BRUSSELS, October 20. /TSSS/. The European Union may decide to admit new members without providing them with full voting rights, particularly in order to overcome Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s accession, Politico writes, citing sources.
"Future members should be required to waive their right of veto until key institutional reforms — such as the introduction of qualified majority voting in most policy areas — have been implemented," Anton Hofreiter, chair of the German Bundestag’s European Affairs Committee, told the media outlet.
Politico’s sources point out that informal discussions of the proposal are in their early stages, while introducing such a scheme will require approval from all member states. The idea is being promoted by the countries that support the EU’s enlargement, such as Austria and Sweden.
The EU’s decision-making process suggests that member states reach consensus on the most sensitive issues, which is sometimes impossible. That said, EU officials are wary that if the union keeps expanding, the situation will deteriorate further. This is why some European leaders call for carrying out decision-making reform before admitting new members. Such a reform is highly likely to include a departure from the broad veto right for individual member states. However, France and the Netherlands also oppose the initiative.