The European Commission is opening the door to accession negotiations for Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia-Herzegovina – but only under conditions. The Brussels authorities give Kosovo a bad report.
Brussels. As expected, the European Commission on Wednesday recommended that EU member states begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova – and, after some infighting between the chiefs of staff of the 27 commissioners, also with Bosnia-Herzegovina . She also advocated granting Georgia at least candidate status, provided a series of reforms are implemented. “All affected countries have heard the call of history,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference and immediately asked the rhetorical question: “Do you want democracy – or an authoritarian state?”
But looking closer, the road under the blue stars and stripes is still very long for all ten states the Commission commented on on Wednesday – and in the case of Turkey, closed in terms of real policy for years to come. . At the European Council on December 14th and 15th, the heads of state and government will have to reach unanimity on all these dossiers. This will not be an easy exercise, taking into account that the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, who is loyal to Moscow, flatly rejects accession negotiations with Ukraine and threatens to use his veto.
Ukraine
The Commission praises the Ukrainian spirit of reform, for example the fact that, despite Russia’s war of annihilation, Ukrainian courts function quite well. If the European Council gives the green light to start accession negotiations in December, “I will send my teams to Kiev that night to start work”, said a senior Commission official.
But Ukraine must make progress in three key areas by March before these negotiations can really begin: fighting corruption, reducing the influence of oligarchs over MPs and protecting ethnic groups. These are mainly Hungarians in the west of the country, whose alleged deprivation of rights Orbán never tires of claiming.