@OvaHere
Zelensky has formally requested. The Independent saying that a motion was published tonight with support of all mainstream political parties and will be voted tomorrow as part of emergency Brussels session. Reporting saying that it’s certain to pass.
Current situation aside do they meet the criteria for EU membership? There are other countries who have been trying to join the EU for a long time. Would a fast track put noses out of joint there?
They do not currently meet the criteria.
Membership requires that candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, respect for and protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. Membership presupposes the candidate's ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.
Candidates have to undergo a number of 'inspections' to ensure they have satisfied the criteria.
One of the stumbling blocks will almost certainly be to do with corruption (remember Zelensky stood for president in an anti corruption ticket, and though he has improved things, there is still a problem with that).
Then theres the more obvious point at the moment - that if you are in the midsts of a war, you don't have functional democratic institutions. And you certainly cannot claim to have a functional economy that can withstand market forces.
In principle the EU might see them as a legitimate candidate in the future, it can take years to reach that level.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_criteria
See here for more.
I think one thing thats more interesting in this context is how Bosnia has a strong link to the EU although only having status as a possible future candidate (one step down from candidate status). After the war, the EU poured a lot of cash into the country for rebuilding (they did the same in Serbia). The military overseeing of the Dayton Agreement is by
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Althea
Operation Althea was previously known as the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR). Which was in turn the successor of NATO peacekeeping force. Its in essence an EU protection force to keep the peace although it does include a couple of other nonEU countries (the UK exited it following Brexit).
It does therefore have a strategic and political presence under the sphere of EU influence. If you pop over the border to Serbia theres a heavy Russian influence instead.
So if you couldn't join NATO and EU membership wasn't possible, what existing example, perhaps looks interesting if you were Ukrainian?
Of course, this is still likely to be unpalatable to Putin anyway, but my point is there is something of a halfway house here.