EU Council chief says dropping unanimity will affect bloc's unity

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Aug 2023 19:06

The European Council President says the European Union should get ready to admit new members from Eastern Europe and the Balkans by 2030.

European Council President Charles Michel (AFP)

European Council President Charles Michel considered on Monday that dropping the principle of unanimity in the decision-making process of the European Union will negatively affect the bloc's unity.

In May, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc should abandon the unanimity vote on foreign policy if the bloc wants to "survive".

At the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, Michel believed that "completely scraping unanimity could be 'throwing the baby out with the bath water,' because unity is at the core of the EU's strength."

"Unity is the way to make sure decisions are uniformly implemented," he added.

The policy areas, where the EU principle of unanimity is required, are listed in the binding EU treaties. Such areas include the common foreign and security policy, social security, accession of new EU members, and others.

In a related context, Michel argued that the European Union should get ready to admit new members from Eastern Europe and the Balkans by 2030.

"As we prepare the EU’s next strategic agenda, we must set ourselves a clear goal. I believe we must be ready, on both sides, by 2030 to enlarge," the European Council President said.

"This is ambitious, but necessary. It shows that we are serious."

Michel noted that the countries of the Western Balkans, created out of the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia, began their quest to join the EU more than two decades ago.

He endorsed the view of Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Europe should live up to the promises Brussels had made to candidate countries.

But he also backed French President Emmanuel Macron's argument that the union should also streamline its own decision-making processes before integrating new members.