EU could deny new member states veto rights as bloc pushes for enlargement

The EU could deny future member states veto rights for several years in an attempt to make enlargement more politically acceptable as the bloc undergoes a push to admit new countries before the end of the decade. Under plans being considered by the European Commission , prospective member states – such as Moldova and western Balkan countries – would not, on joining the EU, have the automatic right to veto foreign policy decisions or other issues agreed by unanimity, such as taxation. The idea is especially pertinent for Montenegro , the frontrunner among nine official EU candidate countries. The former Yugoslav republic of 624,000 people is vying to become the EU’s 28th member state by 2028. This month a technical group tasked with drafting Montenegro’s accession treaty met for the first time, a sign that the 14-year negotiations were entering the final stages. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has called for innovative solutions to speed up the process for accepting western Balkan countries. Photograph: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Against this backdrop, EU officials are considering safeguards on new joiners to prevent decisions being blocked by one member state, according to four EU sources. The idea emerged after a bruising experience with Hungary, whose previous pro-Russian government led by Viktor Orbán vetoed several big EU decisions, notably a €90bn loan for Ukraine. …