>**France’s President Emmanuel Macron said Monday it would take “decades” for a candidate like Ukraine to join the EU, and suggested building a broader political community of democratic states around the bloc.**
>”Even if we gave them candidate status tomorrow,” he said of Ukraine, “we all know perfectly well that the process of allowing them to join would take several years, in truth doubtless several decades”.
>But, noting the urgence of giving Ukraine and other EU hopefuls like Moldova and Georgia a place in the heart of Europe, he called for the creation of a “European political community”.
>Russia invaded Ukraine in February, in part to thwart Kyiv’s tilt towards integration with the EU and NATO, and Georgia and Moldova are also partly occupied by Moscow’s troops.
>Just ahead of Macron’s speech, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, tweeted that the EU executive would give its “opinion” on Ukraine’s membership bid in June.
>But Macron, in a speech endorsing calls for a treaty change to further strengthen the EU’s federal integration, said the bloc, “given its level of integration and ambition” could not be Europe’s only organising body.
>Rather than bringing down stringent standards to allow countries to join more quickly, Macron suggested creating a parallel entity that could appeal to countries who aspired to join the bloc or, in an apparent reference to Britain, countries which had left the union.
>”It is our historic obligation … to create what I would describe before you today as a European political community,” he said.
>”This new European organisation would allow democratic European nations … to find a new space for political cooperation, security, cooperation in energy, transport, investment, infrastructure, the movement of people.”
Two speed Europe isn’t a new idea, but it does seem inevitable with the UK on the outside. They are just too big of a player when things happen, such as the war in Ukraine, to be ignored. Not 100% sure we need new bits in places though, there’s plenty of forums to talk already.
> “This new European organisation would allow democratic European nations … to find a new space for political cooperation, security, cooperation in energy, transport, investment, infrastructure, the movement of people.”
So basically just the EU by stealth?
Political cooperation, we already have existing channels. Security, no + existing channels. Energy, existing channels. Transport, existing channels. Investment, yes, but you are not supporting our participation within Horizon despite agreement, so yes but not with you. Infrastructure, we have existing channels. Freedom of movement, no go away.
Please no more useless organizations and complicated talking forums with identical names to each other.
Just the current EU, and whoever wants to move forward with it further let them
‘Multi-speed Europe’, ‘concentric circles’ etc.
Fail to see exactly what’s original in this proposal. What would it achieve that, say, NATO, or the Council of Europe doesn’t do already? And why would a country like Britain join if it’s isn’t part of the decision making process? Why would Ukraine join if there’s a chance of being parked there indefinitely with no prospect of joining the EU proper?
Not opposed to the idea per se, but the details matter. Macron has a reputation for making grand speeches that amount to nothing.
I think it’s a good idea but UK would never be in it. It’s more like for Ukraine, WB, Norway maybe Switzerland. They’d be anchored to EU with no say, no veto. Enlargement fatigue is real, nobody wants new poor members.
Aww, that is good. France got a bit mad with the Aukus and submarine deal, move on and get along together – this is the way.
I think this could be quite a good idea. Ukraine will take a long time to join the EU, so by creating some sort of EU-lite we could recognize Ukraine’s and similar countries’ wish to join the EU and strengthen their integration. They could receive some funds, cooperate in certain areas and send non-voting representatives to EU institutions.
The UK could even join it too (at least after the Brexit drama has calmed down) so that we can cooperate more closely without them rejoining the EU.
While on practical terms it might not do much, since there are many similar forums, organisms, etc., symbolically it could very powerful, and that’s very important in these difficult times.
The UK specifically left the EU because they didn’t want a political union. Why would they all of a sudden be okay with it?
This sounds amazing I am glad to hear that Europe wants to integrate further
I like the image! Macron holding the EU.
lol, UK voted to leave the political union and FOM
so what does that prat Macron suggest? political union and FOM
lolno
To me it seems he is giving UK option to partially reverse Brexit without calling it as such and he uses Ukraine as cover.
But the political bit of the EU is the bit we didn’t want to be involved with. I mean…it’s nice that Macron is taking a slightly less belligerent tone towards the UK now he’s a lame duck and doesn’t need to look like a strongman, but this particular idea sort of misses the point. It could work for Ukraine and Moldava though.
What about creating some sort of European economic community?
16 comments
>**France’s President Emmanuel Macron said Monday it would take “decades” for a candidate like Ukraine to join the EU, and suggested building a broader political community of democratic states around the bloc.**
>”Even if we gave them candidate status tomorrow,” he said of Ukraine, “we all know perfectly well that the process of allowing them to join would take several years, in truth doubtless several decades”.
>But, noting the urgence of giving Ukraine and other EU hopefuls like Moldova and Georgia a place in the heart of Europe, he called for the creation of a “European political community”.
>Russia invaded Ukraine in February, in part to thwart Kyiv’s tilt towards integration with the EU and NATO, and Georgia and Moldova are also partly occupied by Moscow’s troops.
>Just ahead of Macron’s speech, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, tweeted that the EU executive would give its “opinion” on Ukraine’s membership bid in June.
>But Macron, in a speech endorsing calls for a treaty change to further strengthen the EU’s federal integration, said the bloc, “given its level of integration and ambition” could not be Europe’s only organising body.
>Rather than bringing down stringent standards to allow countries to join more quickly, Macron suggested creating a parallel entity that could appeal to countries who aspired to join the bloc or, in an apparent reference to Britain, countries which had left the union.
>”It is our historic obligation … to create what I would describe before you today as a European political community,” he said.
>”This new European organisation would allow democratic European nations … to find a new space for political cooperation, security, cooperation in energy, transport, investment, infrastructure, the movement of people.”
Two speed Europe isn’t a new idea, but it does seem inevitable with the UK on the outside. They are just too big of a player when things happen, such as the war in Ukraine, to be ignored. Not 100% sure we need new bits in places though, there’s plenty of forums to talk already.
> “This new European organisation would allow democratic European nations … to find a new space for political cooperation, security, cooperation in energy, transport, investment, infrastructure, the movement of people.”
So basically just the EU by stealth?
Political cooperation, we already have existing channels. Security, no + existing channels. Energy, existing channels. Transport, existing channels. Investment, yes, but you are not supporting our participation within Horizon despite agreement, so yes but not with you. Infrastructure, we have existing channels. Freedom of movement, no go away.
[Council of Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe)?
Please no more useless organizations and complicated talking forums with identical names to each other.
Just the current EU, and whoever wants to move forward with it further let them
‘Multi-speed Europe’, ‘concentric circles’ etc.
Fail to see exactly what’s original in this proposal. What would it achieve that, say, NATO, or the Council of Europe doesn’t do already? And why would a country like Britain join if it’s isn’t part of the decision making process? Why would Ukraine join if there’s a chance of being parked there indefinitely with no prospect of joining the EU proper?
Not opposed to the idea per se, but the details matter. Macron has a reputation for making grand speeches that amount to nothing.
I think it’s a good idea but UK would never be in it. It’s more like for Ukraine, WB, Norway maybe Switzerland. They’d be anchored to EU with no say, no veto. Enlargement fatigue is real, nobody wants new poor members.
Aww, that is good. France got a bit mad with the Aukus and submarine deal, move on and get along together – this is the way.
I think this could be quite a good idea. Ukraine will take a long time to join the EU, so by creating some sort of EU-lite we could recognize Ukraine’s and similar countries’ wish to join the EU and strengthen their integration. They could receive some funds, cooperate in certain areas and send non-voting representatives to EU institutions.
The UK could even join it too (at least after the Brexit drama has calmed down) so that we can cooperate more closely without them rejoining the EU.
While on practical terms it might not do much, since there are many similar forums, organisms, etc., symbolically it could very powerful, and that’s very important in these difficult times.
The UK specifically left the EU because they didn’t want a political union. Why would they all of a sudden be okay with it?
This sounds amazing I am glad to hear that Europe wants to integrate further
I like the image! Macron holding the EU.
lol, UK voted to leave the political union and FOM
so what does that prat Macron suggest? political union and FOM
lolno
To me it seems he is giving UK option to partially reverse Brexit without calling it as such and he uses Ukraine as cover.
But the political bit of the EU is the bit we didn’t want to be involved with. I mean…it’s nice that Macron is taking a slightly less belligerent tone towards the UK now he’s a lame duck and doesn’t need to look like a strongman, but this particular idea sort of misses the point. It could work for Ukraine and Moldava though.
What about creating some sort of European economic community?