EU should drop unanimity rule in foreign policy - Italy PM Draghi
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Speaking before European lawmakers in Strasbourg, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called for the EU to give up its unanimity requirement on foreign policy decisions.
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Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi delivering a statement before he met with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, March 7, 2022 (REUTERS)
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi spoke before European lawmakers in Strasbourg on Tuesday and proposed that the European Union abandon the unanimity requirement toward "pragmatic federalism" on resolutions that affect security, economy, and energy for a more effective decision-making mechanism.
Draghi told the European Parliament, "We need to move forward from the principle of unanimity, which leads to a logic of intergovernmental decisions, to decisions taken on the basis of qualified majority."
The EU rules require unanimity on decisions that affect its security, foreign policy, and the accession of member states. Draghi argued that "A Europe which is capable of taking rapid decisions is a Europe that is more credible towards its citizens and to the rest of the world."
"The institutions our predecessor built over decades have served us well but they are inadequate for the situation that arises today. The pandemic and the war mean that Europe institutions have to take on unprecedented levels of responsibility," he explained.
Draghi said the country favors “opening up of accession negotiations with Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia”, which boosts negotiations “with Serbia and Montenegro” and supports "the legitimate expectations of Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
But relaunching the integration process is not limited to Western Balkans. “We are in favour of all of these countries joining the European Union, and we also want Ukraine as a member,” he stressed.
