Austrian Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler discussed the proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron to create different tiers of EU member states, before any Balkan country is allowed to join the EU.

Unlike Austria, which is enthusiastic about bringing new countries to the EU, France is a deep skeptic, and Macron warned that the EU is unmanageable as it is, and would become even more so if Balkan countries are added to the mix.

Edtstadler said that the proposal would allow the new members, that would include Moldova and possibly Ukraine, to sit at the EU table, but would not have the right to vote. Other options include depriving them of seats in the European Parliament, or, more likely, of EU Commissioners.