The European Commission is considering plans to deny future member states veto rights for several years after accession, aiming to make enlargement more politically acceptable as the bloc pushes to admit new countries before the end of the decade. Under the proposals, prospective members such as Moldova and Western Balkan countries would not automatically have the right to veto foreign policy decisions or other unanimity issues like taxation upon joining.
The idea is particularly relevant for Montenegro, the frontrunner among nine official EU candidate countries, which is vying to become the 28th member state by 2028. A technical group tasked with drafting Montenegro's accession treaty met for the first time this month, signalling that 14-year negotiations are entering their final stages. EU officials are considering safeguards to prevent decisions being blocked by a single member state, following a bruising experience with Hungary, whose previous government vetoed several major EU decisions including a €90bn loan for Ukraine.
A time-limited ban on veto powers could be written into Montenegro's accession treaty, serving as a template for other candidates. However, the safeguard is considered legally borderline and could only be introduced temporarily to avoid creating second-class EU members. In a separate development, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote to EU leaders last week calling for 'innovative solutions' to accelerate EU accession for Western Balkan countries, describing enlargement as a 'geopolitical necessity'. Merz also proposed 'associate membership for Ukraine', which would involve participation in EU meetings and representation without voting rights, reflecting Ukraine's wartime situation and facilitating peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected this, insisting on full and equal membership.
EU enlargement had stalled until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 injected new urgency. The Commission said last year it could admit new members by 2030, identifying Montenegro and Albania as frontrunners. A delay on veto powers is one of several safeguards being discussed to make enlargement easier to accept. Existing member states must agree unanimously on admitting new countries, and officials are particularly concerned about ratification in France, where presidential elections are due in 2027 and scepticism about EU expansion is growing. EU sources argue creative thinking is needed, especially in the Western Balkans, where Russia and China are vying for influence.
