Olaf Scholz would like the EU to move towards qualified majority decisions and reduce the requirement for unanimity. Scholz spoke to the EU Parliament on Europe Day.
Brussels
Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz told the European Parliament on Tuesday that the EU must change its decision-making when new member states join.
On Europe Day, Scholz strongly advocated EU enlargement and said that the EU must keep its promises to its neighbors, i.e. the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. All these countries are aiming for EU membership in the coming years.
During Scholz’s speech, the Russian president Vladimir Putin performed at the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. Scholz acknowledged this by stating that the EU is not afraid of Putin’s parades.
“The message of May 9 is not Moscow’s but ours,” Scholz said.
Scholz’s according to the EU needs more decision-making based on the qualified majority of the member states. Nowadays, the member countries have to decide unanimously on foreign policy and taxation, for example, which means that even one country can put the brakes on, even if the majority wants otherwise.
Germany has assembled in recent weeks, the “group of friends” from the EU countries, a group of nine countries committed to promoting qualified majority decisions.
Finland has joined the group of friends. In addition to Germany and Finland, France, Spain and Italy, the Benelux countries Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg and Slovenia are included.
Scholz said that instead of 100% unanimity, it should be seen that negotiations and compromise also benefit the minority and guarantee democratic legitimacy in the same way.
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“The message of May 9 is not Moscow’s but ours.”
Scholz had been asked to be a speaker at the EU Parliament in the “This is Europe” speech series, in which, among others, the Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin (sd) has spoken before. Parliament is meeting this week in Strasbourg, France.
The idea is that the parliament asks European leaders to outline their views on Europe and also offers parliamentarians the opportunity to debate with them.
According to Scholz, the EU must finally finish the negotiations on a new immigration agreement, which has been pending since 2020 but progressed slowly due to the reluctance of the member states.
“We have taken steps, but let’s get it done before the EU elections,” Scholz pleaded.
According to the Chancellor, it would be easier for Europeans to accept work-related immigration as well, if the countries could agree on the rules of the game for all immigration. A solidarity mechanism has been planned in the immigration agreement, in which the reception of refugees who came to the EU area would be shared more evenly among the member states than at present.
Scholz cheered the president of the commission Ursula von der Leyen the view that the EU should not “disconnect” from China but reduce its China risks.
In connection with this, Scholz demanded that the EU conclude negotiations on trade agreements with, among others, the Mercosur countries, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Australia and Kenya. Mercosur includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Scholz outlined European policy last time in his speech in Prague in August 2022.
Even then, his main message was that the EU must expand, but before that, the Union’s decision-making system must be reformed.
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