Hahn: Decisions on EU foreign policy should be made by majority

VIENNA, (Patria) - European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn has advocated for majority decision-making in EU foreign policy.

In a discussion on Austrian state television ORF's "Im Zentrum" program, he said that otherwise the EU will never become a global player, Tanjug reports.

Hahn emphasized that if the system of unanimous decision-making on all matters is maintained, the EU will never be able to be effective and competitive with other players such as China.

According to him, the European Commission will submit a proposal in the autumn to transition from the principle of unanimous decision-making to a majority voting system. Hahn stressed that the example of US President Donald Trump clearly shows that the EU has no natural allies, only partners, and must rely on itself.

The head of Luxembourg's diplomacy, Jean Asselborn, has also advocated for the abolition of unanimous decision-making in foreign policy.

He said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve a unified stance on important issues. Regarding asylum policy, Asselborn emphasized that no single country can overcome the problem of migration alone, but only the EU together.

The former Hungarian Minister of Social Affairs and current advisor to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Zoltán Balog, pointed out that the development towards majority decision-making on various topics is possible and that it should primarily be done for the protection of external borders.