German CSU On Croatia's Membership In The EU

Michael Glos advocated the discontinuing of EU expansion in Berlin, but only after Croatia has been granted full membership.

German Federal Minister of Economics and one of the leaders of the Christian-Social Union (CSU) Michael Glos advocated the temporary discontinuing of the expansion of the European Union in Berlin on Sunday, but only once Croatia has been granted full membership.  

"With Croatia's admission, the issue would be rounded up nicely," said Glos as a guest on the most viewed German political program "Christiansen," broadcast on public TV station ARD on Sunday evening. 

At the same time, he opposed the admission of Turkey and said that one should not confuse the matter of Croatia's and Turkey's entry in the EU. 

"Croatia is a country that belongs to Europe and Turkey is not," concluded Glos. He suggested that, after Croatia is admitted, forms of partnership should be offered to the countries that border with the EU, and he mentioned Turkey and the Ukraine in particular. These forms of partnership would "have their advantages," just as full membership does.

In the course of the TV debate, Green Party representative in the European Parliament Daniel Cohn Bendit concluded that Croatia could not be admitted to the European Union as long as the Treaty of Nice was in effect.

"The Treaty provides for 27 members and we cannot ignore that," Bendit said.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean Claude Juncker also supported the brake pulling in regard to the expansion of the EU, but made no mention of Croatia in the process. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Christian Democratic Union - CDU) said in another debate on Sunday that Europe was in urgent need of a new agreement and added that, without one, among other things, expansion was impossible, which she only limited to Croatia. 

"Without a basic agreement it will not be possible, for instance, to admit Croatia in the EU," concluded Merkel.