Because of Orbán? Germany urges EU to scrap veto power in foreign policy

Germany has called for one of the European Union’s most fundamental decision-making rules to be overhauled, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul openly arguing that the bloc should move away from unanimity in foreign and security policy. Could Hungarian PM Orbán be the reason?

The proposal comes after weeks of growing frustration in Brussels over Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s decision to block a EUR 90 billion EU-backed loan package for Ukraine. This has reignited a debate over whether a single member state should still be able to stall major strategic decisions.

Speaking to Germany’s Funke Media Group, Wadephul said the EU should abolish unanimity in these policy areas before the end of the current legislative cycle in 2029, arguing that the bloc must become more capable of acting decisively on the international stage. He instead backed a qualified majority voting system among the 27 member states, saying recent deadlocks over Ukraine aid and sanctions on Russia had exposed the weaknesses of the current framework, Anadolu Agency writes.

Orbán’s blockade reignites Brussels frustration

The renewed German push follows Hungary’s continued refusal to approve the massive financial package for Kyiv, despite the loan being considered crucial for Ukraine’s wartime budget and defence needs.

Orbán has linked Hungary’s approval to the restoration of Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs across Ukraine into Central Europe. Budapest has accused Kyiv of deliberately holding back the flow, while Ukrainian officials insist the disruption followed damage caused by a Russian strike and deny any political motivation.

The standoff is just the latest example of Hungary’s increasingly isolated position inside the EU, where Budapest has repeatedly used its veto power to delay or complicate joint decisions on Russia sanctions, Ukraine assistance and foreign policy statements.

A larger EU debate may now be unavoidable

Germany’s intervention is significant because it shows that calls to weaken veto powers are no longer limited to smaller member states frustrated by Hungary’s stance.

In recent weeks, similar concerns have been voiced by other EU leaders and diplomats, many of whom argue that unanimity is becoming unworkable at a time of war on Europe’s borders and mounting geopolitical instability. Orbán’s latest move may therefore accelerate an institutional debate over how the bloc makes its most sensitive decisions.

Wadephul also touched on Hungary’s upcoming 12 April general election, saying it would be up to Hungarian voters to decide their country’s political direction, while adding that Berlin would work with whichever government emerges.

Still, the timing of the German proposal leaves little to no doubt that Orbán’s latest veto battle could cause a potentially historic EU reform debate.

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