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Home > Research > Newsletters & Policy Updates
Far and Wide | May 2023 (II)

Our lead story this week covers the push by nine European Union countries to review voting rules for foreign and security policy decisions. The formation of the "Group of Friends on Qualified Majority Voting" seeks to gradually move from unanimous agreement among all 27 member states to qualified majority voting, with the goal of expediting decision-making processes. This move comes in response to the geopolitical shift resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has demonstrated the need for stronger foreign policy processes within the EU. The proposed shift to a qualified majority has the potential to strengthen the EU's role as a foreign policy actor, but it is essential that all member states are heard and that the sovereignty of individual states is respected, particularly in sensitive areas of foreign policy.  The story raises important questions about the balance between collective decision-making and individual sovereignty, as well as the need for agile foreign policy processes in a rapidly changing world. Read Here!