QMV in CFSP: Impending necessity or resurfacing utopia?
QMV in CFSP: Impending necessity or resurfacing utopia?

Author(s): Miroslava Pisklová
Subject(s): Politics, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Security and defense, Electoral systems
Published by: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
Keywords: QMV; CFSP; utopia;
Summary/Abstract: A discussion on potential broadening of the qualified majority voting (QMV) system to more of the remaining policy areas in the Council of the EU in which it is not yet used, namely the EU´s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), has recently gained momentum. This publication aims to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of introduction of the QMV in CFSP of the EU with a focus on the potential impact on smaller member states. For the purpose of this publication, the author led a series of in-person or online interviews with experts from a variety of institutions in order to broaden her research on the topic and provide valuable, qualitative insight to the paper. While this debate has been already ongoing for many years, recent significant changes in the European security context combined with the EU´s effort to strengthen its position among increasingly competitive global powers, as well as its ability to quickly react to crises, contributed for this issue to gain significant attention among the EU leaders. In consequence to the results of the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFOE), where the EU citizens called for usage of qualified majority decision making in CFSP area to make the process “speedy and effective” , the European Parliament (EP) called for a Convention which would lead to QMV introduction in CFSP through a proper Treaty revision. Similarly, other EU representatives, including current president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as a number of the EU member states leaders call for it.

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