Fault Lines Emerge as EU Debates Two-Tier Integration Model
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Countries long waiting to join the European Union are split over proposals in Brussels that would allow them to enter the bloc without full voting rights, as the EU weighs institutional reforms to manage future enlargement.
Among candidate states in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans, divisions are emerging over whether partial membership is acceptable. Some argue they should receive the full rights and benefits upon entry, while others say access to EU programs and decision-making forums would be sufficient initially.
The European Commission is considering granting full voting rights only after internal EU reforms are completed, responding to concerns among existing members that a larger bloc would struggle to make unanimous decisions. The changes would curb veto powers — including on sanctions — which have been used by governments such as Hungary and Slovakia to delay policy decisions. Under current rules, new members receive full voting rights immediately, as Croatia did in 2013.
Reactions among candidate countries are mixed. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the idea was reasonable, adding Albania would even accept temporarily going without its own EU commissioner. He said Tirana did not want to challenge major founding members such as France and Germany.
Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili also backed the concept, saying smaller states benefit more from being part of the EU “family” than from having equal decision-making power. Georgia’s accession talks have stalled amid EU concerns over democratic backsliding.
Moldova said it wanted to review the details but stressed that full membership with equal rights must remain the ultimate goal. Ukraine has been more skeptical, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisting EU membership must be “fully fledged,” even as Kyiv presses ahead with reforms during Russia’s war.
Montenegro, the most advanced candidate, rejects reopening accession terms, arguing the EU has previously functioned with 28 members and should be able to do so again.
The idea of reduced voting rights was floated late last year as a way to revive an enlargement process slowed by opposition from Hungary and other capitals. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said concrete proposals would be presented in February or March, citing growing pressure from “external destructive forces” seeking to undermine both the EU and its candidates.
Any plan would require detailed legal work and approval by EU leaders. While candidate countries are advancing reforms, Kos said the political challenge lies in convincing existing member states that adequate safeguards will be in place.
