• Europe The Balkans to the EU: "Stop talking about the sex of angels while the gates of Constantinople are collapsing"

  • Summit The unrest in the Balkans threatens to embitter the European Summit

Ukraine and Moldova are, as of this Thursday, official candidates to enter the European Union.

The Heads of State and Government of the 27 have so decided at the last European Council before the summer, a summit that has been marked, clouded, by the anger and complaints of the Balkan partners, very upset by what they consider discrimination and double standards.

The EU wanted this to be a party, the celebration of a political message and a symbol of unity and solidarity in the face of Russian aggression, but

the day has been defined by impotence and dissatisfaction.

"Okay, the European Council has just ruled on the candidate status of Ukraine and Moldova. A historic moment. Today marks a crucial step on your way to the EU.

Congratulations Volodimir Zelensky and Maia Sandu and the people of Ukraine and Moldova

, our future is together", the President of the European Council,

Charles Michel

, celebrated at 8:20 p.m.

"Today is a good day for Europe, congratulations Presidents Zelenski and Sandu and Prime Minister Gharibashvili", added the President of the European Commission,

Ursula Von der Leyen

, also citing the Georgian leader.

The country does not achieve candidate status, but it does achieve the "European perspective", a preliminary step in the absence of fulfilling all the necessary conditions to begin negotiations.

"Your countries are part of the European family and the historic decision of the leaders confirms this today," added Von der Leyen.

A record process

The process has broken all records in the history of the EU.

The usual thing, since a country requests its candidate status, is that the evaluation of the European Commission, completely essential, takes around a year, but

this time it has been resolved in a matter of weeks and in the middle of a war

.

Brussels defends that it has maintained all the standards, that the controls have been as exhaustive as always despite the circumstances, but the unanimous feeling in all the capitals is that we are facing something completely abnormal.

That perhaps it was the best option, or the only one, but that it is not 'business as usual' at all.

"We warmly welcome the decision of the EU leaders to grant candidate status to our country.

It is a unique and historic moment in relations

. Thanks to Presidents Michel and Von der Leyen and to European leaders for their support, Ukraine's future lies in the EU", celebrated Zelensky, who for months has used all the diplomacy at his disposal, public and private, to reach this point, linking his destiny to that of his neighbors to the west.

The decision, in reality,

changes little or nothing in the situation of the applicants in practice

but it changes everything about the process and the underlying philosophy.

Accession negotiations can last five, 10, 15 years or more and there is no guarantee of success.

The Turkish case is the best example.

Ukraine is not ready and it will not be soon

, and there is no doubt about it.

That is why there were different Member States that were not in favor of reaching this point, not so soon at least, but the pressure of the majority, of the circumstances, has prevailed.

Not accepting would have sent a message of division, of doubt, and if the EU has been looking for anything since February 24, it is to go hand in hand everywhere on this issue.

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  • Ukraine

  • European Comission

  • European Union

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  • moldova

  • Ursula von der Leyen