Germany, France, and the Benelux countries presented a document on mechanisms to protect democracy in states joining the EU. One of the proposed tools is a temporary limitation on voting rights.
Germany, France, and the Benelux countries want to introduce tools to protect democracy in new member states of the European Union. Photo: Nicolas Tucat/AFP Advertisement
European Union states should discuss the possibility of temporarily limiting the voting rights of new EU members. This proposal is contained in a document jointly prepared by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Reuters reported on Tuesday, June 9.
These countries propose to introduce stronger mechanisms to protect democracy in EU states. Such discussions are unfolding simultaneously with Montenegro's intensified efforts to join the EU by 2028, as well as the aspirations of candidate countries - Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova - to expedite the consideration of their applications, the authors note. "Currently, the governments of EU states are discussing the issue of adjusting the rules for new members," Reuters states.
Preventive measures to protect... democracy
The governments of some countries insist on tightening preventive measures, thereby responding to the weakening of democratic standards in Hungary during Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's rule, journalists explain.
The document presented by Germany, France, and the Benelux countries contains options for a future accession treaty to the EU, which includes monitoring compliance with democratic norms and media freedom and measures to protect them in case of serious deviations by new EU members from standards in this area.
"The EU should carefully discuss whether to consider temporary limitations on the voting rights of new member states," the document available to Reuters states. It clarifies that this measure should primarily be applied where decisions are made unanimously by all EU members: in particular, on issues of enlargement, foreign policy, and the EU budget.
