ALERT: Germany proposes creating the figure of “associate member” to accelerate Ukraine’s entry into the EU | International
Global Update:
The following report highlights an important international development currently attracting worldwide attention.
Germany is convinced that Ukraine’s entry into the European Union is a “geopolitical necessity” that cannot depend on the long times that traditionally surround the complicated accession process. For this reason, the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has presented to the highest representatives of the European institutions an “innovative solution” that he believes could speed up times: creating the figure of “associate member” that would allow kyiv to enter the European club, but without yet having all the privileges that this entails, especially in terms of voting rights, which for the moment would be restricted. “The time has come to move forward with determination towards the integration of Ukraine into the EU through innovative solutions such as immediate measures,” Merz states in a letter sent to the presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of the European Council, António Costa, and the president of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council this semester. His idea: to create an “associated accession”, “a model that would be a decisive step on Ukraine’s path towards full accession and would help it in this process”, he reasons in the letter, to which EL PAÍS has had access, in which he points out that it is not a mere “light accession”, an extreme rejected by several countries and of which kyiv is wary, which fears being stuck in the process. It would be, assures the German conservative leader, a status that “would go far beyond the current Association Agreement and would further accelerate the accession process.” That the case of Ukraine, like that of Moldova, is special – both received the status of candidate countries unusually quickly months after the start of the Russian invasion against Ukraine in 2022 – is recognized by the European Commission itself. In a recent interview with this newspaper, the commissioner responsible for the expansion of the bloc, Marta Kos, defined it, like Merz now, as a process that must be seen in a “geopolitical key.” “We are looking for formulas to facilitate its accession at a time when enlargement is more geopolitical than ever,” he indicated. Even so, and in view of the reluctance of multiple member states, Brussels is reluctant to accelerate accession times and insists that the process must be “based on merit.” That is to say: that each candidate country must rigorously comply with the requirements in each of the 33 mandatory chapters, which range from guarantees regarding the rule of law to economic reforms that allow it to be ready to enter the internal market. Merz’s letter comes in the midst of debate about these times. In recent weeks, both the current Cypriot presidency and the European Commission itself have expressed their desire to be able to open the first of the chapters with Ukraine and Moldova, a step that represents the formal beginning of the accession process, in June. Although the issue is not yet officially on the agenda of the European Council on June 18 and 19, diplomatic sources have insisted that they firmly “trust” in being able to maintain that horizon, even if the new Government of Hungary, the main obstacle to this key step, has not yet given a strong signal in this regard. Furthermore, after the opening of the chapters, the process until the final integration can last years.The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, at the European summit in Brussels, in March 2025.SIERAKOWSKI FREDERIC (EUROPA PRESS)In all this, there is one element that Brussels wants to avoid at all costs: further increasing the resentment of other candidate countries, especially those in the Balkans, which have been in the waiting queue for years. —the EU has not admitted any new members since Croatia joined in 2013— and that they view with suspicion the gestures to put the last ones included on the list at the head. In fact, Commissioner Kos recalled, among the four leading candidate countries, in addition to Moldova and Ukraine, are Montenegro, which aspires to become a member in 2028, and Albania, which seeks to do so before 2030. However, Merz believes that his formula would not be a slight to the other good students. In fact, he proposes to “also look for innovative solutions for those candidate countries that have been preparing their accession for a long time” in order to also accelerate this process, although he does not go into as much detail as for Ukraine. For kyiv, he explains, the status of “associate member” – which would not require changes in the treaties, he emphasizes, but a “mere strong political agreement” – would mean, among others, that Ukraine could participate as a member both in the European Councils (at the level of heads of State or Government) and in meetings of ministers, although “without right to participate in voting.” Similarly, a European commissioner would be obtained, although “without portfolio and without vote” as well, a status that would be replicated in the European Parliament. In the formula devised by Merz, the multiannual EU budget that is currently being negotiated would not immediately apply to Ukraine. And he proposes including a clause that allows the process to be revoked “in the event of a setback in the fundamental values of the European Union, in particular the rule of law, or in the event of structural setbacks in the accession negotiations.” According to the chancellor, this gesture would “facilitate the ongoing peace talks as part of a negotiated peace solution”, something “essential” not only for Ukraine but “for the security of the entire continent.” During Merz’s meeting with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, last April in Berlin, the chancellor already pointed out the need to take more forceful steps with the country that has already entered the fifth year of a war considered existential for all of Europe: “We want to show Ukraine the way so that, step by step, it can get closer to the European Union. This is not a second-class accession, but rather a process of approximation,” he asserted before the Ukrainian president.
International Perspective:
Analysts believe this development may influence future diplomatic, political, or economic discussions internationally.
Observers believe further developments could significantly shape the direction of this story in the near future.
More details may emerge as official sources continue releasing new information.
Source: This article was originally published by Internacional en EL PAÍS and adapted for our international English-speaking audience.
Read the original article here.