The EU Commission released new proposed rules on February 5 which substantially modify the current Enlargement process but also allow EU member states to stop any accession aspirant seen as unreliable in accession negotiations or even backsliding on reforms.

This is a substantial victory for French President Emmanuel Macron who froze the accession plans of Albania and North Macedonia last October in order to reform the process; it also underscores France’s drive to take control of major EU po...