00:03Five European Union countries are urging the bloc to adopt stricter safeguards for future member states in an attempt to
00:10prevent problems that were caused by Hungary and the Orban.
00:13A joint proposal by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg recommends beefing up accession treaties to allow the suspension
00:22of funds and voting rights of new member states if they breach EU principles.
00:27Newcomers would also have their veto power restricted to prevent blockages of key decisions.
00:32The initiative is a response to the EU's bruising experience with Viktor Orban.
00:37The former Hungarian Prime Minister, who was ousted in April, had led reforms weakening the rule of law and vetoed
00:44financial aid to Ukraine.
00:45Brussels is in the early stages of drafting the accession treaty of Montenegro, the frontrunner on the waiting list.
00:52The document is deliberately timed to ensure that the Montenegro Treaty sets the blueprint for the remaining candidates, including Ukraine,
01:00Moldova, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia.
01:03While no candidate is explicitly singled out, some references in the paper, such as enhanced transitional periods for the common
01:10agricultural policy and cohesion policy, appear to reflect concerns regarding Ukraine's application.
01:16.
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