weakest performance.
Kos admits that in most European capitals, skepticism towards new members is greater than official positions suggest.
The experience with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has eased sanctions against Russia, blocked military aid to Ukraine, and eroded democracy in the country, is one of the main reasons for this caution.
The Commission is preparing proposals for stronger mechanisms to protect the rule of law and more effective procedures to suspend rights or benefits in cases of violations. In the case of systematic deviations, a country could even be expelled from the EU, Kos explained.
The document stresses that future accession treaties should include “stronger guarantees against backsliding” and require new members to make their progress “irreversible”.
This approach would impose stricter conditions on new candidates, including Ukraine and Moldova, which is likely to trigger complaints of double standards. Hungary has already blocked the opening of special negotiating “groups” with Kiev and Chisinau in areas such as energy, competition and the rule of law.
Brussels is looking for ways to bypass Hungary's veto by advancing technical preparations while awaiting political decisions.
“You don’t need Orbán to do your reforms,” Kos said. “What’s more important is to actually implement them, and both Ukraine and Moldova still have a lot of work to do.”
She stressed that linking the two countries into one package is “artificial” and hinted that their processes could be separated. Kos rejected accusations that the new rules would create “two-tier membership”, assuring that candidates who strictly respect the rule of law would not face restrictions.
In addition, the Commission wants future members to be gradually integrated into European programs even before full membership, for example, through the new “Democracy Shield”, an initiative against serious democratic risks within the EU.
“We managed to stop Russia at the front door,” Kos said, referring to Ukraine’s resistance, pro-European electoral victories in Moldova and public support for membership in the region. “But if we don’t keep up the pace of enlargement, my biggest fear is that the Russians will come in through the back door.”/ Adapted from the Financial Times
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