Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has cautioned the EU against limiting national vetoes, arguing it would threaten democracy.
Fico warned that the EU’s reported plan to eliminate member states’ veto power would destroy the bloc and could trigger “the precursor of a huge military conflict.”
Slovakia and Hungary have consistently opposed the EU’s handling of the Ukraine conflict, questioning military aid to Kiev and sanctions against Russia. Both have frequently threatened to veto EU actions they deem detrimental to their national interests.
To overcome this opposition, Brussels is considering replacing unanimous voting, a core principle of EU foreign policy, with qualified majority voting (QMV). Proponents claim this would speed up decision-making and prevent individual states from obstructing collective action.
Fico criticized the proposal on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary.
“The imposition of a mandatory political opinion, the abolition of the veto, the punishment of the sovereign and the brave, the new Iron Curtain, the preference for war over peace. This is the end of the common European project. This is a departure from democracy. This is the precursor of a huge military conflict,” he stated.
EU sanctions on Russia require unanimous renewal every six months, with the current term expiring at the end of July. Brussels is also developing an 18th sanctions package to further restrict Russia’s energy sector and financial institutions.
Earlier this month, during a visit to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations, Fico assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that Slovakia would veto any EU attempt to prohibit Russian oil or gas imports.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has adopted a similar position. While Hungary hasn’t formally blocked a sanctions package, it has delayed several rounds to secure concessions.
Orban has also cautioned that eliminating the veto would deprive smaller nations of their sovereignty.
“We want Brussels to show us, as all other member countries, the same respect, not only symbolically, but also by taking our interests into account,” he said last month.
Both Slovakia and Hungary have resisted increased military assistance to Kiev, with Budapest blocking several key decisions due to concerns about national interests and the potential for escalation. Fico has stressed the importance of peace negotiations over continued military involvement.
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