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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Lorenzo Marsili

European citizenship for people from Turkey, Ukraine and the UK? Why not?

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at a meeting on EU enlargement in Brussels, Belgium, 8 November 2023
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at a meeting on EU enlargement in Brussels, Belgium, 8 November 2023. Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Imagine an Italian, a Ukrainian and a Briton having a meal in Berlin. They can all order à la carte in the restaurant, yet only the Italian can remain in Germany indefinitely without a visa, vote for Berlin’s mayor in elections or receive full German healthcare. While the three friends may all be European, only the Italian is a European citizen, giving them rights and benefits denied to the other two.

Here is an idea: could European citizenship be extended to citizens of countries that are not part of the European Union?

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