According to reports from Politico citing diplomatic sources, the proposal is aimed at removing long-standing obstacles caused by individual member states’ veto powers — particularly from leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has repeatedly delayed or blocked collective EU decisions on Ukraine.
How the New Mechanism Would Work
Under the preliminary concept, countries would be admitted to the EU and gain access to most membership benefits — including participation in the single market, funding programs, and partial policy integration — but would temporarily forfeit their right to vote on EU decisions.
These voting rights would be granted only after the EU completes a comprehensive institutional reform designed to limit the veto powers of individual states and shift toward qualified majority voting (QMV) across most policy areas.
“Future members are obliged to give up their veto rights until key institutional reforms, such as the introduction of qualified majority voting, are implemented,” said Anton Hofreiter, chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag.
“Enlargement must not be slowed down by individual EU member states blocking reforms.”
Why the Reform Matters
The proposal seeks to strike a balance between speeding up enlargement and maintaining EU decision-making efficiency. In its current form, the unanimous approval system allows any single country to stall collective progress — a problem highlighted by Hungary’s repeated use of its veto in matters concerning Ukraine, Russia sanctions, and funding programs.
By decoupling membership from full voting rights, the EU could integrate candidate states faster while continuing to work internally on deeper structural reforms.
Regional Reactions and Early Signals
According to Hofreiter, early discussions with representatives from Western Balkan countries indicate broad support for this approach, which they view as “constructive and viable.” These states — long stuck in the slow-moving EU accession process — see it as a practical way to unlock tangible benefits without endless procedural delays.
Diplomatic sources also suggest that the European Commission may soon take steps to accelerate enlargement negotiations by bypassing the need for unanimous approval from all 27 member states at every stage — a move that could prevent Orbán and other skeptics from holding up the process.
Ukraine’s EU Path: Momentum Toward December
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka confirmed that Kyiv is preparing for a decisive moment in December, when EU leaders are expected to sign an agreement to open six negotiation “clusters” — the next formal step on Ukraine’s path to full membership.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has been vocal about ensuring that Hungary’s objections do not derail the process, stating that Ukraine “will be in the EU with or without Orbán.”
Outlook
If adopted, the proposed two-stage membership model could revolutionize EU enlargement — making it faster, more flexible, and less vulnerable to political obstruction. For Ukraine, it would mean a clearer, accelerated path toward integration into Europe’s political and economic systems while maintaining alignment with the bloc’s long-term reform agenda.
The coming months — particularly the European Commission’s enlargement report and the December summit — will determine whether this pragmatic approach becomes the new model for Europe’s next wave of expansion.
