Several member states have indicated that they do not wish to change the current accession procedure, and therefore the so-called reverse accession proposed by the European Commission in relation to Ukraine and other candidate countries is unacceptable to them. The EU institution led by Ursula von der Leyen had previously proposed that these countries should first gain membership with minimal privileges and then implement reforms gradually to eventually become full members.
On Wednesday evening, 4 March, the ambassadors of the member states met with the head of cabinet of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Björn Seibert, who presented the European Commission’s plan for Ukraine’s accelerated accession. MEMBER STATES HAVE INDICATED THAT IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR THEM TO ACCELERATE THE ACCESSION PROCESS, SO DESPITE THE HOPES OF VON DER LEYEN AND VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE WILL NOT BE A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION BY 2027. The decision did not come as a surprise, as in recent weeks several member states have indicated that they do not support the so-called reverse accession, according to which Ukraine and other candidate countries would first be granted membership with minimal privileges and then gradually implement reforms to eventually become full members. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for example, already stated last summer that he believes Ukraine will not yet be a member of the European Union under the next multiannual financial framework 2028-2034. In addition to him, France and Hungary, which has blocked the start of accession negotiations, have publicly indicated that they reject it, just as the leaders of the member states have always stressed in the conclusions closing the EU summits that accession must continue to be merit-based.
BUT ON FEBRUARY 24 IN KYIV, URSULA VON DER LEYEN ALSO SAID THAT THE 2027 DATE PROPOSED BY VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY ON THE EU SIDE IS NOT POSSIBLE. The planned conclusion of the next meeting of the heads of state and government of the member states, scheduled for 19-20 March, also states that the leaders of the member states will stand up for merit-based accession. At the same time, according to the current draft conclusion, Hungary’s veto on the €90 billion loan to the country may even be lifted for the summit to be held in two weeks’ time, as the leaders welcome the fact that it was adopted by the two co-legislators, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, which consists of the governments of the member states.
However, this does not mean certainty yet, as Hungary still did not vote for what the government believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stopped the Friendship oil pipeline for political reasons. The Hungarian government has promised that until it is relaunched, it will veto the decision, while Ukraine could go bankrupt by the end of March if no solution is found for financing by then.
Translated and edited by Alex Kada