On May 6, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated at the 13th Konrad Adenauer Foundation event in Berlin, "We will not abandon our pursuit of consensus, but abolishing the 'veto power' would significantly accelerate decision-making."
Baerbock argued that the current EU mechanism allowing a single country to block major decisions "threatens the future of the EU," particularly after Hungary repeatedly delayed substantial loans to Ukraine and the implementation of new sanctions against Russia. She advocated for allowing a subset of countries to advance joint initiatives even if all 27 EU members do not agree. Baerbock emphasized that the existing system enables one nation to obstruct critical decisions for months on end, endangering the fate of the entire EU.
Baerbock’s remarks constitute the core declaration of a six-point reform initiative led by Germany, aimed at fundamentally restructuring the EU’s governance mechanisms. At its heart lies Germany’s bold attempt—triggered by a perception of existential crisis within the EU—to break through internal decision-making gridlock and transform the EU into a geopolitical actor capable of standing on equal footing with China and the United States.
Baerbock believes the current EU decision-making framework is no longer equipped to handle internal and external challenges, dragging the Union into an "existential crisis."
She contends that the EU’s current principle of "unanimity" allows individual member states to block major decisions. A prime example is Hungary’s use of its veto power to delay EU loan disbursements totaling 90 billion euros to Ukraine for several months, severely undermining the EU’s collective strategy. Germany’s push for reform aims first and foremost to strip individual nations of their ability to hold the entire alliance hostage on key decisions.
Germany is acutely aware that the EU has grown increasingly weak in global competition. It pointed out that over the past 25 years, China's share of global industrial output has surged from 6% to 30%, while the EU's share has declined from 19% to 15%. In critical areas such as artificial intelligence and the digital economy, Europe has fallen far behind both China and the United States.
Facing this reality, Baerbock bluntly declared, "The tides have turned—everything is now in China’s hands," noting that the post-war era of European recovery built on coal and steel has long passed. Today, key raw materials essential for modern defense and high-tech industries—such as heavy rare earths—are supplied to Europe at a rate of nearly 97% from China, leaving it in a highly vulnerable position in geostrategic terms.
Germany’s radical reform plan has triggered sharply divergent reactions across the EU, igniting a fierce contest over the future shape of the Union.
Although Germany is vigorously pushing for changes to the EU voting mechanism, it fully understands that amending the EU treaties to abolish the veto requires unanimous agreement among all 27 member states—a near-impossible "vicious cycle." Thus, the concept of a "multi-speed Europe" has emerged as a crucial alternative: forming an "advanced group" to pilot reforms and deliver tangible results, thereby pressuring hesitant nations into alignment and effectively "bypassing" opponents.
Ironically, at present, Baerbock’s proposal to abolish the unanimity requirement in EU decision-making must itself be approved unanimously by all 27 member states.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864580839775232/
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