EU Foreign Policy Calls for Limiting Veto Powers

(MENAFN) EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has proposed expanding the use of qualified majority voting in matters of foreign and military policy, reducing the need for unanimous approval among member states.

Speaking at the European Defence Agency’s annual conference on Wednesday, Kallas argued that relying on unanimity often prevents the bloc from acting “at the speed of relevance.” She suggested a gradual extension of the “Q-word”—qualified majority voting—in the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy to make decision-making more efficient.

The former Estonian prime minister also recommended that the EU develop shared military capabilities, funded collectively by member states, to strengthen the bloc’s security posture.

The proposal comes amid tensions over Brussels’ recent decision to phase out Russian gas imports by next year. The measure passed by qualified majority despite opposition from Slovakia and Hungary, prompting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to announce plans to sue the EU. Both countries argue that bypassing their veto infringes on national sovereignty and violates core EU treaties. Fico called the gas phase-out “adopted solely out of hatred” toward Russia.

He has also criticized the EU as being in a “deep crisis” that requires “new leadership and new ideas,” calling for Kallas’ removal and claiming that major international figures, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have refused to engage with her.

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