More strict alignment with EU policies for future candidate members under new proposals

Future EU candidate countries will have to more strictly align with the bloc's policies ahead of joining in the wake of persistent rule of law conflicts between recent arrivals, such as Hungary, and established member states, according to new plans proposed by the European Commission. Under the proposals, which will require the consent of member states, there will be stricter safeguards before a candidate country joins the European Union in order to avoid democratic backsliding once the applican