Donald Trump's return to the White House and growing global instability are forcing economically developed countries in Europe to reconsider their neutrality policies, which could change the priorities of EU enlargement. It was reported by Politico.
States such as Norway and Iceland, which already meet the bloc's criteria by 80%, are again considering membership for the sake of security. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos emphasized that in a world of competing influences, a seat at the EU negotiating table offers increased security.
"EU membership has always offered stability and prosperity for European nations. Now we see that those outside of the EU are increasingly aware that, in a world of competing influences, a seat at the table in the EU also offers increased security and protection," she said.
For the current EU members, the accession of wealthy states looks much more attractive than expansion at the expense of Eastern European countries such as Ukraine, Moldova or Montenegro. Diplomats fear a repeat of the Hungary or Slovakia scenarios, preferring countries with established democratic institutions.
"We don't want another Hungary or Slovakia. We don’t know what will happen in these new countries in 10, 15 years. And then we could be stuck with another [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orbán," one of the European representatives explained anonymously.
Against this backdrop, Iceland has already accelerated preparations for a referendum, and the number of supporters of accession is growing in Norway, as Trump's policies make the "go it alone" strategy too risky.
While Ukraine and Montenegro may complete technical negotiations before Oslo or Reykjavik, capitals that have blocked enlargement for years may continue to veto new entrants from the East. In the face of pressure from russia and China, European opinion is tending to favor the EU's security umbrella, but the queue for accession is becoming increasingly competitive. Politico summarizes that under pressure from dictatorial regimes, it is too risky to act alone, which is what pushes stable economies to Brussels.
Deputy Prime Minister for EU and NATO Accession Taras Kachka said that some countries demanded the EU to postpone Ukraine's accession for 10-20 years.
Earlier, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said that the EU countries are not yet ready to name the date of Ukraine's accession.
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