"A time for optimism?
....Enlargement is another quandary. Germany’s, but most particularly France’s, approach to Turkey is, to put it mildly, ridiculously unhelpful. The French parliament voting to make the denial of the Armenian genocide a criminal offence, was possibly the most petty swipe at Turkey’s accession imaginable. EU Foreign Ministers last week agreed to suspend eight of Turkey’s 35 negotiating ‘chapters’ for Turkey failing to recognise Northern Cyprus. Pressure from France and Germany has also led the EU to integrate ‘absorption capacity’ in its dealings with potential Member States. This will no doubt be used as a handy tool to put a break on accession whenever it suits them. The UK, on the other hand, has made it clear – and rightly so – that for the EU to close the door on Turkey and other potential Member States would be a ‘big mistake’. Enlargement is the EU’s most successful policy."
More:A time for optimism? (Civitas Blog)
