Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has called on the EU to drop its requirement for unanimity in foreign policy decisions, as the bloc grapples with security and economic challenges following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In his address to the European Parliament on Tuesday, Draghi said the EU needed to improve its decision-making capacity to effectively deal with the threat posed by Russia, actions he saw as an attack on Russia. direct credit to the EU’s greatest achievement: securing peace on the Continent.
His call for the EU to abandon what was once one of the bloc’s most cherished principles was made as member states. debate this week whether to impose new sanctions on Russia, including an oil embargo.
Such a change would allow the EU to bypass unique institutions, such as Hungary, which opposes tougher coordinated sanctions against Russia – which Italy sometimes is. accused in the past.
“We have to move beyond this principle of unanimity, which leads to the logic of cross vetoes, and toward decisions made by a qualified majority,” said Draghi. “A Europe capable of making timely decisions is a Europe [that] more reliable vis-à-vis its citizens and vis-à-vis world.”
Although the 2009 Lisbon Treaty allows the EU to make majority decisions in many areas, sensitive topics – such as taxes, social protection, the accession of new member states, policy towards foreign affairs and common security and police cooperation – requires the unanimity of all member states.
While Italy has called for such reforms in the past, they are said to be unlikely to gain traction – as they need consensus to be passed.
However, Draghi also said Europe could improve its defense coordination to help ensure maximum protection for its security spending.
While the total defense spending of EU member states is three times higher than that of Russia, he said the EU already operates a total of 146 defense systems – compared with just 34 in the US.
Such fragmented defense spending, he said, is a “deeply inefficient allocation of resources that hinders the building of a real European defense”.
To address this, he called on the EU to convene a conference on rationalizing and optimizing defense spending by member states.
Meanwhile, Draghi reiterated Rome’s strong support for Ukraine and EU accession, although he said Italy hoped a truce would pave the way for negotiations.
“In a war of aggression there can be no parity between aggressors and resisters,” he added. “Defending Ukraine means defending ourselves and the project of security and democracy that we have built together for more than 70 years.”
Draghi also affirmed Italy’s support for the EU’s rapid expansion to other members, with the immediate opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, giving new impetus to negotiations with Serbia. and Montenegro, while paying more attention to the “legitimate expectations” of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
“We support the accession of all these countries,” he said. “We have to follow the entry path we’ve outlined but we have to move as quickly as possible.”
