Von der Leyen questioned the effectiveness of the unanimity principle and consensus voting in the EU
Kyiv • UNN
The President of the European Commission called for a change in the decision-making system due to the blocking of aid to Ukraine. She considers the post-war EU rules ineffective today.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, called for a radical overhaul of foreign policy decision-making mechanisms. She questioned the effectiveness of the bloc's traditional reliance on consensus, hinting that the requirement for unanimity among all 27 member states is becoming an obstacle in the face of modern geopolitical challenges. This is reported by Politico, writes UNN.
Details
The head of the European Commission emphasized that the current governance system was created for completely different historical realities, which no longer correspond to the pace of global changes.
We urgently need to reflect on whether our doctrine, our institutions, and our decision-making process – all designed in a post-war world of stability and multilateralism – are keeping pace with the speed of change around us, both in how they are designed and how they are implemented.
Problems with financial aid to Ukraine
As an example of systemic inefficiency, the president cited the difficulties in allocating a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, which has been repeatedly blocked by individual countries.
You all saw the difficulties we faced trying to achieve this, even after all 27 leaders agreed to it. This goes back to the point I made earlier, about whether our system is still capable of working effectively.
At the same time, von der Leyen assured that Kyiv would definitely receive these funds, as the credibility of the EU and pan-European security depend on it.
The choice between habits and the future of Europe
According to the head of the Commission, the crises in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the US territorial claims regarding Greenland are symptoms of a broader problem of the unviability of old rules. She called on diplomats to abandon outdated working methods for the sake of preserving the union's agency.
In times of radical change, like ours, we can either cling to what once made us strong and defend habits and certainties that history has already overcome, or we can choose a different destiny for Europe.