Ukraine's EU status just symbolism?
A long path to accession and trouble in the Balkans
Created: 06/25/2022, 06:49 am
By: Andreas Schmid
Ukrainian women at a rally in front of the European Council headquarters in Brussels.
The country is striving to join the EU.
© Wiktor Dabkowski/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Ukraine wants to join the EU.
The official candidate status, however, means many hurdles - and explosives in the Balkans.
Brussels - The EU should get bigger.
The “European family” that Chancellor Olaf Scholz likes to talk about could grow to include up to 35 member states.
On Thursday (23 June) the heads of state and government of the EU countries gave their unanimous go-ahead to designating Ukraine and Moldova as candidate countries.
Ukraine becomes a candidate for EU membership: the wait can begin
Five other countries are considered such.
Their fate shows that the nomination as a candidate for accession is an inevitable step towards EU membership - but at the same time it is nothing more than a formality that entails a lengthy admission process.
This is often kept secret when the EU leaders speak of a "historic moment", a "sign of hope" or a "very strong signal".
If the EU grants countries the official status of EU accession candidates, this initially only means that there is the possibility of membership.
Negotiations are needed, which are currently not even being conducted with all of the accession candidates.
North Macedonia has been waiting for talks to move for 17 years.
EU: These countries have candidate country status
Albania
: has wanted to join the EU since 2003.
Official candidate for accession since 2014.
Netherlands blocked negotiations.
Montenegro
: broke away from Serbia in 2006 and wants to join the EU.
Became a candidate for accession in 2010, since 2012 there have been unsuccessful accession negotiations.
North Macedonia
: candidate country since 2005.
Bulgaria blocked concrete accession negotiations in 2020.
Serbia
: became a candidate country in 2012.
Accession negotiations have been ongoing since 2012.
Turkey
: candidate country since 1999.
Negotiations since 2005. Difficult talks, because of human rights issues and also because the country is largely in Asia.
EU accession: "Shame" - Balkan countries disappointed
In addition to the five accession countries listed,
Kosovo
is also striving to join the EU.
The problem: several EU countries (Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Cyprus) do not recognize the independence of the country that broke away from Serbia in 2008.
Kosovo is a "potential candidate" and the only Balkan country that has not yet submitted an application for EU membership.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
also
has this status, but will have to wait, as will
Georgia
.
The country only received a "European perspective" at the summit, but not official candidate status.
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The federal government, Austria and Balkan countries such as Croatia are therefore urging the Balkan states not to be forgotten in the current debate about Ukraine.
Countries not currently at war.
Countries that have been waiting for concrete results for years and now have to watch as Ukraine is pushed towards the EU at breakneck speed.
And countries that were very disappointed in the EU at the EU summit on Thursday.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic declared before the summit that he expected "nothing" from it.
Bosnian President Sefik Dzaferovic was annoyed that Ukraine was being given preference, even though his country was also at war in the 1990s.
"Everything that Ukraine is suffering today, we also had to endure." The Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke of "shame" and "deep sadness towards the European Union" and warned Ukraine against creating "illusions" about its accession prospects.
EU accession: will the unanimity principle be fatal for Brussels?
It is currently unclear when Ukraine will become a member of the EU.
Chancellor Scholz was the only head of government on his trip to Kyiv who pointed out the hurdles to accession.
Critics nevertheless speak of symbolic politics.
The EU wants to show the Ukrainian people that they have a perspective of becoming part of the EU.
However, too little is said about the hurdles, argues Dietmar Bartsch, leader of the Left Party.
One problem that has been ignored is often praised as a "sign of unity" in the "big family" of the EU: the approval of the member states.
Important EU decisions require unanimity.
All EU members must say yes.
Also when it comes to the accession of a country.
Accordingly, a country could never progress beyond candidate country status.
The examples of Albania and North Macedonia show that EU countries can block admission.
Countries like Germany want to abolish the veto right.
However, it is considered unlikely that smaller member states will give up the possibility of exerting a major influence.
Ukraine accession: The country still has a lot to do
In order for all member states to agree to Ukraine's accession, the country must meet a number of requirements.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine still had a lot of homework to do.
The Commission insists on extensive reforms in the country.
It is necessary, for example, to “further strengthen the fight against corruption, especially at a high level”.
In addition, Brussels is pushing for the implementation of a Ukrainian law intended to reduce the influence of oligarchs.
The EU also sees a need to catch up when it comes to the rule of law, freedom of the media and the protection of minorities.
The much smaller neighboring country of Moldova has similar reforms ahead of it.
Even if the EU summit unanimously granted candidate status, this step is primarily symbolic.
The more important hurdle is the later start of accession negotiations.
Experience has shown that this can take a while.
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