EU set for ‘small revolution’ by adding Ukraine, possibly other countries including Georgia and Turkey, minister says
- France’s President Macron created surprise this week by firmly throwing his weight behind broadening the 27-member EU, something he previously vetoed
- 10 countries are potential candidates, including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and, controversially, Turkey, but changes would be ‘a shock’, Europe Minister says
The European Union is set for a “small revolution” through its enlargement to include Ukraine and potentially another nine countries, France’s Europe minister said on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron created surprise on Wednesday by throwing his weight firmly behind the broadening of the 27-member EU in a speech in Slovakia.
“The question for us is not whether we should enlarge … but how we should do it,” Macron told an audience, having previously vetoed EU membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia in 2019.
Europe Minister Laurence Boone explained Friday that the widening of EU borders would represent “a large shock” that would require changes to the functioning of the grouping which last underwent a major expansion in 2004.
“It means revisiting our policies, making changes to the budgets, to the institutions,” she told Europe 1 radio, saying that it would be the “project for the next decade”.