A temporary ban on the veto right could be included in Montenegro’s accession treaty and then serve as a model for other countries waiting in line. This measure is legally considered within the limits of acceptability and can only be applied for a temporary period, in order to avoid the creation of second-class members in the EU.
The European Union may remove veto rights from future member states for several years in an effort to make enlargement more politically acceptable as the bloc pushes to admit new countries before the end of this decade.
Under plans being considered by the European Commission, candidate countries such as Moldova and the Western Balkans would not automatically have the right to block foreign policy decisions or other matters that require unanimous approval, such as taxes, immediately after joining the EU. The idea is particularly important for Montenegro, the frontrunner among the nine official EU candidate countries. The former Yugoslav republic of 624,000 aims to become the EU’s 28th member by 2028. This month, a technical group tasked with drafting Montenegro’s accession treaty met for the first time, a sign that 14 years of negotiations are entering their final phase.
In this context, EU officials are considering safeguards for new member states, in order to avoid blocking decisions by a single member state, according to four EU sources. The idea was born after the difficult experience with Hungary, where the previous pro-Russian government led by Viktor Orbán vetoed several major EU decisions, including a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine.
A temporary ban on the veto right could be included in Montenegro’s accession treaty and then serve as a model for other countries waiting in line. This measure is legally considered to be at the margins of eligibility and can only be applied for a temporary period, in order to avoid the creation of second-class members of the EU. In a separate development, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote to EU leaders last week seeking “innovative solutions” to accelerate the accession of the Western Balkan countries. In the letter, which describes EU enlargement as a “geopolitical necessity”, Merz also called for “associated membership for Ukraine” as a “decisive step on Ukraine’s path to full membership”.
Associated membership for Ukraine would mean participation in EU meetings and representation in the bloc’s institutions without voting rights. According to Merz, the German proposal “reflects the special situation of Ukraine, a country at war” and would “facilitate ongoing peace negotiations.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the idea. “Ukraine’s place in the European Union must be full, equal and with full rights,” he wrote on social media after Merz’s letter was made public. EU enlargement had almost stalled until Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 gave new urgency to negotiations with its eastern neighbors. The European Commission said last year that it could admit new members by 2030, identifying Montenegro and Albania as frontrunners, while praising Moldova’s rapid progress and suggesting that EU membership could serve as a security guarantee for Ukraine. The postponement of the veto right is just one of several safeguards being discussed to make enlargement more acceptable.
Existing EU countries must unanimously agree to admit new members. Officials are particularly concerned about ratification in France, where presidential elections are due in 2027 and skepticism about EU enlargement is growing.
EU sources argue that creative thinking is needed to make enlargement happen, especially in the Western Balkans, a region of 17.4 million people where Russia and China are seeking to increase their influence. An EU diplomat said that extending the veto is one of the “constructive solutions” being considered as part of a “creative thinking” process on the union’s enlargement. Meanwhile, Germany has led efforts for internal EU reforms, such as removing the veto on foreign policy, fearing that a union with more than 35 members would be paralyzed by political deadlock. German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul said earlier this month that “a union with 33, 34 or 35 member states cannot continue to function with the same approach that was designed for a much smaller group.”
However, the EU executive fears that the wait for consensus on internal reforms, which could require treaty changes, could push enlargement into the background.
For candidate countries, Ukraine is considered a special case because of its size, war with Russia and huge reconstruction costs. The total cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction was estimated at $588 billion by December 21, 2025, three times the size of its economy. EU officials believe Ukraine can technically complete the membership process within four years, but the entry date is seen as a political issue linked to the peace agreement. Engjellushe Morina, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said a temporary veto block “is not that drastic” and would be used by politicians to make enlargement more acceptable.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see something like this in the Montenegro treaty. This would serve as a model for new members. Politicians will say: ‘we are taking protective measures and we are being careful’. That is the logic,” she said.
The idea is also intended to protect the union from the possibility that a new member state might change its political course after accession, for example if a pro-Russian government comes to power in Montenegro. A Montenegrin government source said the country’s goal remains full EU membership, “with all the rights and responsibilities that come with the status of an equal member state,” adding that Montenegro “does not oppose safeguard mechanisms and believes that they can play a constructive role in ensuring the sustainability of reforms even after accession.” (The Guardian)