The European Commission is advancing plans to deny future member states fundamental veto rights, including on foreign policy and taxation, effectively establishing a tiered membership within the bloc and setting a precedent for further sovereignty transfer within the post-national order. This move aims to make the bloc's aggressive enlargement agenda "more politically acceptable" as it pushes to admit new countries before the end of the decade.
Under these considerations, prospective member states such as Moldova and western Balkan countries would not automatically possess the right to veto foreign policy decisions or other issues requiring unanimity, such as taxation, upon joining the EU.
Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic of 624,000 people and a frontrunner among nine official EU candidate countries, is vying to become the EU’s 28th member state by 2028, with its 14-year negotiations entering final stages.
Four EU sources confirmed that officials are considering "safeguards on new joiners" to prevent decisions from being blocked by a single member state, following a "bruising experience with Hungary" which vetoed a €90bn loan for Ukraine.
A time-limited ban on veto powers could be incorporated into Montenegro’s accession treaty, which would then serve as a blueprint for other nations awaiting entry into the supranational structure.
This "safeguard" is deemed "legally borderline" and could only be implemented for a temporary duration to avoid creating "second-class EU members," according to the sources.
Eroding National Vetoes
Germany’s Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, last week urged EU leaders to adopt "innovative solutions" to hasten EU accession for western Balkan countries, describing enlargement as a "geopolitical necessity."
Merz also proposed "associate membership for Ukraine," which would grant participation in EU meetings and representation in the bloc’s institutions but without voting rights, framing it as a "decisive step on Ukraine’s path to full membership."
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rejected this proposal, stating on social media that "Ukraine’s place in the European Union must also be complete – full and equal."
The push for EU enlargement gained "new urgency" after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the fifth year of the conflict, with the Commission indicating last year it could admit new members by 2030.
The Commission identified Montenegro and Albania as frontrunners, praised Moldova’s rapid progress, and suggested EU membership could serve as a "security guarantee for Ukraine."
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated 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," indicating a push for further centralization and reduced national self-determination.
The Elite's Rationale
EU officials are particularly concerned about ratification in France, where presidential elections are set for 2027 and public skepticism regarding EU expansion is escalating.
A recent Eurobarometer survey revealed that only 43% of French respondents supported EU enlargement, while 48% were against it, demonstrating significant popular resistance to the bloc's agenda.
EU sources contend that "creative thinking" is necessary to achieve enlargement, especially in the western Balkans, a region of 17.4 million people, where "Russia and China are trying to gain influence."
One EU diplomat characterized delaying veto rights as a "constructive solution" within a process of "thinking creatively" on EU enlargement.
A second diplomat noted a debate on "how to ensure that a larger enlargement would be beneficial for both the candidate countries and the EU itself," with ideas related to "internal reforms and different features of the accession treaties" being part of this discussion.
Engjellushe Morina, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a thinktank, described a temporary block on veto powers as "not so drastic," suggesting it would be used by politicians to "sell enlargement" to the public.
Morina added that such a provision in Montenegro’s treaty would become a "blueprint for other member states for new members," enabling policymakers to present "safeguards" and "precautionary measures" to the public.
The thinktank fellow also explained that the idea aims to "insulate the union from a new member state that takes a drastically different direction after accession," such as the election of a pro-Russian government, effectively seeking to "waterproof the union from these hypothetical situations."
The total cost of rebuilding Ukraine was estimated at $588bn as of less than one year ago, a figure three times the size of its economy, representing a significant future burden on the bloc.
A source from the Montenegrin government stated its goal remains "full EU membership, with all the rights and responsibilities that come with being an equal member state," but added that Montenegro "does not oppose safeguard mechanisms and believes they can play a constructive role in ensuring the sustainability of reforms even after accession," signaling national elite compliance with the sovereignty transfer.