Story perspectives

EU states push veto-curbing voting rules for foreign policy

9/2/2026

Summary

Albares Urges QMV

Spain's foreign minister José Manuel Albares urged the EU to adopt qualified-majority voting on policy.
Eleven EU states sent a non-paper to Kaja Kallas proposing a veto-curbing handbook.
The handbook urges constructive abstentions and demands detailed “vital reasons” for objections under qualified-majority voting.
Albares said Spain has barred Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir for a year and urged EU to deny his entry.

Summary

France, Germany Propose

France and Germany propose shifting the EU’s diplomatic service to tighter European Commission control.
The plan would make High Representative Kaja Kallas an executive vice-president with de facto oversight of external policy units.
EEAS staff would be partly embedded in a new Commission department while one-third remain seconded.
Smaller states fear a stronger Commission could let larger members dominate EU foreign-policy priorities.

Summary

Eight Nations Pledge

Eight nations pledged coordinated winter-energy assistance for vulnerable EU regions.
They also pledged to protect Ukraine’s critical port infrastructure.
The draft warns that undermining the rules-based international order heightens urgency for collective action.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned the bloc cannot overtake Montenegro on Ukraine’s accelerated EU accession.
The draft advises separating unrelated policy topics to avoid a single veto stalling multiple initiatives.

History

Historical Context

The Treaty of Lisbon, signed on 13 December 2007 and effective 1 December 2009, replaced unanimity with a double-majority rule—at least 55 % of the 27 states (15 countries) representing 65 % of the EU population. That rule now frames debates such as Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares and France-Germany proposals to curb Estonian PM Kaja Kallas’s foreign-policy veto while Slovakia’s Robert Fico seeks safeguards.

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Albares Urges QMV

Spain's foreign minister José Manuel Albares urged the EU to adopt qualified-majority voting on policy.
Eleven EU states sent a non-paper to Kaja Kallas proposing a veto-curbing handbook.
The handbook urges constructive abstentions and demands detailed “vital reasons” for objections under qualified-majority voting.
Albares said Spain has barred Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir for a year and urged EU to deny his entry.

1 / 4