Five EU countries propose temporary voting restrictions for future members

Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg have proposed that the European Union consider temporarily limiting certain voting rights for future member states and introduce stronger safeguards to protect democratic standards, according to a joint paper seen by Reuters.

The proposal comes as several candidate countries, including Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova, seek to advance their bids to join the bloc. Montenegro has expressed hopes of joining the EU by 2028, while Ukraine and Moldova are pushing to accelerate accession negotiations.

The five countries argue that the EU should draw lessons from past challenges related to democratic backsliding among member states and strengthen mechanisms to ensure adherence to the bloc’s core values.

The paper outlines several options that could be incorporated into future accession treaties, including a new monitoring system and safeguard clauses that would allow the EU to take action in cases of serious deterioration in areas such as democracy, the rule of law and media freedom.

"The EU should have an in-depth discussion on ‌the ⁠possibility of temporary, transitional limitations of voting rights for new Member States, in particular parts of the EU-acquis where unanimity is required," the five countries wrote, pointing to enlargement, foreign policy, and EU budget decisions where consent of all member countries is currently needed.

The proposal reflects ongoing debate within the EU over how to manage future enlargement while preserving the bloc's decision-making capacity and democratic standards.

Meanwhile, Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, announced last week that preparations have begun to formally open negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on the first cluster of accession chapters, focusing on rule-of-law and democratic reforms.

Support for Ukraine’s membership aspirations was also reiterated by Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Tallinn.

"Ukraine belongs in the EU. All six accession clusters should be opened without delay. NATO must remain on the table as the ⁠strongest security guarantee," Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on X after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 9 in Tallinn.

By Sabina Mammadli