'There's no doubt we must get rid of the unanimity principle,' says MEP Charles Goerens

Goerens, who is a co-lead candidate on the Democratic Party (DP) list for the European elections and has served in the European Parliament for 22 years, is almost certain that "far-right and populist parties will gain ground, but it won't be enough for a majority."

He emphasised that it will be essential for the four moderate political groups—the European People's Party (EPP) with the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) with the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), Renew Europe with the DP and the Green Party—to form a robust coalition to counterbalance this shift. Goerens criticised Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for "flirting with right-wing parliamentary groups," and advised against such a "zigzag path."

Key issues: Internal market, institutions, and foreign policy

Goerens highlighted several critical areas that need attention within the European Union, starting with its institutions. He stressed that the unanimity requirement to protect the rule of law is no longer effective. "This no longer works," Goerens said, advocating for the elimination of the unanimity principle, particularly in foreign policy and tax matters. He also called for the EU to appoint a real foreign affairs minister to enhance its geopolitical influence.

Regarding the internal market, Goerens remarked that it is "not functioning well," as it is currently "caught between US protectionism and Chinese dumping." While the EU's purchasing power has increased by 30% since its inception, it has risen by 60% in the US. To address this disparity, Goerens proposed creating a union of financial markets to allow European savers to invest within the EU. He pointed out that nearly €300 billion is currently invested in the United States, which, according to Goerens, means that the EU is effectively financing the sale of its own industrial assets.

Goerens rejects "old white man" accusations

MEP Charles Goerens has recently faced accusations of acting like an "old white man" towards his co-lead candidate on the DP list. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Amela Skenderović criticised the DP for not supporting the recognition of Palestine as a state. Goerens responded by saying that young people were "too impatient" and tended to "zone out" when it came to complex diplomacy.

Goerens strongly rejects the criticism from young women in the opposition who claim he does not take young people seriously. Regarding the Middle East, he asserted that there is no immediate solution despite widespread calls for one. While he acknowledged that he can "understand impatience," Goerens expressed a desire for discussions to focus on substantive issues and for the opposition to avoid "age-related determinism." He stressed that the journalist who wrote the original article stated it was inappropriate to interpret Goerens' proposals in ways that misconstrue his actual statements.