The European Union should be equipped with additional tools to respond more swiftly to new member states that violate fundamental rights and democratic principles, five countries have said as EU enlargement gains renewed urgency.
A joint proposal by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, seen by Euronews, recommends that the accession treaties of the bloc's future members be beefed up with various safeguard clauses to crack down on legal breaches and impose swift penalties, such as suspension of funds and voting rights.
Newcomers should also have their veto power restricted for an undefined period to prevent sudden blockages in high-priority decisions, the document says. Foreign policy is one of the areas where the EU requires unanimity at all times.
Enlargement, a diplomat said, "should not go to the detriment of our capacity to act".
The initiative is largely a response to the EU's bruising experience with Viktor Orbán. The former Hungarian prime minister, who was ousted in April after 16 uninterrupted years in office, repeatedly antagonised his peers with his back-to-back vetoes.
