EU should abandon national vetoes – German chancellor — Analysis
Olaf Scholz insists it’s the only way for the bloc to maintain a leading role in global politics
If the European Union hopes to compete in global politics, it can no longer afford to allow individual member states to veto the bloc’s actions, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an article published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper on Sunday.
The German leader argued that the EU should be a geopolitical player and highlighted the value of Europe’s unity given the current conflict between Russia, Ukraine. He said it was now that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine had to end. “selfish blockades”individual member states to make EU-related decisions.
“We simply can no longer afford national vetoes, for example in foreign policy, if we want to continue to be heard in a world of competing great powers,”He wrote.
All 27 EU member states must agree to any EU policy decision. However, after countries like Hungary and Slovakia held up the implementation of the EU’s sixth sanctions package against Russia due to energy concerns, some have called for the bloc’s principle of unanimity to be abandoned.
Ursula von der Leyen (EU Commission President) told Politico in November that there should no longer be unanimity requirements for foreign policy issues and that it should switch to qualified majority voting. Her observation was that “the speed at which things happen”It was slow, and it was crucial for the “European voice”It can be heard and seen by all without any member of the family being able or unable to stop it.
Scholz stated in his article that the EU was being weakened. “permanent disunity” “permanent dissent between member states,” claiming that unity was Europe’s most important response to the “change of times.”
He said that Germany could help to achieve unity between Europe and the other democracies. “assumes responsibility for Europe and the world in these difficult times.”
Scholz observed that Germany could be a bridge between the two countries. “East and West, North and South in Europe”Because it was in the middle, it was an important country. “lay on both sides of the Iron Curtain.”
The chancellor stated that this was crucial to “close our ranks”In all the areas where Europe is struggling such as European defense and migration policy. “democratic resilience.”
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