http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/e8e8837cbafbd158 https://verfassungsblog.de/preparing-for-a-wider-but-more-unequal-union/ Preparing for a Wider (But More Unequal) Union - Are “Institutional Safeguard Clauses” in Accession Treaties Constitutional? Spieker, Luke Dimitrios eng 2026-10-09 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Article 7 TEU Commission EU EU Enlargement accession treaties institutional safeguard clauses new member states EU Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 On 6 October 2026, the Commission presented its Communication “Preparing for a wider Union”. At the centre are so-called institutional safeguard clauses. These resemble an Article 7 TEU procedure for the late arrivals – but at a discount, featuring a much broader scope and much lower thresholds. I argue that this is not the way. While it is doubtful whether the proposed clauses still qualify as an “adjustment” of the current Treaties, they strike at core principles of the Union’s constitutional framework: the equality of Member States and, behind them, the equality of Union citizens.