The president of the European Commission advocates eliminating the unanimity requirement of the 27 in “key issues”
BRUSSELS, 9 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, has claimed this Monday the role of the European Union, during a symbolic appointment in Strasbourg that, in her opinion, represents “a much more powerful image than any military parade in the streets of Moscow”.
Von der Leyen spoke before the European Parliament at the end of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), the same morning that Russian President Vladimir Putin led a parade on the occasion of Victory Day in the Red Square. The Ukraine war has overhung both events.
German politics has described Europe as “a dream” that shines not only in Strasbourg or Brussels, but also in kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Poltava, Mariupol and Milokaiv, all of them Ukrainian cities. “It shines like never before in the courage of these families and young people sheltered in subways and basements, where they cry for senseless atrocities,” he added.
Von der Leyen, who this very Monday spoke with the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, addressed the Ukrainian “family” during his speech to say that “the future of Europe is also your future”, at a time when that the possible recognition of kyiv as a formal candidate for the bloc is pending.
WITHOUT UNANIMOUS
Likewise, he said to take note of the proposals presented during the CoFoE, under the premise that the EU must continue to respond to the great challenges of the modern world and be capable of defending its values and respect for the rule of law. “We have got the message,” she stressed.
One of these messages would be to convert the EU into a more agile alliance, in the midst of a debate on the difficulties in approving the sixth package of sanctions against Russia due to the misgivings of various eastern countries over the potential veto of Russian oil.
Hungary has even threatened to block any step in this direction, with a pulse that has revived the debate about the ability of certain member states to condition or slow down the block as a whole.
“I have always defended that the unanimous vote on some key issues no longer makes sense if we want to move faster. Or that Europe should play a greater role, for example in health and defense issues,” Von der Leyen said during his speech. .
The head of the Community Executive has once again positioned herself on the side of those who want to “reform the EU so that it works better”, even if this even implies a change in the Treaties. “We are going to work together on this. No taboos, no ideological red lines,” she said.
