On Tuesday 13 May, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos criticised Hungary, without naming the country, for its refusal to open the first cluster of chapters in Ukraine’s accession negotiations, while hoping this could be opened “as soon as possible”.
Recalling that this first cluster focuses on the “fundamentals”, i.e. creating an independent judicial system, the fight against corruption, media freedom and fair public procurement, Ms Kos explained at a Forum Europa conference that “nobody should have an interest” in blocking this cluster. “Both Ukraine and Moldova fulfil the criteria (to open the cluster) and should move forward now”, she added, hoping for a similar commitment from all the candidate countries.
According to the commissioner, the accession process for Ukraine and Moldova is faster than any other before. “Their negotiation processes are two to three times quicker than we’ve done in the past”, she explained.
Ms Kos also explained that working with the candidate countries on reforms was not enough, that it was also necessary to engage in a battle of narratives and fight against “external destructive forces”.
The commissioner felt that 2030 was a realistic date for enlargement. There is a “real possibility of having one or two new Member States by 2030”, she said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)