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Vetoes, reforms: Main takeaways from Euronews’ Enlargement summit

Published

1 week ago

November 4, 2025

Vetoes, reforms: Main takeaways from Euronews’ Enlargement summit

Amid a shifting geopolitical landscape and rising global instability, European Union enlargement has re-emerged as one of the bloc’s defining strategic questions. At a high-level Euronews summit bringing together EU officials and leaders from candidate countries, the message was clear: expanding the Union is no longer a matter of choice, but of necessity.

But the unique gathering also highlighted the mounting frustrations on both sides with the enlargement process, in particular with the use of vetoes.

Here is what you need to know about Euronews’ first such summit.

Enlargement is a geopolitical necessity

All the leaders present at the summit agreed that enlargement is a geopolitical necessity for the EU.

European Commission Vice-President António Costa said the EU can no longer delay bringing new members into the bloc.

“The current geopolitical context makes this priority all the more urgent and necessary for the European Union,” he said. “In an age of geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability, an enlarged European Union means a safer, stronger and more peaceful Europe, at home and in the world. Enlarging is the best investment we can make today for our future.”

Maia Sandu, whose country Moldova is particularly vulnerable to interference from Moscow given part of its territory broke away to form the pro-Russia region of Transnistria, stressed that failing to let new members in leaves the door open for competing powers to exert their influence.

“If you don’t support us to stay a democratic country and participate in the stability and security of the region, then we’re going to be used by Russia and are going to be used against Ukraine and the EU countries in the region,” she warned.

Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Filip Ivanović, echoed the sentiment, calling enlargement “the best policy the EU ever had.” He added, “It will transform the EU into a geopolitical player — Montenegro wants to play a role in this.”

Vetoes amount to ‘bullying’ and are ‘not fair’

A key frustration for the leaders was the use of national vetoes by individual EU member states to stall the enlargement process.

Hristijan Mickoski, the prime Minister of North Macedonia, described it as a form of “bullying.”

North Macedonia’s path toward European Union membership has been one of the most protracted and politically complex in the bloc’s history. The country first applied for EU membership in 2004 and was granted candidate status in 2005, but its progress was long stalled by disputes with neighboring countries.

Bulgaria is currently blocking its progress, demanding new changes to the country’s constitution over historical and linguistic issues.

“We would like to see ourselves at the table in Brussels…If somebody dares to bully someone else who wants to join the club, why should the other be silent? This is not normal,” Mickoski said.

“It obviously works…and that’s why it will occur again and again,” he warned.

Marta Kos, the enlargement commissioner, also said it was “not fair” for member states, who have to unanimously approve each step of the accession process, to wield vetoes.

“You notice the same member state has given a green light to give candidate status to Ukraine, has given the green light to start negotiations, but now it is blocking,” she said, referring to Hungary.

“This is not fair and this is not how I see European solidarity and geopolitical need,” she added.

She said that one workaround would be for the Commission and aspiring member states to carry on doing the technical work behind the scene, even if the formal opening of negotiation clusters hasn’t happened so that they are closed quickly when member states do give their backing.

Full-fledged membership or nothing

Leaders from candidate countries have pushed back firmly against proposals suggesting that future EU members could be subjected to a “probation period” when they join during which they might not have the full veto rights.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said such an approach would contradict the very principles of equality and unity on which the EU was founded.

“It seems to me it’s very important that Ukraine could get such a treatment as equals,” he said. “If we speak about EU membership, it has to be fully pledged. You cannot be semi- or demi-member of the EU.”

Montenegro’s Ivanović also described the idea of accession without full rights as “hardly acceptable.”

His small country of 620,000 inhabitants has already been “on trial for the past 15 years,” he said. “Once we close all the negotiation chapters, as far as I’m concerned, the trial is over.”

Kos also voiced clear opposition, saying: “No, I’m strictly against, but this is my personal opinion”.

Internal reforms: transitional period, accession treaties

The Commission’s enlargement tsar, who in the coming weeks is expected to present a review onpre-enlargement reforms and policy for the EU to undertake before it accepts new members, instead said the bloc should make better use of accession treaties through which “we can define transitional periods”.

Poland’s accession treaty, for instance, included a transition period related to agricultural land.

“We have transitional periods, we have different areas where we really can talk about, to enable a full integration and really strong EU,” she said.

Countries push back against Commission criticism

Some leaders from candidate countries have pushed back against what they see as overly harsh or one-sided criticism in the European Commission’s latest Enlargement Package, defending their domestic progress and arguing for greater understanding of their political contexts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemingly took offence to a line in the report that flags “recent negative trends”, including “a pressure on the specialised anti-corruption agencies and civil society”.

He said that despite fighting a full-scale war, Ukrainian authorities “have implemented the widest, the broadest anti-corruption infrastructure in Europe.”

”I don’t know about any country who has that many anti-corruption authorities… We’re doing everything possible,” he said.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose country was urged in the Commission’s report to provide “further efforts” to fight drug traffickers and dismantle organised criminal groups, also took offence.

“In this moment in time we accept support, we accept partnership, we accept help, but we don’t accept lectures from anyone when it comes to the fight against corruption”, Rama said.

Similarly, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also dismissed the Commission’s criticism of political polarisation in his country, arguing that division is a global trend rather than a uniquely Serbian problem.

“Tell me the name of a country without deep political polarisation. I don’t know the name,” Vučić said. “Is it Romania? Bulgaria? Germany? France? Great Britain? It’s happening all over the world because of social networks. That’s how it goes in today’s world. That’s the evidence of democracy, which is key.”

The Commission also took aim at Serbia’s low alignment rate with the EU’s foreign policy, especially sanctions against Russia in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and his decision to visit Moscow to attend a military parade.

“I’m not going to justify myself for talking with someone,” Vučić said. “I believe that everybody should talk to each other.”

Related Topics:Aleksandar Vučić EU Enlargement European Union Featured Maia Sandu Volodymyr Zelenskyy

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Jimmy Kimmel’s Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III Dies at 59: We’ve Been ‘Inseparable Since I Was Nine Years Old’

Published

7 hours ago

November 11, 2025

Press Room

Jimmy Kimmel’s Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III Dies at 59: We’ve Been ‘Inseparable Since I Was Nine Years Old’

Cleto Escobedo III, Jimmy Kimmel‘s close friend and the bandleader of his talk show, has died. He was 59.

Kimmel shared the news on Instagram, writing, “Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”

Escobedo and Kimmel were childhood friends and neighbors growing up in Las Vegas. As Kimmel went into comedy, Escobedo formed the band Cleto and the Cletones in 1995, mostly playing saxophone. When Kimmel launched “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC in 2003, he asked Escobedo to lead the house band. “I always thank him for this gig because he could have tried to get somebody that was established and would help the show more, being a bigger name or whatever,” Escobedo told ABC7 in a 2013 interview. “But he trusted me with this job, and I’ve tried to do the best I can.”

Escobedo’s cause of death is unknown, but Variety has confirmed that his condition was the “personal reason” Kimmel’s show was abruptly canceled on Thursday. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” returned on Monday with a new episode, and will also broadcast a new episode on Tuesday, with Kimmel expected to address his friend and bandleader’s passing.

Escobedo played the alto, tenor and soprano saxophones and also sang as part of the band. Outside of performing on Kimmel’s show, Escobedo toured with Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phillip Bailey. Escobedo’s father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., is also a part of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” house band.

In 2016, Kimmel celebrated Escobedo’s 50th birthday on air with a tribute: “I met Cleto in January of 1977 when my family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas. Cleto lived across the street from us… We began a lifetime of friendship that was highlighted by the kind of torture that only an older brother can inflict on you without being arrested.”

World

IDF eliminates terrorist in ‘another ceasefire violation’ in Gaza

Published

8 hours ago

November 11, 2025

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IDF eliminates terrorist in ‘another ceasefire violation’ in Gaza

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Tuesday that it had thwarted “another ceasefire violation” in the Gaza Strip after a “terrorist” crossed the “yellow line” that separates control of the territory.

The incident is the second of its kind to have been reported over the last two days. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Oct. 10.

“IDF troops eliminated a terrorist who was identified crossing the yellow line and approaching IDF troops in southern Gaza, which posed an immediate threat to them,” the Israeli military wrote on X on Tuesday.

“The IDF must remain deployed, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, to continue to operate to remove any immediate threat to the State of Israel,” it added.

ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES ANNOUNCES RESUMPTION OF CEASEFIRE FOLLOWING STRIKES

Israeli soldiers are seen near tanks at the border with the Gaza Strip on Oct. 29, 2025, in southern Israel. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

On Monday, the IDF said, “Two terrorists were identified crossing the yellow line and approaching IDF troops in southern Gaza, posing an immediate threat to them.”

“Following the identification, the IDF struck and eliminated the terrorists in order to remove the threat,” it continued.

In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon said, “Israel has always been committed to the terms of the ceasefire agreement and has been equally ready to enforce the ceasefire when Hamas repeatedly violates those terms.”

“The terrorist organization was forced to accept this agreement following the IDF’s significant military achievements and the tremendous diplomatic efforts by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu — and Israel will do whatever is necessary to bring the remaining hostages home and prevent Hamas from re-arming,” he added.

TWO IDF SOLDIERS KILLED AMID ‘SEVERE’ CEASEFIRE VIOLATION, ‘IT’S NOT THE LAST,’ ANALYST SAYS

An Israeli soldier takes position at an army post during an army-organized tour for journalists in the Shijaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, on Nov. 5, 2025. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of IDSF (Israel’s Defense and Security Forum), previously told Fox News Digital that Israeli forces had controlled nearly 80% of the Gaza Strip before their pullback to the designated “yellow line” — a position, he said, that helped compel Hamas to agree to the ceasefire.

“The withdrawal enables Israel to maintain control over 53% of the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphi Corridor, most of Rafah, half of Khan Younis, and sections of northern Gaza,” Avivi said. “Israel holds the high ground overlooking the coastal area, allowing the IDF to best protect Israeli towns.”

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel gather near military vehicles along the border with Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side, on Sept. 3, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

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He added that Hamas’ ability to smuggle weapons through the Egyptian border has been significantly curtailed.

Fox News’ Amelie Botbol contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

World

Asylum seekers will be relocated from Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus

Published

10 hours ago

November 11, 2025

Press Room

Asylum seekers will be relocated from Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus

Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus have been considered “under migratory pressure” by the European Commission in its first Annual Asylum and Migration Report, unveiled on Tuesday.

These countries were interested last year in a “disproportionate level” of migrant arrivals, including those rescued at sea.

Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus will therefore benefit in 2026 from the solidarity of other EU member states, which could be expressed by relocating asylum seekers over their territory or by financial contribution.

Together with this assessment, the Commission proposed to the EU 27 member states the Annual Solidarity Pool, a mechanism to determine the total number of asylum seekers to be relocated and the amount each country should allocate, or to compensate for by paying.

The pool’s proposal is not public. It will be discussed by the EU member states, which are set to decide the size and the solidarity share for each country by the end of the year.

Each member state – excepting the ones under migratory pressure – has to contribute in proportion to its population and total GDP, and could choose among three options to meet the needs outlined in the solidarity pool: relocating a certain number of asylum seekers to their own territory, pay €20,000 per person they do not relocate, or finance operational support in member states under migratory pressure.

The final decision will be taken by EU countries by a vote at qualified majority, with the minimum size for the solidarity pool set by law at 30,000 relocations and €600 million in financial contributions.

The Commission’s report also identifies 12 states “at risk of migratory pressure”: Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Finland.

These countries are required to provide solidarity to those under migratory pressure, but their situation will be reevaluated to avoid disproportionate obligations in the next year.

A third group of countries has been classified as “facing a significant migratory situation”: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, Poland. They are still required to provide solidarity, but can ask for an exemption to their quotas, which has to be certified by the Commission and approved by other member states.

The report and the solidarity pool are the basis for developing the system of “mandatory solidarity” envisaged in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the major reform of migration policy adopted in 2024.

Some member states do not want to apply the rules

Some EU countries are still opposing the system envisaged by the Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico have already stated that they will not implement EU rules, as they do not want to contribute either financially or by accepting migrants from other countries.

“Poland will not be accepting migrants under the Migration Pact. Nor will we pay for it,” Tusk wrote on Twitter shortly after the presentation of the report.

Budapest and Warsaw have not even presented to the Commission their implementation plan for the Pact, EU Commissioners for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner admitted during a press conference.

Failing to contribute to the solidarity mechanism would be “a breach of obligations under EU law,” a senior EU official told Euronews.

This could lead to an infringement procedure towards the countries not willing to contribute when the regulation enters into force in June 2026. The first assessment of the EU’s new migration rules will happen next July, according to EU sources.

The only legal possibility to avoid the solidarity share is applying for an exemption, which could be done only by countries considered as “facing a significant migratory situation”: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria and Poland.

If the exemption is accepted by the Commission and other member states, the country that asked for it is no longer obliged to accept asylum seekers, nor to compensate for it with financial contributions. That country’s share will not be redistributed among the other member states.

According to the Commission’s report, the general migratory situation in the EU has improved, with illegal border crossings down by 35%, during the reporting period (July 2024-June 2025)

At the same time, the Commission considers irregular arrivals, unauthorised movements of migrant people within the EU and weaponisation of migration by Russia and Belarus, among the challenges the EU has still to face.