France and Germany are proposing a “symbolic” place for Ukraine within the European Union as it moves toward full membership. Under this approach, Ukraine would not gain access to the EU’s common budget and would not be able to vote on decisions until it becomes a full member.
Details
The Financial Times reported this, citing documents outlining proposals from France and Germany. According to the publication, the European Commission had suggested scrapping the slow and bureaucratic accession process to allow Kyiv to benefit from membership more quickly. However, Paris and Berlin rejected these ideas.
Germany is pushing for Ukraine to receive the status of an “associate member.” This would allow Kyiv to participate in meetings of ministers and leaders, but without voting rights. Ukraine would also not gain automatic access to the EU budget. The German proposal states that the new status would carry “symbolic strength through the name.” Granting it would not require lengthy procedures and could be decided politically by EU leaders.
France, for its part, envisions partial membership for Ukraine with an “integrated state status.” Under this model, Ukraine would not have access to the Common Agricultural Policy or EU funding until full membership is achieved.
Context
The fact that former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán lost parliamentary elections in early April has increased Ukraine’s chances of advancing toward EU membership. Orbán had previously vetoed the start of accession talks. However, many EU member states still believe that allowing Ukraine and other candidates to fast-track accession could undermine internal dynamics within the bloc and risk devaluing membership.
The documents from France and Germany likely overlap with the EU’s final proposal for Ukraine. Senior officials from the European Commission told the publication that the content will most likely be similar.
Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, said Kyiv continues discussions with EU countries on membership.
“We are in contact with [Paris and Berlin] and other capitals as well – everything is evolving. There are other papers as well,” he said.
Another Ukrainian official noted that Kyiv is concerned about a vague concept of membership. Ukrainians, already exhausted by the war, may perceive it as a poor substitute for real accession to the European Union.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Péter Magyar is demanding expanded rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine as a key condition for approving accession talks. He is effectively continuing the previous government’s line of blocking Ukraine’s European integration steps until certain demands are met.
