06/20/2022 08:06 (act 06/20/2022 08:59)
Von der Leyen is optimistic about Ukraine’s EU candidate status. ©Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen firmly believes that Ukraine will receive candidate status. Preparations for the “historic decision” would go well.
Shortly before the EU summit in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her conviction that Ukraine would receive candidate status. “I firmly assume that we will get a positive decision, we will get support, the course has already been set,” von der Leyen said Sunday night on ARD’s “Anne Will” talk show.
EU Commission recommended candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova
“Of course, this is a historic decision that the European Council must take now, but the preparations are good,” she said, adding: “I am confident.”
On Friday, the EU Commission spoke out in favor of the official nomination of Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for membership of the European Union. On Thursday and Friday, the 27 EU states will discuss this recommendation in Brussels – and also Georgia’s application for membership, which the EU Commission believes has yet to meet the conditions for status. Member countries still do not have a uniform line on this. The Austrian government, for example, wants Bosnia and Herzegovina to have candidate status. Romania wants to get Georgia on board.
Decision after analysis of data, facts and preparatory work
Von der Leyen stressed that his authority’s decision on Ukraine’s candidate status was based on the data, facts and preparatory work that the country had carried out over the past eight years. “Ukraine has made enormous strides in recent years.” However: “We want to see more renovations.”
Von der Leyen said it depends on the candidate country itself whether and how quickly admission will be successful. “All these countries have in their hands how fast this process goes and they have to deliver the necessary reforms, they have to prove that they are aligned with the European Union. So the process will also be faster, it’s not completely rigid process.” He pointed to Turkey and Slovakia as examples, which received EU perspectives in 1999. Slovakia worked hard and became a member of the EU in 2004. Turkey, on the other hand, is further away from the EU today than it was then.
Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after the start of the war
With its recommendation for candidate status, the Commission lays the groundwork for a possible decision by EU member states. Ukraine, which has more than 40 million citizens, applied to join the EU about three and a half months ago – shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression.