Ukraine is not ready to start accession negotiations today

The European Parliament held a debate on the preparation of the European Council meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday. MEP Kinga Gál, President of the Fidesz delegation to the European Parliament, stressed in her speech that a decision on enlargement should not be taken hastily — without consulting EU citizens — under political pressure. Proper preparation is needed, which is not the case for Ukraine, even though its accession would have serious consequences for European economies. “Ukraine does not meet the conditions set by the Commission, including the guarantee of minority and language rights, and is therefore not ready to start accession negotiations. It is not in Hungary’s or the EU’s interest to push this forward”, the President said. In his speech assessing the Spanish presidency, MEP Tamás Deutsch, Head of the Fidesz delegation to the European Parliament, stressed that since neither Ukraine nor the European Union is ready for Ukraine’s accession, Europe, under the political pressure to force through Ukraine’s accession, could be crushed. 

MEP Kinga Gál said that today there is no unanimity among the Member States on the issue of enlargement. “A decision of this importance should be taken only after proper preparation and not under political pressure”, the Fidesz MEP stressed. 

MEP Kinga Gál stressed that the accession of a country of Ukraine’s size, economic and political situation would have serious consequences for the EU as a whole and for the economies of its Member States.

“Enlargement policy must remain an objective process based on a single set of conditions and performance. Ukraine does not meet even the minimum conditions set by the Commission, including the guarantee of the rights of national minorities, and is, therefore, not ready to start negotiations”, the politician pointed out. MEP Kinga Gál added that for years, no progress has been made in enlargement, citing this as the reason for the lack of progress in the Western Balkans. “Double standards have no place in the EU’s enlargement policy”, she said. 

According to MEP Kinga Gál, the European Council should send serious, positive signals to Ukraine, but these should be different from the opening of accession negotiations. “An unfounded decision, taken purely on the basis of political pressure, would only further undermine the unity of the Union”, MEP Kinga Gál stressed. 

In his speech evaluating the Spanish presidency, MEP Tamás Deutsch stressed that since neither Ukraine nor the European Union is ready for Ukraine’s accession, Europe, under the political pressure to force through Ukraine’s accession, could be crushed.