Germany’s attempts to control EU foreign policy put the union’s future in peril

There is currently an ongoing debate in Europe over establishing stability in security policy and the role the EU should play.

In this context, two issues command attention: one, Poland and other EU states’ blockade of the German-French initiative to restore dialogue with Putin in the European Council; and two, Berlin’s incessant demands to step away from the veto right in EU foreign policy.

Since the 2018 Meseberg declaration, the submission of EU foreign policy to the mechanism of decision-making through a simple majority in the European Council and the removal of the veto are among the main points of the German-French position concerning reforming the EU.

This is certainly an understandable stance, given that according to the current EU treaty, Germany possesses more than half of the required 35 percent of votes necessary to block every decision in the council. Along with France, Berlin has total power in the EU when it comes to majority voting.