Polish Foreign Minister says populism in Europe makes it difficult for new countries to join the EU

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radoslav Sikorsky believes that the departure from democracy under the current Hungarian leadership and the previous government of his country has made Brussels cautious about accepting new members into the bloc. This opinion was expressed by the head of Polish diplomacy expressed in an interview with TVP World.

Sikorski touched on the rise of populism in Europe, saying that the situation is not always one-sided and that 80% of Poles still support the European Union.

"The Netherlands has just held elections in which the centrists won. Populists don't win everywhere," he said.

However, he acknowledged that anti-European sentiment is a problem that the bloc needs to address.

"I am concerned about the amount of fake news and outright lies about the European Union. And we must resist them, because I, like you, have seen the intellectual roots of Brexit," the Polish Foreign Minister emphasized.

He clarified that Poland has benefited enormously from EU membership "both economically and in terms of protecting its independence."

In his opinion, it will be more difficult for the current candidate countries to reap the benefits of EU membership, partly because of the legacy of populist parties, including Poland's former ruling PiS party.

"This is the fault of our current opposition. When they were in power, they frightened the rest of Europe with the prospect of members who might deviate [from democratic norms]. They made it difficult for Moldova and Ukraine to join, which is not good," the minister said.

Sikorsky's comments came the day after the European Commission published a key report assessing the progress of the nine candidate countries on their way to EU membership, which identified several countries that faced serious obstacles.

The Polish Foreign Minister said that proposals for a probationary period for EU accession countries are part of the populist legacy and that "for future members, the membership criteria will be even higher."

• On March 14, 2025, Zelenskyy announced that in the decision on Ukraine's membership in the EU, only one country – Hungary – is blocking it. Addressing foreign policy and security issues requires the support of all members of the bloc.
• On June 26, Orban announced the results of the propaganda national survey Voks2025 on Ukraine's accession to the EU. He said that the vast majority of Hungarians voted against it.