At the EU Enlargement Summit organized by Euronews, a heated exchange took place between Marc Botenga, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the Left Group, and David McAllister, chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, over the principles guiding the European Union’s enlargement policy.

Marc Botenga criticized the EU’s approach to enlargement, comparing it to “Russia’s logic of spheres of influence.” He warned that the Union risked repeating the same patterns it often condemns in other powers.

He accused the EU of double standards, pointing to its funding of NGOs and media in countries like Ukraine and Georgia.

“You can say this is legitimate, but the other side, the Russians, that want their spheres of influence, are doing very similar things. If a Finnish minister is going to Georgia to protest with the protesters, it’s called supporting democracy — if the Russians do it, it’s unacceptable interference. There’s a double standard,” said Botenga.