EU Unwilling to Accept New Members, Worried About Losing Supporters

ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Carl Gruner

JAKARTA - A number of countries in the European Union are reportedly reluctant to accept new members because they are afraid it will trigger a public reaction that could strengthen extreme right-wing parties, Politico reported, Tuesday (14/4) quoting diplomats and European officials.

The European government is said to be worried that leaders who raise the issue of expanding the EU membership risk losing political support.

As reported by ANTARA from Sputnik/RIA Novosti-OANA, a number of countries are also worried that the long-standing debate will resurface, especially regarding low-wage labor that has the potential to replace higher-wage workers in Western Europe.

The concerns are reminiscent of discussions that arose before Poland joined in 2004.

The condition is considered very relevant for France, where the law requires a referendum to approve the entry of new members.

A referendum on a candidate for EU membership is feared to boost the chances of victory for Jordan Bardella, the leader of the populist right wing, in the 2027 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy stressed that the acceptance of new members must be based on the implementation of proven reforms, without exceptions on the basis of geopolitics.

The issue of expanding membership was actually scheduled to be discussed at the EU summit in Cyprus, but it is now considered unlikely to happen given the differences in views among European leaders.

In March, Politico also reported that the European Union would face difficulties in convincing current member states to accept poorer countries such as Ukraine, which is expected to receive more funds than its contributions.

If these countries join, they will also demand a portion of the budget, so that the old member countries have the potential to receive smaller support.

The status of candidate and the start of negotiations do not guarantee EU membership. Turkey has been a candidate since 1999, North Macedonia since 2005, Montenegro since 2010, and Serbia since 2012.

Croatia, the last country to join the European Union, officially became a member in 2013 after going through a 10-year process.