EU Commission floats safeguard against democratic backsliding by new members

The European ​Commission on Tuesday ‌proposed measures ​to prepare the EU to take in countries such ‌as Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova in coming years while trying to reassure existing ‌members about potential political and economic costs.

The ‌proposals by the European Union’s executive body reflect a renewed interest among EU members in expanding ⁠the ​27-nation bloc, driven ⁠largely by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Kyiv’s ⁠desire to join the bloc as part ​of a peace settlement. The proposed reforms ⁠include a measure to allow other EU countries to ⁠suspend ​a new member’s voting rights during the first 15 years of membership ⁠if it stops adhering to the bloc’s values, ⁠and ⁠a plan to limit financial support to Ukraine’s large farming sector.