EU proposes temporary veto suspension for new member states

The European Commission is reviving discussion on a temporary restriction of the veto right for future EU members. The proposal would prevent candidate countries such as Montenegro, the Western Balkans and Moldova from exercising a veto on foreign‑policy or tax decisions that require unanimity during the first years of their membership. It could be written into Montenegro’s accession treaty as a model for other acceding states and is intended to avoid blockades like the one Hungary previously imposed on a €90 billion Ukraine aid package.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged EU leaders to find “innovative solutions” for speeding up enlargement, suggesting a “connected accession” for Ukraine that would allow participation in EU institutions without full voting rights – an idea rejected by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Commission envisions accepting new members by 2030, with Montenegro and Albania as the most advanced candidates and Moldova also progressing. French public opinion remains skeptical of further expansion ahead of the 2027 presidential election, adding a political hurdle to the plan.