Ukraine's Accelerated EU Accession Would Undermine the European Union Itself

Ukraine's fast-tracked accession to the European Union would be detrimental to all parties involved. It would undermine the EU itself, plunge Ukraine into a demographic disaster, and alienate Western Balkan countries that have been waiting for years to join, warned Attila Demko, program director of the John Lukacs Institute at the Ludovika University of Public Service, outlining the risks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: AFP)

Primarily a demographic price, but also an economic one, as Ukrainian companies would struggle to compete in the European market when it comes to industrial goods.

Essentially, Ukraine could become a sparsely populated agricultural country if it enters the EU too early and unprepared,

Attila Demko summarized.

As he noted, Hungary and other former acceding states entered the European Union at a much higher level of development compared to the EU average than what Ukraine could achieve in five or even ten years.

 And this carries dangers not only for the European Union but also for the acceding country,

he highlighted.

Of course, there could be specific derogations for Ukraine, which would temporarily exclude Ukrainian workers from the labor markets of certain EU member states — as was the case with Hungarians in 2004. However, this would at best only delay the outflow, and "given how emotional the issue of Ukraine is now, many countries would be unable to say 'no' to Ukrainian labor."

The key is to proceed calmly and thoughtfully in this process, and not everyone in the EU is calm or thoughtful in this matter. Yet, as I said, this isn’t just about European interests — it's also about Ukraine's interests, to ensure the accession is appropriate and not rushed. First, the war must end,

the expert said.

The European Union cannot admit a country that doesn’t have stable borders,

he emphasized, adding that a major question is whether a stable border can ever be established if Ukraine does not give up the territories occupied by Russia.

This doesn’t mean Ukraine has no right to join. That’s not the case at all — they do have the right. But only once these issues have been settled,

he underlined.

He pointed out that Cyprus, for example, only gained EU membership in 2004 — thirty years after the war in 1974. "And in that case, it wasn’t Russia we were facing, but the so-called Republic of Northern Cyprus, supported by Turkey."

These are very serious geopolitical and security issues that must be resolved, and it’s highly unlikely they can be resolved quickly,

Attila Demko said in conclusion.

Cover photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: AFP)