Proposal for a European Security Council to Overcome Unanimity Rule
Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament, and Klaus Welle of the Martens Centre argue that the EU must urgently reform its foreign and security policy decision-making. They identify the principle of unanimity as a critical obstacle preventing effective action amidst global uncertainties, including Russia's war against Ukraine and unpredictable US policies under President Donald Trump. Since treaty amendments are too slow, the authors propose an intergovernmental agreement among willing member states. This agreement would establish a 'European Security Council' capable of making majority decisions based on a double majority model (55% of participating states representing 65% of the population). This structure aims to create a credible military and diplomatic capability, ensuring Europe can act decisively even if not all 27 member states participate. The proposal seeks to avoid a complete decoupling from US security guarantees by strengthening European strategic autonomy through a flexible, yet robust, institutional framework within the existing EU structure.
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Proposal for a European Security Council to Overcome Unanimity Rule
Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament, and Klaus Welle of the Martens Centre argue that the EU must urgently reform its foreign and security policy decision-making. They identify the principle of unanimity as a critical obstacle preventing effective action amidst global uncertainties, including Russia's war against Ukraine and unpredictable US policies under President Donald Trump. Since treaty amendments are too slow, the authors propose an intergovernmental agreement among willing member states. This agreement would establish a 'European Security Council' capable of making majority decisions based on a double majority model (55% of participating states representing 65% of the population). This structure aims to create a credible military and diplomatic capability, ensuring Europe can act decisively even if not all 27 member states participate. The proposal seeks to avoid a complete decoupling from US security guarantees by strengthening European strategic autonomy through a flexible, yet robust, institutional framework within the existing EU structure.
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