All articles tagged with #accession
EU officials estimate Montenegro’s accession will cost about €3.1 billion from 2028 to 2034, funded by the bloc’s next budget, with Montenegro contributing roughly €0.5 billion while receiving subsidies, regional funds, migration funding and support from the European Competitiveness Fund; the arrangement suggests a small net cost per EU taxpayer and forms part of an roughly €8 billion seven-year Balkan accession package.
Following Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat, the EU is ready to unblock negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova, with the first negotiating clusters likely to open within weeks and perhaps by June, though unanimous 27-state approval remains required. Budapest’s new government is expected not to block the process, allowing Kyiv and Chisinau to pursue full accession on a path aimed at wrapping up most steps by 2027, with Kyiv insisting on full membership rather than symbolic status and Moldova seeking timely progress before summer.
Iceland will hold a referendum in the coming months on opening EU accession talks, with PM Kristrún Frostadóttir saying the date isn’t fixed and stressing the need to respect Iceland’s Arctic identity and resources; parliamentary approval is required for any formal proposal, and public opinion on EU membership appears divided.
Zelenskyy announced Ukraine aims to join the EU in 2027, with EU discussions exploring a gradual-membership path even as Hungary blocks opening of negotiation chapters; Kyiv has held EU candidate status since 2022 and began accession talks in 2024, while Brussels provides support and Ukraine advances reforms amid war.
Hungary's President Tamas Sulyok has signed the bill approving Sweden's accession to NATO, clearing the way for Sweden to become the 32nd member of the alliance in the coming days. This move comes after Sweden abandoned its non-alignment policy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The remaining formalities are expected to be concluded swiftly, and the accession is seen as a significant expansion of NATO and a blow to President Vladimir Putin and Russia.
Hungarian parliament speaker Sandor Lezsak has signed off on the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession, clearing the last hurdle before the historic step by the Nordic country, which abandoned its non-alignment policy for greater safety within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The legislation has been forwarded to the president's office for promulgation, following pressure from NATO allies on Hungary's government to seal Sweden's accession to the alliance.
Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's bid to join NATO, clearing the way for the Nordic nation's accession to the alliance after nearly two years of negotiations. With this approval, Sweden will become the 32nd member of NATO, strengthening the alliance's security. The move comes at a crucial time in the war in Ukraine, with Russia finding renewed success on the battlefield and cracks appearing in Western support for Kyiv. The rise in populist sentiment in Europe and the United States also threatens to stymie Ukraine's efforts to continue its fight against Russia.
Hungary's parliamentary speaker, Laszlo Kover, stated that there is no urgency in approving Sweden's NATO membership bid, despite Turkey's recent ratification. The Hungarian parliament has yet to vote on the bid, which has been stalled since mid-2022. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has expressed support for Sweden's accession, but Kover, a founding member of Orban's ruling Fidesz, indicated that he personally does not support it. The delay has raised concerns, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urging Hungary to ratify Sweden's NATO accession, and the U.S. ambassador to Turkey anticipating Erdogan's approval, potentially triggering a sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has expressed support for Sweden's NATO membership bid, potentially removing the final obstacle to accession after months of negotiations. Turkey, the other country that had objected to Sweden's accession, recently approved it, citing commitments from the United States. Orban, initially seen as stalling Sweden's bid, has now invited the Swedish counterpart to negotiate terms of accession, signaling a shift in stance. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Hungary's support and looks forward to the ratification when parliament reconvenes.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has suggested that Ukraine and Moldova could become "observer" members of the European Parliament while they await formal accession into the European Union. Metsola believes that politically, if a country looks to Europe, then Europe should open its doors wide. Observer members would not have voting powers but would have seats in the institution. The decision on whether to formally open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova will be made at an EU summit in December. Metsola also emphasized the need for coherence and consistency in the EU's messaging on Israel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has finally sent Sweden's NATO accession bid to the country's parliament for ratification, after months of speculation. Turkey had previously blocked Sweden's bid, citing concerns over the country harboring Turkish opposition groups considered to be "terrorists" by the Turkish government. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the move and expressed hope for Sweden's NATO membership. Finland, which also applied to join NATO, has already been accepted, while Sweden's bid has faced delays in Turkey and Hungary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Hungary is not in a rush to ratify Sweden's NATO accession, further delaying the process that has been stuck in parliament since July 2022. Orban questioned the urgency of the matter and expressed no immediate need to ratify Sweden's bid.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Turkey to approve Sweden's accession to NATO during an introductory meeting with his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler at a NATO defense ministers' gathering in Brussels. Both Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2020. Finland became a NATO member in April 2021, but Ankara has yet to approve Sweden's accession, citing Stockholm's alleged support for Kurdish militants and anti-Turkey protests.
Turkey and Sweden will hold talks next week to clear the obstacles to Sweden's NATO accession as pressure grows on Turkey to ratify Sweden's membership bid ahead of the alliance's summit in mid-July. NATO heavyweights such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany also put pressure on Turkey by gently prodding Turkey's new foreign minister, former intelligence tsar Hakan Fidan, by referring to the NATO alliance in their congratulatory messages. Turkey urged Stockholm and Helsinki to keep a tighter rein on groups that Turkey considers a threat to its security, lift arms embargoes against Turkey and extradite or deport more than a hundred people Turkey considered "terror suspects" who lived in the two Nordic states.
The Turkish parliament has approved Finland's accession to Nato, clearing the way for the country to become the alliance's 31st member. The move comes amid heightened tensions between Turkey and some of its Nato allies, including the US, and reflects Finland's concerns over Russia's military activities in the region.