Enlarge, but make the rules clear

David Cameron is "angry" at the obstructionism shown by some key member states towards Turkey's EU accession, and has vowed to "fight" on Ankara's side. Those who wondered why the fledgling British premier chose such an unusually hardline stance (one that could turn Germany and France against him), got their answer a few lines ahead in his speech to the Turkish parliament: Europe needs its Middle Eastern neighbour's support in a number of pressing matters, the first of them being the new batch of sanctions against Iran's nuclear program.

"Candid" Cameron's words may be a recognition of the success of the new Turkish strategy of dropping its role of eternal fiancee in favour of a more profitable one of independent power broker, but is not the only country concerned with EU accession in recent days. After the International Court of Justice legitimised Kosovo's independence, rejecting Belgrade's appeal, the foreign ministers of Italy, Slovakia and Austria underlined the need to soothe Serbia’s hurt pro-European feelings, and to speed up its accession process as a sort of compensation.

In the wait for EU membership, queue-jumping and quarrels are common practice. Many long-time candidates have been annoyed by the fast track reserved for Iceland when it sought the euro shelter amidst the financial storm (with the sunshine back on, however, Reykjavik is putting on the brakes). Among these is Croatia, which was better placed than many 2004 entries but has been blocked by a futile sea border dispute with Slovenia.

To boost its international profile and clout, the EU has just launched its External Action Service. Its huge costs and operational complexity have raised many eyebrows at a time of crisis. Yet there would be a far easier way to reach the same goals in the short term: setting clear criteria for accession once and for all, and freeing the process from member states' shifting interests. The pulling power of future membership is the mightiest soft power tool Brussels can wield to influence its neighbours' policies. An iniquitous and capricious attitude is instead the best way to alienate key partners, as Ukraine has shown and Turkey could soon confirm.

Gabriele Crescente