The European Union is considering restricting veto powers for prospective member states in a move that raises fundamental questions about democratic equality within the bloc, even as officials frame the proposal as necessary to prevent gridlock in an expanded union.
Under plans being considered by the European Commission, countries such as Moldova and western Balkan nations would not automatically receive the right to veto foreign policy decisions or other issues requiring unanimity, such as taxation, upon joining the EU. The proposal emerged after Hungary's previous pro-Russian government led by Viktor Orbán vetoed several major EU decisions, including a €90bn loan for Ukraine, highlighting vulnerabilities in the bloc's consensus-based governance.
Montenegro on the Fast Track
The idea is especially pertinent for Montenegro, the frontrunner among nine official EU candidate countries. The former Yugoslav republic of 624,000 people is vying to become the EU's 28th member state by 2028. This month a technical group tasked with drafting Montenegro's accession treaty met for the first time, signaling that the 14-year negotiations were entering final stages. A time-limited ban on veto powers could be written into Montenegro's accession treaty, which would serve as a template for others waiting in the wings.
The safeguard is considered legally borderline and could only be introduced for a temporary period in order to avoid creating second-class EU members, according to four EU sources. A source from the Montenegrin government said its goal remained full EU membership "with all the rights and responsibilities that come with being an equal member state," while adding that Montenegro "does not oppose safeguard mechanisms and believes they can play a constructive role in ensuring the sustainability of reforms even after accession."
Germany Pushes for Accelerated Expansion
In a separate development, Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, wrote to EU leaders last week calling for "innovative solutions" to accelerate EU accession for western Balkan countries. In a letter describing EU enlargement as a "geopolitical necessity," Merz also called for "associate membership for Ukraine" as a "decisive step on Ukraine's path to full membership." Associate membership for Ukraine would mean participation in EU meetings and representation in the bloc's institutions without voting rights.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rejected this idea. "Ukraine's place in the European Union must also be complete – full and equal," he wrote on social media after Merz's letter became public. The rebuke underscores tensions between expedited processes and the principle of equal membership rights.
The Enlargement Context
EU enlargement had almost ground to a halt until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, now in its fifth year of the conflict, injected new urgency into membership talks with eastern neighbours. The commission said last year it could admit new members by 2030, identifying Montenegro and Albania as the frontrunners, while praising Moldova's fast progress and suggesting that EU membership could be a security guarantee for Ukraine.
A delay on veto powers is one of several safeguards being discussed in order to make EU enlargement easier to accept. Existing EU member states must agree unanimously on admitting new countries. Officials are particularly concerned about ratification in France, where presidential elections will be held in 2027 and scepticism about EU expansion is increasing; a recent Eurobarometer survey found that only 43% of French respondents favoured EU enlargement, but that 48% were against.
Balancing Reform and Equality
EU sources argue there is a need for creative thinking to make enlargement happen, especially in the western Balkans, a region of 17.4 million people, where Russia and China are trying to gain influence. One EU diplomat said delaying veto rights was one of the "constructive solutions" being considered as part of a process of "thinking creatively" on EU enlargement. A second diplomat said: "There is a debate on how to ensure that a larger enlargement would be beneficial for both the candidate countries and the EU itself. The ideas relating to internal reforms and different features of the accession treaties are all part of this."
Germany has led efforts for internal EU reform, such as abolishing vetoes in foreign policy, fearing that an unreformed union of 35+ countries would be a recipe for gridlock. The German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, said earlier this month that "a union with 33, 34 or 35 member states cannot simply continue to operate according to the same approach that was designed for a much smaller group."
But the EU executive fears that waiting for consensus on EU reforms, which could require treaty change, could put enlargement on the backburner. Among candidate countries, Ukraine is considered distinct because of its size, its war with Russia and the vast costs of reconstruction. The total cost of rebuilding Ukraine was estimated at $588bn as of 21 December 2025, three times the size of its economy. EU officials think Ukraine is on track to technically complete its accession process in four years, but see the entry date as a political question tied to a peace settlement.
Engjellushe Morina, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a thinktank, said a temporary block on veto powers was "not so drastic" and would be used by politicians to sell enlargement. "I wouldn't be surprised that we see something like this in Montenegro's treaty. And this would be a blueprint for other member states for new members. This will be one of the things that politicians, policymakers will come out and say: 'look we are doing this and that as safeguards and we are taking these precautionary measures'. That's the logic."
The idea was also a way of insulating the union from a new member state that takes a drastically different direction after accession, for example the election of a pro-Russian government in Montenegro. The commission and EU member states want to "waterproof the union from these hypothetical situations," she said.
Why This Matters:
The proposal to temporarily restrict veto rights for new EU members represents a tension between democratic principles and institutional pragmatism that could define the bloc's future character. While officials justify the measure as preventing gridlock in an expanded union, it risks creating a two-tier membership structure where newer, often smaller and economically weaker nations from Eastern Europe and the Balkans have fewer rights than established Western European powers. The push comes as geopolitical pressures from Russia and China make enlargement urgent, particularly in the western Balkans region of 17.4 million people where democratic institutions require strengthening, not marginalization. With France showing growing skepticism—only 43% support enlargement—and Ukraine's massive reconstruction needs estimated at $588bn, the EU faces critical choices about whether expansion will reinforce democratic solidarity or entrench hierarchies that undermine the equal partnership foundational to the European project.