“Unity versus unanimity”: EU reopens debate on foreign policy decision-making

Brussels –No decisions can be taken, given the informal nature of the meeting. The foreign ministers gathered in Ireland, however, are discussing how to make decisions on a common foreign policy going forward. The debate over moving away from unanimity resumes, driven by 11 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Sweden) that have signed a letter calling for a change in decision-making.

An initiative that cannot be ignored and that inevitably forces a reckoning. “We will talk about our internal issues, European foreign policy as such – how we can be more effective in this regard?” said the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, before the beginning of proceedings.

There is a contrast at play, which Kallas defines and sums up as “unity versus unanimity,” and which the High Representative suggests she understands and even supports. “we have to be more agile” in responses to crises, she continues. Several participants around the table share the same need, as outlined in the letter drafted during the informal meeting, which served as an appropriate forum for reflection and discussion. 

Spain, France and Romania insist that faster decisions are needed and that overcoming the unanimity rule remains the priority in this regard. The foreign ministers of these countries reiterated this once again upon their arrival. It will not be easy, but there is the possibility – which is, incidentally, not new in a debate that began some time ago – of examining the legal and procedural options provided for in the treaties to move in this direction.

Compared with the past, there seems to be a whole new sense of urgency, felt more widely – probably due to an international context that has deteriorated and is far more unpredictable than before. The EU is giving it a go, whilst waiting for the appropriate forums to decide whether to take a different approach.