‘No more Viktor Orbán’: EU plans 15-year probation period for new member states

The Guardian reports that under the plans Kos published on Tuesday, any new EU member state would face a 15-year probation period[2]. During that time, the Guardian says, a new member could be stripped of voting rights or EU funds for breaching basic democratic values or loyalty to the EU[2].According to the Guardian, article 7 of the EU treaty already allows member states to remove voting rights for a "serious and persistent breach" of democratic values, but this so-called nuclear option has never been triggered[2]. The paper says that under the new proposals, the threshold for suspending voting rights[2] would be lower.Euronews reports that the Commission sees Hungary's handling of Ukraine as the clearest example: Budapest agreed to give Ukraine candidate status, then blocked the process.[1]Kos told the Guardian that "If this [safeguard] would be unlimited, we would … have the situation where we have first and second-class members."[2] At a Brussels press conference, she said: "We do not want a two-tier membership,"[3] according to a report carried by Europe Says.The Guardian reports that Kos named Russia and China as "external disruptive forces, who are after our candidates"[2]. The paper also says Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine[2] have been identified as frontrunners for membership.According to the Guardian, the plans would have to be agreed by EU member states[2], and EU leaders will discuss the ideas next week[2]. Euronews reports that the Commission intends to build the safeguards into the EU's draft position on Montenegro's last negotiating chapter in early November.[1]