The group of foreign ministers, made up of Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, Belgium’s Hadja Lahbib, Wopke Hoekstra of the Netherlands, Slovenia’s Tanja Fajon, Bogdan Aurescu of Romania and Spain’s José Manuel Albares Bueno, alongside Asselborn, released the statement to Politico on Tuesday.
In the article, ministers call for the European Union to adopt a more unified and decisive approach in its foreign policy towards the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Highlighting the challenges faced by the EU in formulating a cohesive response to the conflict due to its requirement for unanimous agreement among member states, the group argues that the current unanimity rule hampers the EU’s ability to take swift and decisive action, allowing individual member states to veto important measures.
According to the ministers, the EU should move towards majority decision-making in foreign policy matters, particularly in cases of security and defence, to overcome the obstacles posed by the unanimity rule.
This would enable the EU to respond more effectively and promptly to crises such as the Ukraine-Russia war. The open letter does address concerns and potential objections to such a shift, including the potential for polarisation within the EU. It argues that while these concerns are valid, they should not overshadow the urgent need for a more efficient and robust EU foreign policy.
