European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has renewed her call to abolish the veto power held by individual European Union member states in foreign policy decisions, arguing that the bloc can no longer afford paralysis in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. Her remarks come at a pivotal political moment, just hours after the electoral defeat of long-time Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, whose government frequently used the unanimity rule to block EU initiatives.

Von der Leyen’s proposal centers on replacing unanimity voting with qualified majority voting (QMV) in foreign policy matters. Under the current system, all 27 member states must agree before the EU can take unified action on major international issues. While designed to protect national sovereignty, the veto mechanism has often resulted in gridlock, particularly when member states pursue divergent strategic interests. According to von der Leyen, “moving to qualified majority voting in foreign policy is an important way to avoid systemic blockages,” a clear reference to repeated impasses in recent years.

The timing of her statement is politically significant. Orbán’s loss to opposition leader Péter Magyar and his pro-European Tisza party marks a potential turning point in Hungary’s relationship with Brussels. Orbán had long been one of the EU’s most vocal dissenters, frequently clashing with EU institutions over issues ranging from migration policy to rule-of-law standards. His government also maintained closer ties with Russia than many of its European counterparts, further complicating consensus within the bloc.

One of........

© Blitz