The European Union is considering denying future member states veto rights for several years as officials confront the institutional paralysis caused by Hungary's previous government and seek to accelerate enlargement before the end of the decade, according to four EU sources familiar with the deliberations.
Under plans being examined by the European Commission, prospective member states including Moldova and western Balkan countries would not automatically gain the right to veto foreign policy decisions or other unanimity-based issues such as taxation upon joining the bloc. The proposal represents a fundamental shift in how the EU manages expansion, prioritizing institutional functionality over traditional equality among member states.
The Montenegro Blueprint
The idea holds particular relevance for Montenegro, the frontrunner among nine official EU candidate countries. The former Yugoslav republic of 624,000 people is competing 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 EU sources.
Lessons from Hungary
The proposal emerged after a bruising experience with Hungary, whose previous pro-Russian government led by Viktor Orbán vetoed several major EU decisions, notably a €90bn loan for Ukraine. EU officials are considering safeguards on new joiners to prevent decisions being blocked by one member state.
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."
Ukraine Rejects Second-Tier Status
Associate membership for Ukraine would mean participation in EU meetings and representation in the bloc's institutions without voting rights. Germany's proposal, Merz wrote, "reflects Ukraine's particular situation, a country at war" and would "facilitate the ongoing peace talks."
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.
Geopolitical Pressures
EU enlargement had almost ground to a halt until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 injected new urgency into membership talks with eastern neighbours, now in the fifth year of the conflict. 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 skepticism about EU expansion is increasing. A recent Eurobarometer survey found that only 43% of French respondents favored EU enlargement, while 48% were against.
Strategic Competition
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.
The Ukraine Challenge
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.
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."
Why This Matters:
The EU's consideration of limiting veto rights for new members reflects the fundamental tension between institutional efficiency and sovereign equality that has plagued the bloc's expansion efforts. With Russia and China actively seeking influence in the western Balkans and Hungary's previous government having demonstrated how a single member state can paralyze critical decisions including a €90bn loan for Ukraine, EU officials face pressure to reform enlargement procedures. The $588bn reconstruction cost for Ukraine, estimated as of 21 December 2025, underscores the massive fiscal implications of future expansion. French skepticism, with only 43% supporting enlargement ahead of 2027 presidential elections, threatens the unanimous ratification required for new members. The proposal to create temporary second-tier membership raises questions about whether the EU can maintain its founding principles while adapting to geopolitical realities, and whether safeguards designed to prevent gridlock might instead discourage candidate countries from pursuing membership on unequal terms.