EU enlargement becoming politicised
Rather than being driven by rational decisions, the European Union’s enlargement process is becoming increasingly politicised, the minister for EU affairs said on Thursday.
While it had been long seen as objective and merit-based, the procedure’s values and seriousness “are now becoming questionable”, János Bóka said on Facebook.
“Should a candidate for membership realise they do not have to fulfil conditions and go through a pre-determined procedure, the entire procedure may turn into politically motivated power demonstrations,” he warned.
That may lead to candidates seeking “political protectors” inside or outside the EU and use their power to influence the accession procedure. The speed of integration would then depend on the size and strength of the protectors, rather than the conditions fulfilled, Boka said. “Such practices would further rock the already cracked foundations of the European Union’s unity.”
Regarding Ukraine’s EU membership, Boka said it remained uncertain if or when the talks on it would start. “We are at the start of a process containing 75-80 points requiring a unanimous vote from member states. Then, the accepted accession talks will have to be ratified by the parliament of each individual member state,” he said.
“The financing of Ukraine is a similarly complicated issue . the situation is changing almost day by day due to the war. Consequently, it is impossible to make responsible statements on its financial needs in the coming four years,” he said.
“To ensure the necessary support for Ukraine, Hungary is promoting an inter-governmental fund to be set up outside of the EU’s budgetary framework. The member states would be free to make contributions as they see fit. Until the fund is set up, support can be ensured from the current budget . there would be no need to amend the seven-year financial framework,” he said.
Read also:
Source: MTI
please make a donation here
Hot news
River Diva debuts in Budapest: An elegant addition to Danube culinary adventures – PHOTOS
Honouring History: Hungarian Soldiers of World Wars I and II Reburied in Budapest
Top Hungary news: new form of crime at BUD, missing Ukrainian girl, parking crisis, Munkácsy, Beijing, Charity Fair – 26 November, 2024
Massive search underway for missing 16-year-old Ukrainian girl – Check out her photo
Budapest’s parking crisis: Growing consensus that the city is no longer drivable
Raising the stakes: Hungary faces growing EU pressure for child protetcion law!
1 Comment
It has been for a very long time. The expansion Hungary was part of was purely politically motivated and was a post-Cold War seal of “triumph.” Romania and Bulgaria were admitted despite being woefully unprepared and having failed to truly meet the E.U.’s precious little standards for membership. Croatia, meanwhile, was far more compliant with those standards but was jerked around for years, both by Slovenia over a petty border dispute and by some in the E.U. itself because of the supposed “war crimes” trials going on at the Hague Tribunal. Macedonia was blackballed for even longer and its economy destroyed consequently by Greece over the most childish dispute about the country’s name. Turkey, or whatever it calls itself these days, has been promised membership for 40 years but it’s never going to happen because, of course, it would be total madness admitting it. Other Balkan countries have had the promise of membership dangled before them as a way to influence their elections. The whole thing is not just politically motivated but is altogether ridiculous.