“History is now calling us to work on completing our Union. In a world where some are trying to pick off countries one by one, we cannot afford to leave our fellow Europeans behind. In a world where size and weight matters, it is clearly in Europe’s strategic and security interests to complete our Union,” the President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen said in her State of the Union 2023 address in the European Parliament on Wednesday. The official noted that beyond the politics and geopolitics of it, they need to picture what is at stake so as to set out a vision for a successful enlargement, IPN reports.
Ursula von der Leyen said that the great enlargement of 20 years ago was called the European Day of Welcomes. “And it was a triumph of determination and hope over the burdens of the past. And in the 20 years since we have seen an economic success story which has improved the lives of millions. I want us to look forward to the next European Day of Welcomes and the next economic success stories. We know this is not an easy road. Accession is merit-based – and the Commission will always defend this principle. It takes hard work and leadership. But there is already a lot of progress. We have seen the great strides Ukraine has already made since we granted them candidate status. And we have seen the determination of other candidate countries to reform,” stated the official.
According to her, it is now time for us to match that determination. “And that means thinking about how we get ready for a completed Union. We need to move past old, binary debates about enlargement. This is not a question of deepening integration or widening the Union. We can and we must do both. To give us the geopolitical weight and the capacity to act. This is what our Union has always done. I believe that the next enlargement must also be a catalyst for progress”.
“The Commission has made the Rule of Law Reports a key priority. We now work closely with Member States to identify progress and concerns – and make recommendations for the year ahead. This has ensured accountability in front of this House and national parliaments. It has allowed for dialogue between Member States. And it is delivering results. I believe that it can do the same for future Member States. This is why I am very happy to announce that we will open the Rule of Law Reports to those accession countries who get up to speed even faster. This will place them on an equal footing with Member States. And support them in their reform efforts. And it will help ensure that our future is a Union of freedom, rights and values for all,” stated Ursula von der Leyen.
In another development, the European official said that Russia is waging a full-scale war against the founding principles of the UN Charter. In this connection, they proposed an additional 50 billion euros over four years for investment and reforms. “This will help build Ukraine’s future to rebuild a modern and prosperous country. And that future is clear to see. This House has said it out loud: The future of Ukraine is in our Union. The future of the Western Balkans is in our Union. The future of Moldova is in our Union. And I know just how important the EU perspective is for so many people in Georgia,” noted Ursula von der Leyen.
