The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised on Monday, August 29, in Prague, to support the expansion of the European Union through the entry of the countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and even Georgia, and supported the disappearance of the rule of unanimity in decision-making at the EU level, informs agerpres.
“The fact that the European Union continues to expand eastward is an advantage for all of us,” Scholz said in a speech in Prague on the future of Europe.
He evoked “a European Union with 30 or 36 states, very different from our current Union”.
“In this enlarged Union, the differences between the member states will increase in terms of political interests, economic power or social systems (…). Where unanimity is required today (within the EU), the risk that a single country will prevent the others from advancing with its veto increases with each new member state”, explained Olaf Scholz.
In this context, he proposed a gradual transition to majority decision-making in the common foreign policy, but also in other areas, such as fiscal policy.
The head of the German executive reaffirmed his support for French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to create a “European political community”.
Underlining the “geopolitical dimension” of the EU enlargement process, he stated that “realpolitik must mean engaging friends and partners with shared values ​​and supporting them to be strong in global competition through cooperation.”
“What is missing, however, is a regular exchange at political level – a forum where EU heads of state and government and our European partners meet once or twice a year to discuss key issues affecting the continent ours as a whole, such as security, energy, climate and connectivity”, insisted the German chancellor.
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In his opinion, Europe must oppose the threat represented by the “neo-imperialist autocracy”.
“Right now, we ask ourselves once again where the dividing line between this free Europe and a neo-imperialist autocracy will lead in the future. We talked about a turning point after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The brutal attack on Ukraine is thus also an attack on Europe’s security order”, Chancellor Scholz explained.
He assured that Berlin will maintain its support for Ukraine “as long as necessary”. In the coming weeks, Germany will send weapons to Kiev.
According to him, in addition to the delivery of radar systems and drones, Germany could assume a special responsibility for strengthening Ukraine’s artillery and air defense capabilities.