What is the right of the sentence? Why have we never used it before? And can the European Union go around Slovakia anyway?
European processes can be lengthy, complicated and even more informed people are often lost.
Therefore, we bring questions and answers to how the right of veto works, for what the Sumits of the European Union and why Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán cause wrinkles of Brussels.
What happened at night in Brussels?
Slovak Prime Minister Fico threatened that our country does not announce for new sanctions against Russia. But at the summit of the leaders that was on Thursday, there is no technically voting on no sanctions. Leaders meet there just to clarify the positions of their governments.
Fico supported the current Russian sanctions, ie their extension. However, it is only a technical detail, the prolongation of sanctions is voted every 6 months. As Russia continues to attack Ukraine, the extension of sanctions was logical.
However, the Slovak Prime Minister said he had a problem with the new 18. So far, Slovakia has never used it. Nor once.
What do the new proposed sanctions concern?
Especially the so -called Russian fleet, which are ships that swim in the waters of third countries and Russia bypasses them by bypassing sanctions. For example – Russia is forbidden to sell weapons to the EU, but it is not forbidden in some Asian countries. So they will bring them there and this “third” country can then sell them to the EU. However, they are still Russian weapons (or any other goods to which our sanctions apply).
New sanctions should not have been affected by our country. At the same time, Robert Fico argued that he would block sanctions if they “touch the interests of Slovakia”. In this, the situation is fogging.
What is the right of the sentence?
The right of veto is only valid in selected areas – in foreign and security policy, to recruit new members to the EU or in European budget and tax issues.
That’s actually all. In all other issues, the so -called qualified majority is voted. It is a complicated formula and the legendary calculators that European ministers wear to meet the EU Council. A qualified majority is calculated both according to the number of countries that must vote for the proposal, but also by the number of their inhabitants.
To put it simply, if something is to go through a qualified majority, at least some “large” EU countries must vote for such a proposal, such as Germany, France, Italy or Spain or Poland.
Even small countries are able to create “ad hoc coalitions”, but they always need them to be supported by an other Union’s state – ideally the most populous.
How did Fico argue?
The Slovak Prime Minister wants the EU to reconsider the cut off from Russian gas, oil and nuclear fuel first (before the next sanction package). The plan is known as repawereu. However, he is not related to sanctions against Russia.
In addition, Repowereu is approved by a classic process, ie between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States. We cannot block it by using the right of the sentence.
Slovakia is dependent on Russian fuels, similar to Hungary. However, the Union can compensate for us any losses or actions from Gazprom’s Russian violation. And she promised these measures, but that was not enough for Fico.
Where does the sanctions decide?
EU Council, which is the level of ministers of Member States. Each EU country is represented. The number of proposals is voted at different levels: for example, the vote of foreign ministers, defense ministers or environmental ministers. Each of the 27 Member States has its representative – usually the Minister for the given area or the Secretary of State.
Sanctions against Russia are approved by foreign ministers in Brussels. So if Slovakia used the right of veto, it would have to be technically the head of Slovak diplomacy Juraj Blanár – although probably on the instruction of Robert Fico.
What will happen now?
Today, the EU Council (not the leaders but the Member States’ ministers should have met and was supposed to vote on sanctions against Russia. There are more possible scenarios.
It is likely to meet and vote for the extension of the current sanctions against the Russian regime of Vladimir Putin. That would only be a formality, all countries, including Slovakia and Hungary, agree.
There is also a possibility that new sanctions against Russia will not be voted at all, as Blanár might venture them. The European Union may have to find a way to circumvent Slovakia in this.
