EU moves to block potential 'Trojan horse' members
Under a new proposal, new EU member states could be placed on "probation" for a few years and excluded from the bloc in case of democratic backsliding. This measure is designed to address concerns that new entrants might follow Hungary's example after joining the EU.
Spurred by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and a desire to bring the remaining western Balkan countries into the fold, the European Commission has revived an enlargement process that was put on hold for more than a decade, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
But while supportive of the EU expanding its regional clout, several capitals are opposed to Ukraine, Moldova and the western Balkans potentially flouting the bloc’s rules on democracy, media freedom and judicial independence once they join the bloc - and allying themselves with Russia.
“I don’t want to go down as the commissioner bringing in the Trojan horses who will be then active in five, 10 or 15 years,” the EU’s enlargement chief Marta Kos told the Financial Times. She said the commission was fleshing out ideas such as a “transition period; a kind of probation; safeguards”, though added they were in an early stage.
The commission on Tuesday published its annual review on the progress of candidate countries including Ukraine and Moldova, with Montenegro deemed the best performer in carrying out the necessary reforms to join the club.
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