Mario Draghi has argued that the bloc should make key decisions by qualified majority
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has urged the EU to make key decisions by a qualified majority, rather than seeking unanimous consent of its member states. Draghi said that in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, the EU must learn to work more robustly and effectively.
“The geopolitical situation is undergoing rapid and profound change. We have to move, and move as quickly as possible,” Draghi told the European Parliament on Tuesday.
“Building a common defense must be accompanied by a united foreign policy, and effective decision-making mechanisms.”
We must move beyond the principle of unanimity, which gives rise to an intergovernmental approach based on mutual vetoes, and we must head towards qualified majority decision-making.
“A Europe able to make prompt decisions is more credible in the eyes of its citizens and in the eyes of the world,” Draghi said.
The PM urged to “streamline and optimize” military spending, and to process Ukraine’s application to join the EU “as quickly as possible.”
“We need pragmatic federalism, encompassing all areas affected by the ongoing transformations – from the economy to energy and security,” Draghi said.
The veto power allows the bloc’s individual members to strike down decisions that affect the EU as a whole. Most recently, Hungary said that it would not back a ban on Russian oil and gas because its economy is heavily dependent on energy supplies from Moscow.
Last week, the European Parliament approved draft proposals for a comprehensive EU reform, stating that most issues that are now “decided by way of unanimity should be decided by way of a qualified majority.”
Lake Chad, May 04 (IPS) – Fourteen-year-old Hadiza smiles as she clutches a purple bag in her hands. Inside the cloth bag is a Menstrual Hygiene Management kit, an essential item that gives her dignity and enables her to continue with school even when menstruating.
At a missile plant in Alabama, President Biden bragged about Ukrainian parents naming children after Javelins
President Joe Biden on Tuesday described the conflict in Ukraine as a historic “inflection point [that] comes along every six or eight generations,” and described the US’ role in the conflict as fighting the first “real battle” in a civilizational struggle versus Russia and China. Biden also promised to send billions more dollars worth of aid to Kiev.
“We’re at an inflection point in history. It comes along about every six or eight generations,” Biden said, during a visit to a Lockheed Martin factory in Alabama, adding that “things are changing so rapidly that we have to be in control.”
It is unclear what the last “inflection point” referenced by Biden was, with six to eight generations describing anywhere between 100 and 200 years ago. However, Biden went on to describe the US’ mission in Ukraine in grander terms than simply shipping arms to an ally.
“There’s an ongoing battle between autocracy and democracy,” he said, referring to China and Russia as enemies of supposed Western “democracies.” The conflict in Ukraine, he added, is “the first real battle” in this clash of civilizations.
Washington’s rhetoric on Ukraine has hardened in recent weeks, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently stating that “we want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine,” and Biden himself appearing to call for a regime change in Moscow on several occasions.
Russia is already treating the conflict as a de-facto war against NATO, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accusing the US-led military alliance of “essentially going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming that proxy.” Biden also apparently acknowledged on Tuesday that the US was engaged in a proxy war with Russia, telling workers at the Lockheed Martin plant that American weapons shipments were “making it possible for the Ukrainian people to defend themselves without us having to risk getting in a third world war by sending American soldiers.”
On top of this harder rhetoric, Biden has requested an additional $33 billion – which amounts to nearly half of Russia’s whole 2021 defense budget – in military aid for Ukraine, as well as funding for US government agencies involved in the country. Touting the importance of the Javelin anti-tank missiles made in the Alabama plant to Ukraine’s war effort, Biden compared the unprecedented weapons splurge to the US’ arming of its allies in World War II.
Biden, known for his frequent verbal slip-ups, appeared to confuse Russia for Ukraine when he said that prior to the launch of Russia’s military operation in February, “we made sure Russia had javelins and other weapons … so Ukraine was ready for whatever happened.”
Biden also told his audience that Ukrainian parents are naming their newborn children “Javelin or Javelina” in honor of the American-made missiles. This claim was originally made last month by Ukrainian journalist and neo-Nazi Azov regiment member Ilya Ponomarenko.
Biden on sending Javelins to Ukraine: “they’ve been so important that there are stories of Ukrainian parents naming their newborn children ‘Javelin’ or ‘Javelina.'”
As Biden spoke of China’s role in the global order in Alabama, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate that the US is “now facing two global powers, China and Russia,” and that “the potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing.”
Rows of temporary shelters covered in sheeting which has been blanched by the sun and sand blasted by winds blend into the grey, dusty and parched environment. It’s midday, and temperatures have reached a punishingly hot and dry 44 degrees Celsius (111 F).
