Eleven European Union countries have called for limits on national vetoes in foreign policy, urging EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to explore greater use of qualified-majority voting.
The letter was signed by Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden.
The countries said they remained committed to seeking consensus wherever possible but argued that unanimity should not prevent the bloc from acting.
“We must also ensure that this culture of consensus fosters common action rather than preventing it — otherwise we will have legitimacy but no strength,” the letter said.
The signatories argued that the EU needed to be able to mobilize its political, economic and diplomatic weight quickly and effectively in a more unstable international environment.
They proposed making greater use of “constructive abstention,” avoiding links between foreign policy decisions and unrelated disputes, and examining existing treaty provisions that allow a shift from unanimity to qualified-majority voting in selected cases.
EU foreign and security policy decisions generally require the support of all 27 member states, allowing a single government to block joint action.
The debate intensified during Viktor Orbán’s final years as Hungarian prime minister, when Budapest repeatedly delayed or blocked EU foreign policy decisions.
Orbán’s 16-year rule ended after his election defeat in April.
Any change is unlikely in the short term.
Article 31 of the EU treaty allows the European Council to extend qualified-majority voting to additional foreign policy matters, but activating that provision would itself require unanimous approval.
Decisions with military or defense implications are excluded.
