The European Union must accept new members from its eastern flank and the Western Balkans, otherwise it will face an "Iron Curtain". This was stated by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who spoke to ENW as the bloc celebrates 20 years since the great enlargement of 2004, when 10 countries were guaranteed membership.
"Enlargement is vital for the future of the EU because without enlargement we risk a new "Iron Curtain" and this would be extremely dangerous, especially if we have a neighbor that lacks prosperity and economic development. These are common interests of the candidate countries and the EU must make progress in speeding up the process. I am confident because I feel that the European leaders, or most of them, are convinced that this is important for the future", declared Charles Michel.
Nine countries are waiting to join the European Union, including war-torn Ukraine. But the membership process is long and complex, not forgetting that full membership requires unanimous approval from member states.
Hungary has already threatened to use its veto power to block Ukraine's membership, but Michel is confident this will not stop the bloc from considering candidacies.
"For example, we have used abstention, which gives a country the opportunity to, despite the reservations it may have about a decision, make its opinion public, but without blocking the vast majority of member states, who would like to make progress in certain areas", Michel said.
Earlier, Michal stated that the EU should be ready to accept new members after 2030. But this week he said countries that have made enough progress could join the bloc within this decade. /Euronews.al
