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EU weighs denying veto power to new members amid enlargement push

🇺🇦 public Ukraine · · 393 words · By Russia Today
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What to know about EU weighs denying veto power to new members amid enlargement push

EU considering revoking veto powers for new members – Guardian The EU could temporarily deny future member states’ veto rights in order to prevent them from interfering with the bloc’s foreign policy, the Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing EU sources.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

EU considering revoking veto powers for new members – Guardian The EU could temporarily deny future member states’ veto rights in order to prevent them from interfering with the bloc’s foreign policy, the Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing EU sources.

Why it matters

The idea is reportedly being discussed as Brussels seeks to bring new members in before the end of the decade, while avoiding the kind of internal roadblocks that the likes of Hungary and Slovakia have put up to impede EU military and financial support for…

Common ground

According to the newspaper, the European Commission is now considering a plan under which new entrants would not automatically receive the power to block foreign policy decisions or other matters requiring unanimity, such as taxation.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.rt.com/news/640649-eu-veto-powers-revoke/

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
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Claim 1: “Brussels has repeatedly struggled to push through major foreign policy decisions, such as a gargantuan €90 billion loan for Kiev, due to the bloc’s built-in unanimity rules”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm that Hungary posed a hurdle to a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and that the EU's unanimity rules allow one member state to halt such decisions.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2022, four days after it was invaded by Russia, Ukraine applied for membership of the European Union (EU). Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested immediate admission under a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Ukraine_to_the_Eu…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement is a European Union association agreement between the European Union (EU), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), Ukraine and the EU's 28 memb…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union–Ukraine_Associa…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — International relations between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine are shaped through the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Ukraine …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine–European_Union_relatio…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “The EU could temporarily deny future member states’ veto rights in order to prevent them from interfering with the bloc’s foreign policy, the Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing EU sources.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results from May 26, 2026, confirm that the EU is considering denying veto rights to new member states to protect foreign policy, specifically citing reports that align with the Guardian's reporting.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, was a referendum that took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_Kingdom_European_U…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Brexit (; a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CE…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Guardian is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, The …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 3: “Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has similarly argued that unanimity has made the bloc irrelevant in international politics, calling for a smaller core group of members to be established that would make decisions on EU policy.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding Josep Borrell's specific arguments for a 'smaller core group' to replace unanimity in this context.
verified
Claim 4: “Montenegro... has been negotiating accession for 14 years”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and web search results confirm Montenegro applied in December 2008 and negotiations began in June 2012; as of 2026, this spans approximately 14 years.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events in the year 2026 in Montenegro.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_Montenegro
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Accession of Montenegro to the European Union is on the agenda for future enlargement of the EU. After voting for independence from Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, Montenegro began the process of acces…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Montenegro_to_the…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Montenegro is a country in Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Its 25 municipalities have a total population of 633,158 people in an area of 13,883 km2 (5,360 sq mi). It is bordered by Serbia t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “the European Commission is now considering a plan under which new entrants would not automatically receive the power to block foreign policy decisions or other matters requiring unanimity, such as taxation.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results explicitly state that the European Commission is considering a plan where new entrants would not automatically receive veto power over foreign policy or other unanimous matters like taxation.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Union (EU) is a supranational union of 27 member states that are party to the EU's founding treaties, and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. They have agreed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_state_of_the_European_U…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Commission (EC) is the executive cabinet of the European Union. It is composed of 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") corresponding to the number of member …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of the European Commission, also known as president of the College of Commissioners is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Comm…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 6: “German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stressing that an EU with over 33 members could not continue operating under rules designed for a smaller bloc.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding statements by a 'German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul'.
info
Claim 7: “The measure could apply for several years after accession, four EU sources told the outlet.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general plan to restrict vetoes is corroborated, the specific detail that it 'could apply for several years' is not explicitly confirmed in the provided web search snippets, which focus on the existence of the plan rather than the specific duration.
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web search NEUTRAL — Find 28 different ways to say PROPOSED, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/proposed
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web search NEUTRAL — PROPOSED definition: offered or suggested for consideration, acceptance, or action. See examples of proposed used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/proposed
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web search NEUTRAL — PROPOSED definition: 1. suggested as a possible plan or action for people to consider: 2. intended or planned: 3…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/proposed
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Claim 8: “The proposal to restrict veto rights was reportedly brought up during treaty negotiations with Montenegro”
CORROBORATED
Web search results mention a technical group drafting Montenegro's accession treaty meeting in the context of these veto discussions, and another source explicitly mentions citizens of Montenegro in the context of this 'absurd plan' to restrict vetoes.
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 6, 2025 ... While Dutch citizens, for instance, would continue to be fully represented by their government in the Council, citizens of Albania or Montenegro ...
https://newunionpost.eu/2025/11/06/veto-power-future-eu-memb…
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 1, 2015 ... This summary collates references made to restraint on the use of the veto by member states in various UN fora since 2008.
https://www.globalr2p.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2014-no…
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web search NEUTRAL — May 26, 2026 ... This month a technical group tasked with drafting Montenegro's accession treaty met for the first time, a sign that the 14-year negotiations ...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/26/eu-could-deny-…
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Claim 9: “It is currently considered the frontrunner among the bloc’s nine official candidate countries.”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian cross-reference explicitly calls Montenegro the 'frontrunner among nine official EU candidate countries', and web search results describe it as the 'most advanced accession candidate'.
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web search NEUTRAL — After the war, Montenegro became a republic under its name, the People's Republic of Montenegro (Montenegrin: Народна Република Црна Гора / Narodna Republika Crna Gora) on 29 November 1945.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Discover Montenegro. Explore Montenegro facts, culture, history & comprehensive country profile with maps, statistics & research resources for students & travelers.
https://www.countryreports.org/country/Montenegro.htm
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Geographical and historical treatment of Montenegro, including maps and statistics as well as a survey of its people, economy, and government.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Montenegro
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 10: “Montenegro... is hoping to become the EU’s 28th member by 2028.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by a cross-reference to The Guardian, a Wikipedia entry stating the goal is membership by 2028, and multiple web search results identifying Montenegro as the prospective 28th member by 2028.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Accession of Montenegro to the European Union is on the agenda for future enlargement of the EU. After voting for independence from Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, Montenegro began the process of acces…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Montenegro_to_the…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Montenegro is a country in Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Its 25 municipalities have a total population of 633,158 people in an area of 13,883 km2 (5,360 sq mi). It is bordered by Serbia t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Montenegro is a country in Southeast Europe that is neither a member of the European Union (EU) nor the Eurozone, nor does it have a formal monetary agreement with the EU. However, it is one of the tw…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro_and_the_euro
+ 4 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.