French presidential election could complicate EU enlargement, Croatian PM warns

France’s 2027 presidential election could hinder the European Union’s enlargement plans, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković warned on Tuesday, pointing to growing Euroscepticism among French political parties.

Speaking at the Euronews Enlargement Summit, Plenković said the political developments could have a significant impact on the accession prospects of nine candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

He highlighted the strong polling performance of far-right and far-left figures, including Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, noting that some parties openly oppose further EU enlargement.

Plenković also pointed to France’s constitutional requirements, under which new EU members generally need approval through a referendum or a parliamentary vote requiring a three-fifths majority in Congress.

He warned that political divisions could make either route difficult, adding that voters could be influenced by domestic issues and misinformation.

He also questioned candidate countries’ accession targets, including Montenegro’s ambition to join by 2028, warning that unforeseen developments could delay the process.

via Euronews