In a statement issued by the foreign ministry, Poland has declared that its policy within the European Union is firmly committed to upholding the principle of unanimity. The country has no intention of abandoning this approach, either presently or in the foreseeable future. The statement emphasizes Poland’s unwavering determination to defend this principle within the EU.
According to Lukasz Jasina, the spokesperson for Poland’s foreign ministry, the ministry stated on Sunday in response to political proposals advocating for the adoption of the qualified majority voting (QMV) decision-making process in the EU’s foreign and security policy. The statement aims to clarify Poland’s position on this matter and emphasizes the country’s firm commitment to the unanimity principle in EU decision-making.
“The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalls and reaffirms the position on this issue presented recently in the Polish Parliament by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau: Poland’s policy in the European Union aims to preserve the freedom of Member States in resolutely defending the principle of unanimity where the current legal situation guarantees it and to actually extend the consensus formula to where the legal situation permits the application of qualified majority rule,”
the statement reads.
The Polish Foreign Ministry has underlined that the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) of the European Union rely on the unanimity principle in decision-making. The ministry has emphasized that this approach, along with the intergovernmental nature of these policies, ensures that the interests of all member states are safeguarded, and each country’s voice is given due consideration, regardless of their size or population.
The foreign ministry has further stated that the unanimity principle and intergovernmental character of CFSP and CSDP policies also guarantee each member state’s sovereign right to make decisions regarding matters of war and peace. The ministry highlighted that the constructive abstention mechanism provides a means for all EU members to uphold their national specificities without impeding the organization’s decision-making process.
“In fact, the value of unanimity has already on more than one occasion saved Member States from making strategic mistakes with highly negative consequences for EU security,”
the ministry added.