Media and analysts in the EU assess that the European Commission (EC), with its new enlargement plan, particularly aims to guarantee the rule of law, and that oversight for up to 15 years for new members is intended to dispel aversion to enlargement in some Union countries.
The French newspaper Le Monde notes that the EC wants to “breathe new life into the stalled enlargement… which has been pushed to the background” and poses the question, “can the EU, and does it want to, open its doors to new members.”
The heads of state or government of the EU will discuss this and the new EC plan next week. The Paris daily Figaro points out that the Commission in Brussels, by introducing “guard oversight” over whether future members implement Union regulations and policies, “is trying to remove the reservations of some countries, including France.”
The TV network Euronews highlights the EC’s proposal that future members could have their EU budget payments and voting rights suspended if they violate the rule of law.
All analyses point out that the EU has concluded that, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it must, for geopolitical reasons, admit new members into its ranks to establish its own security space.
“But for several months now, the political momentum in favor of Ukraine’s accession and that of other countries has been losing steam and strength, because,” explains Le Monde, “it is a politically risky issue in these times of economic stagnation and the rise of the far right across the old continent.”
Media commentaries draw attention to the fact that European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos emphasized that “no new ‘Trojan horses’ are wanted in the EU, as was the case with Hungary.”
“Today I can say, there must be no more new Viktor Orbáns,” said Commissioner Kos, and Euronews underscores that this means the new EC proposals should guarantee that changes of government in a future member cannot undermine the rule of law and decision-making processes in the EU.
Commentaries note that the EC has also highlighted the idea of the gradual entry of candidates into EU policies, so that, on the one hand, reservations—primarily from France, the Netherlands, and Germany—are alleviated, and also so that new members of the European club can tangibly feel the benefits of full membership at an early stage.
The Italian news agency Ansa emphasizes that “with the proposal to introduce institutional oversight for new members, the EC wants to guarantee that what was agreed during membership negotiations, above all full respect for the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights, will be respected even after joining the EU.”
A commentary by the Brussels-based European Policy Centre (EPC) also raises the question, “will the EU within its institutions be ready to open its doors to new members if it has not yet carried out the institutional restructuring that would enable the Union to admit new countries.”
According to EPC analysts, it remains to be seen “how to resolve the major issues of financing enlargement and restructuring the voting system,” since so far, the enlargement process has always required a unanimous decision by all Union members, with the possibility of a veto by a single EU member.
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