EU enlargement: new members could lose voting rights – Montenegro as test case
EU ambassadors have held a first discussion on tougher safeguards for future members, including a 15-year probation period and, as a last resort, postponed accession. Member states are split.
Archive image · Photo: John Thys / European Union / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
EU member states have held their first discussion on a legal text designed to bind future members more tightly to the rules. At its core is a safeguard clause: if a new member seriously breaches the EU's fundamental values or the principle of sincere cooperation, it could, in the most serious cases, lose its voting rights. According to Euronews, Montenegro, seen as the frontrunner among candidates, would be the first country to have the new clauses written into its accession treaty.
The Commission proposes a 15-year probation period. Between signing and joining, there would be regular reports and early-warning letters; as a last resort, accession could be postponed – tentatively by qualified majority rather than unanimously, as with Bulgaria and Romania. Members would also commit not to block enlargement steps over bilateral disputes. Joining the Schengen area would be tied to the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
Positions differ: the "Friends of the Western Balkans", including Italy and Austria, warn that overly strict conditions could slow enlargement. France and the Netherlands want stronger rule-of-law guarantees. Critics also say the Commission would get too much power. Ambassadors will return to the issue in November. Montenegro has been negotiating since 2012; the Commission says it could wrap up talks by the end of 2026.