New EU member states could be put on “probation” for a few years and excluded from the bloc in case of democratic backsliding, under a proposal aimed at allaying concerns about new entrants emulating Hungary once they join.
Spurred by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and a desire to bring the remaining western Balkan countries into the fold, the European Commission has revived an enlargement process that was put on hold for more than a decade.
But while supportive of the EU expanding its regional clout, several capitals are opposed to Ukraine, Moldova and the western Balkans potentially flouting the bloc’s rules on democracy, media freedom and judicial independence once they join the bloc — and allying themselves with Russia.
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