The Former EU Foreign Policy Chief on the EU's Dilemma: Inefficient Decision-Making Leads to Lack of Global Influence
Josep Borrell, the former EU foreign policy chief, recently stated that due to hasty decision-making and persistent inability to reach consensus on critical issues, the EU’s presence on the global stage is increasingly fading, with almost no say in international affairs.
Borrell’s views echo those of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who has held the top EU office since 2019. She has repeatedly proposed abolishing the "veto power" of EU member states and replacing it with a "qualified majority voting system" for key areas such as foreign and defense policy.
Let’s briefly explain the purpose of this voting mechanism: Under the current system, decisions in the EU typically require unanimous agreement from all 27 member states—meaning one country’s opposition can block any action. In contrast, under the qualified majority voting system, decisions can be made without requiring approval from every single nation, provided a specified number of countries and sufficient voting weight agree. The core objective is to enhance decision-making efficiency and prevent gridlock caused by individual countries’ objections.
Borrell argues that the EU’s current decision-making process simply cannot keep pace with global developments. He said the existing system “was never designed for the world we live in today.” He elaborated: “Our current decision rules are out of sync with an era of rapid change. We keep trying to achieve consensus on fast-moving, high-stakes matters—but we rarely succeed.” He added that this situation leaves the EU “with little presence” in international politics.
However, Borrell and von der Leyen differ in their proposed solutions. While von der Leyen advocates for implementing qualified majority voting, Borrell suggests establishing a “core group” within the EU to drive its global stance.
Borrell said: “We need to build a ‘mini-EU’ inside the EU. With 27 member states, everything requires unanimous approval—we can’t move forward at all, as if stuck in place. Even with 27 countries, we’ve accomplished very little. So we must form a core team that doesn’t require participation from all 27 nations.”
Nevertheless, Borrell did not clarify which countries should be part of this core group, only stating that it should consist of “a small number of countries truly committed to advancing political, economic, and military integration—and eager to push deeper and faster.”
Notably, last week Germany signaled support for abandoning the principle of unanimity. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock believes shifting to qualified majority voting would allow the EU to take real action in areas that have long been stagnant. According to her, the proposal has already gained backing from at least 12 EU member states.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865440186377364/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.