Today’s enlargement package from the European Commission makes one thing clear: it’s EU leaders who are obstructing enlargement. The Commission’s assessment of how the EU should reform before enlargement, the pre-enlargement policy review, was due today but has been delayed until November 19. Volt MEP Kai Tegethoff is calling for immediate, structural reform within the EU: “The pace of enlargement should depend on the actual readiness of accession partners, not the political will of Member States.”
“The progress reports confirm what we already know: countries like Ukraine and Moldova are undertaking the necessary reforms at an unprecedented pace, demonstrating their real commitment to joining the EU. The real bottleneck is not to be found in Kyiv or Chișinău, but in Brussels and other national capitals,” said Tegethoff.
Tegethoff wants to follow the proposal of Costá, to prevent blocking vetoes from turning every single step of the enlargement process into a blockade: “The blocking vetoes of Orbán, and the passivity of others to make use of creative solutions, have practically paralyzed enlargement. To fix this systemic flaw, we must introduce Qualified Majority Voting for the intermediate stages of accession. Without it, the process will drag on endlessly.”
MEP Tegethoff emphasised the need to reward long-standing efforts in the Western Balkans. “Montenegro and Albania are clearly choosing Europe, now it’s time for Europe to choose them. We need a real deadline for their accession before 2030. Enlargement and reform of the EU must go hand in hand. We need to show real courage and commit to an ambitious ‘Agenda 2030’ to prepare our institutions, democracy, and budget for a larger Union. Let’s seize this moment to build a stronger, more united Europe.”