Reform is necessary to maintain the EU’s ability to act even after enlargement, Baerbock said. Alexander Schallenberg advocated gradual EU membership.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) presented proposals for a far-reaching reform of the European Union. Such reform is necessary to maintain the EU’s ability to act even after the desired accession of other countries, Baerbock said on Thursday at a conference of European foreign ministers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) attended the meeting for Austria.
Without reforms, the risk of an internal blockade of an EU that has grown to 36 or more member states will become “unmanageable”, Baerbock warned. At the conference, which was attended by almost 20 foreign ministers from EU states and countries wanting to join, she asked a key question: “How can we ensure that our institutions continue to function even when there are almost a dozen of new Member States in the EU? ?” The Union must find an answer to this question in the coming years, demanded Baerbock.
Yes to Ukraine joining the EU
As far as Ukraine was concerned, Baerbock was clearly in favor of EU membership. The same applies to the Republic of Moldova, but also to the Western Balkan states. “The European Union must be expanded,” she said, according to the Portal news agency. This is a geopolitical consequence of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
In this context, Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg once again advocated a gradual integration of candidates for EU membership in Southeast Europe, as he said before today’s meeting, according to the broadcast. “Gradual integration does not replace full membership, it is the way to get there,” said the Austrian chief diplomat. “We must include candidates in the mobility, transport, energy or research sectors, if they have adopted our legal framework.”
This is intended to prevent other countries, such as China, Russia, Turkey or the Gulf states, from expanding their influence in the region. Furthermore, the membership candidate population must remain satisfied. “The biggest problem is that we are losing people in southeastern Europe: they have been paying lip service to EU integration for 20 years, but they are not benefiting from it,” said Schallenberg.
Decisions based on the majority principle
In her speech, the German Foreign Minister presented a series of ideas that, in her own words, aim to initiate a process of discussion within the EU. Baerbock’s proposals aim to ensure that, in an enlarged EU, more decisions are taken in accordance with the majority principle, that the EU Commission and the EU Parliament do not become larger even with enlargement, that violations by states -Members, for example with regard to the rule of law, are punished more quickly and states willing to join are integrated earlier into EU decision-making processes.
The EU can only be a strong actor “if we do what we have hesitated to do for a long time – reshape the way our Union works”, said Baerbock. “Because if the number of EU countries increases by almost a third, then our community will need a strong structure from the basement to the roof.”
The minister said she was aware that this “will be difficult and will take a long time” and that this reform “will also bring more collective exhaustion in an exhausted world”. However, the reform effort is necessary and should, if possible, lead to results during the next European Parliament term – i.e. between 2024 and 2029.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 17 foreign ministers agreed to participate – including heads of departments from Ukraine and Turkey. Eleven other countries are represented at the level of secretaries of state. EU members and states willing to join were invited. The European conference was organized in coordination with the Spanish Presidency of the Council. (APA)