Veto right is misused in the EU. Reforms would protect sovereignty of states even without it, European experts claim

A German political scientist and her French colleague are the main authors of a study with proposals of institutional reforms of the EU for its future enlargement by Ukraine, Moldova or Western Balkans countries. Last year, it was drawn up by a group of 12 independent experts from Germany and France and became one of the most discussed documents on reforms and enlargement of the EU.

It is not possible to decide everything unanimously in a large number of members forever, because we will end up doing nothing.
Olivier Costa

Paralyzed union

"There is a big danger that an EU with 30 or even more members internally gets paralyzed. We already see now a change in the behaviour of certain governments, which are playing a veto on matters that are not really essential to national interests, but just to block the process or to get some concessions elsewhere," explains Schwarzer from the German Bertelsmann Foundation. According to her, EU is already now crippled by steps of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

"He was vetoing some decisions regarding foreign affairs not because of foreign affairs, but because of issues of money. Because he wants the funds of the EU to run his country. If we go in this direction with players around the table that are not very loyal to other one and that are using institutional tricks, then we need new rules to overcome these difficulties," warns Costa from the Paris-based Science Po.

Daniela Schwarzerová a Olivier Costa|foto:Filip Nerad, Český rozhlas

Veto misusing

"This already shows us that misused national vetoes can create a situation that is very bad for the European Union," Schwarzer added to her French colleague. According to him, there is also a risk that with the increasing number of member countries, there will also be an increase of cases of this misusing of the veto right and blackmailing others.

Autoři Bruselských chlebíčků - Anna Urbanová, Zdeňka Trachtová a Filip Nerad|foto:René Volfík, iRozhlas

So what reforms should the EU adopt to work more effectively and cope with the enlargement of new members? How should EU adopt them and when should it be ready for it? And how do European experts view Czech demands not to link future enlargement of the EU with its reforms or not to open EU treaties at any cost due to the reforms and is it possible? You will find out all the answers in this English edition of the Brussels Bites podcast of the Czech Radio.