"If we do what one country wants, and not what 26 want, that's not exactly democracy." Kaja Kallas criticized the EU voting system
"In this geopolitical world, we need to be reliable, and for that, we must be united and capable of making decisions," said High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas in an interview with Euronews, speaking about how the bloc looks to the future after the electoral defeat of Hungary's long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Kaja Kallas. Photo: Euronews
The instrumentalization of the veto undermines the democratic principles of the European Union, as in such a case, the interests of 26 countries are overridden for the sake of a single participant, Kaja Kallas stated.
She reflected on the end of Viktor Orbán's 16-year continuous period in power, during which the Hungarian prime minister repeatedly frustrated fellow leaders with almost constant vetoes, one after another.
"We must clearly understand that the EU treaties do not actually provide for a right of veto. The treaties are based on unanimity – on everyone agreeing," Kallas said in an interview with Euronews, recorded on the sidelines of an informal EU leaders' summit in Cyprus.
"Recently, we have seen that if 26 countries want something and one doesn't, then we end up doing what that one country wants, not what the 26 want. So, that's not exactly democracy."
The EU treaties provide a legal mechanism for transitioning from unanimity to qualified majority voting. However, to a large extent, such a transition requires unanimous consent.
"We clearly need to reconsider our working methods to become more effective, because in this geopolitical world, we must be authoritative — and for that, we need to be united and capable of making decisions," she added.
As the head of the EU's foreign policy arm — a branch where unanimity is required — Kallas is well acquainted with Orbán's many vetoes. Sometimes she had to issue statements in her own name when a joint communiqué proved impossible to prepare.
After this difficult period, she stated that she "very much hopes" for "good cooperation" with the new government of Péter Magyar, who won the elections in Hungary, promising to restore relations between Budapest and Brussels, which are currently at a record low.
Magyar previously stated that the right of veto remains a "valid option" provided it is applied constructively:
"We cannot get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to form a new Hungarian government, which will likely happen in mid-May," Kallas said. "Then we will see if we can revert to decisions that were previously blocked."
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