Structural Deadlock in EU Foreign Policy Decision-Making (politico.eu)

• Unanimity requirement is causing structural paralysis in critical foreign policy areas.
• Veto-based diplomacy is obstructing crucial aid and sanction packages.
• Growing pressure from Germany and Sweden to move toward majority-based decision-making.

"The European Union's requirement for unanimity in foreign policy is causing systemic paralysis, effectively hindering responses to the conflict in Ukraine, Russia sanctions, and instability in Iran. Current institutional arrangements allow individual member states to exert veto power, which is increasingly weaponized to obstruct consensus. As geopolitical pressures mount, the momentum—driven by Berlin and Stockholm—is shifting toward transitioning from unanimous voting to Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) to ensure operational agility and strategic autonomy."