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Hello from Brussels! I'm Evi, and this week, let's talk about the EU's unanimity trap and why one country can block decisions of 26 other member states.
Hungary's veto of a €91 billion loan package for Ukraine is the latest of 48 European Council decisions blocked. With 21 vetoes, Hungary is by far the EU member that has used the veto the most.
The unanimity rule demands that all 27 member states must agree on foreign policy, sanctions, enlargement, and critical budget decisions. A single holdout can paralyse the entire EU agenda.
Vetoes have shifted from policy disputes to instruments of leverage. As Patrick Müller, professor at the University of Vienna, puts it: "One could just call it blackmail." Member states now block unrelated decisions to extract concessions, freeze EU funds, escalate rule-of-law disputes, and score domestic political victories.
The EU has improvised workarounds, but none offer a clean solution. The core paradox remains: "You can only get rid of unanimity with unanimity," says Thu Nguyen of the Jacques Delors Centre.
Until the rule changes, the EU faces a future of improvised fixes and deepening political deadlock. Take our poll, join the conversation! | 
