Mario Draghi has defended that the bloc must make key decisions by qualified majority
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has urged the EU to make key decisions by qualified majority, rather than seeking the unanimous consent of its member states.
Draghi said that in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, the EU must learn to work more robustly and effectively.
“The geopolitical situation is undergoing rapid and profound change. We have to move, and move as fast as possible.” Draghi told the European Parliament on Tuesday.
“The construction of a common defense must be accompanied by a united foreign policy and effective decision-making mechanisms.”
We must go beyond the unanimity principle, which gives rise to an intergovernmental approach based on mutual vetoes, and we must move towards qualified majority decision-making.
“A Europe capable of making quick decisions is more credible in the eyes of its citizens and in the eyes of the world”, Draghi said.
The prime minister urged “streamline and optimize” military spending, and to process Ukraine’s application to join the EU “as fast as possible.”
“We need a pragmatic federalism, encompassing all areas affected by the transformations underway, from the economy to energy and security.” Draghi said.
Veto power allows individual members of the bloc to override decisions that affect the EU as a whole. More recently, Hungary said it would not support a ban on Russian oil and gas because its economy is heavily dependent on Moscow’s energy supply.
Last week, the European Parliament approved draft proposals for a comprehensive reform of the EU, stating that most of the issues that are now “decided unanimously must be decided by a qualified majority”.