Serbia has indicated that it would consider giving up the right to veto on the condition that it could join the European Union, according to President Aleksandar Vucic. He told the FAZ that “for Serbia a membership without veto rights is acceptable”. “The most important aspect for us is the internal market and the free movement of goods, people, and capital-values we want to achieve through EU membership” he added. This view aligns with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has repeatedly declared that Albania would renounce the veto rights that every member state currently enjoys should it enter the Union.
In Germany, Greens MP Anton Hofreiter advocates for an EU enlargement model without veto powers. The chair of the EU affairs committee explained to the FAZ that “as long as the veto still formally exists, we have no chance for enlargement”. He notes that while candidate countries understand the idea internally, governments publicly respond with disdain and indignation. Hofreiter says the alternative to a veto waiver is that those countries simply never become EU members.
Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD foreign‑policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, also supports the approach. Citing the Russian war of aggression, he argues that “the security significance of a binding accession perspective for the region has grown further”. Ahmetovic stresses the need for pragmatism and creativity to integrate the six western Balkan states, many of which are targets of external influence. He sees a waiver of veto rights as a compromise to accelerate their accession.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos disagrees. She told the FAZ that “every enlargement must strengthen Europe and cannot restrict the EU’s capacity”. “Those who meet all EU rules should not face disadvantages” she said, emphasizing that the treaties do not permit a second‑class membership.
Germany’s Foreign Office remained cautious. Berlin stated that the priority for a swift accession remains “the comprehensive adoption of the EU acquis in line with the Copenhagen criteria”.