EU Worried About Expansion Due to the 'Orbán Effect' — Politico
There is a growing reluctance in European capitals to discuss EU enlargement, particularly Ukraine's accession.
This is reported by Politico.
According to EU diplomats and officials, the main reasons include fears of domestic political repercussions, the risk of a rise in populism, and the need to hold referendums.
The experience of dealing with Hungary following its accession in 2004 also plays a role; within the EU, this is referred to as a “collective trauma” due to the blocking of decisions and disputes over democratic standards.
Because of this, the issue of enlargement, which the European Commission is actively promoting, may not be brought up for discussion at the upcoming summit.
Diplomats note that governments fear a repeat of the debates on migration and the labor market similar to those that arose during Poland’s accession.
In addition, a number of countries insist on strict adherence to accession criteria without political exceptions, even despite the war and Ukraine’s need for faster integration.
At the same time, the EU is discussing the possibility of limiting the veto power of new members to prevent decisions from being blocked in the future.
EU ambassadors do not support Ukraine’s accelerated membership.
Zelenskyy announced negotiations with the EU regarding airspace protection.
