Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called for a rethink of European Union mechanisms and end member states’ vetoes over foreign policy to allow effective reaction to challenges arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reports Bloomberg.
“The institutions set up by our predecessors in previous decades have served European citizens well, but are inadequate to the current reality we are now facing,” Draghi said in an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “We should overcome the unanimity principle which creates a dynamic of opposing vetoes, and move to decisions taken with a qualified majority.”
He called his vision for a new EU a form of “pragmatic federalism” that would include joint decision-making for sectors including the economy, energy, defense and foreign policy.
Crises facing the EU “require an acceleration in the European integration process” Draghi said, calling for coordinated defense and foreign policy decisions.
Ukraine expects to get recognised as candidate for membership of the European Union in June during a meeting of EU member states leaders.