The Polish Deputy Foreign Minister substantiated why the EU veto could be abolished in certain cases with “the case of Russia-friendly Hungary”

MTI-Népsva;

European Union; Hungary; Poland; right of veto;

2024-04-26 13:11:00

However, when it comes to enlargement, each country must decide individually, Andrzej Szejna stated.

Poland does not agree to the complete abolition of the right of veto in the decision-making of the European Union, but, for example, in defense and security policy, it is possible to eliminate unanimous decision-making, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna said on the Polish commercial radio RMF FM on Friday.

In the interview, the deputy minister representing the New Left coalition, which is part of the Polish government coalition, was asked about Radoslaw Sikorski’s parliamentary speech the previous day, in which the head of Polish diplomacy also addressed EU decision-making.

When asked whether Poland should agree to give up its right of veto in the EU, Szejna replied that they do not agree to give up the right of veto completely. He added that the point is to talk about the issue at certain decision-making levels, since if we agree with the enlargement of the EU and, among other things, with the future accession of Ukraine, then

Szejna stated that he would personally consider it important if the EU member states did not agree on giving up the right of veto in the field of enlargement. “When it comes to enlargement, each country has to decide individually,” he declared.

However, according to Szejna, it is possible to eliminate unanimous decision-making on other topics. In this context, he mentioned defense policy and then stated,

On Wednesday, Radoslaw Sikorski judged that it is not certain that the amendment of the basic treaties is inevitable in the reform of the EU, but it cannot be ruled out that some of the member states make EU enlargement dependent on this. The most controversial part of the reform could be the abolition of unanimous decision-making in certain areas, noted Sikorski. Outlining possible new solutions, he stated: if the EU wants to become a “power with more than 30 members”, it “needs more effective decision-making”.