AFP

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged Monday in Prague to support the enlargement of the European Union to include "30 to 36 members" and drop a veto that threatens to paralyze institutions. Ten months after succeeding Angela Merkel, Schulz revealed in a speech from Prague his vision for the future of Europe given the "phase changes" brought about by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He is thus distinguished from the previous leader, who left several proposals, made by France in particular, unanswered. The Social Democratic leader, who heads a pro-European coalition of greens and liberals, has called for the enlargement of the European Union. "The continuation of the EU's eastward expansion is a gain for all of us," he said from the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency. The former mayor of Hamburg stressed that he is "committed to extending the European Union to the countries of the Western Balkans" as well as to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Schulz spoke of a "European Union of 30 to 36 countries, which is different from our current union." The Social Democrat is a fierce advocate, since his election, for the accession of the Western Balkan countries. He visited and received in Berlin its leaders in recent months. Of the six countries in this region, four have submitted their nominations (Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania) and two have not yet (Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina). However, they have all signed a Stability and Association Agreement with the European Union. - Rules to be revised - In July, the European Union began negotiations for the accession of Albania and North Macedonia, two countries that have been waiting to join the union for eight and seventeen years respectively, but the process remains long and fraught with difficulties. The consultant stressed that the rules of work must prudently evolve in the future squad. "Ukraine is not Luxembourg and Portugal does not see the world's challenges as North Macedonia," he added. Thus, he saw that "where consensus today is required (in the European Union), the risk that one country will prevent all other countries from progressing through the use of the veto increases with each new membership." "So I suggested that we move gradually to majority decision-making in the common foreign policy but also in other areas such as tax policy," said Schulz, without concealing that "this also has repercussions for Germany." He considered that "adhering to the principle of consensus is only valid when the pressure to move is weak. But the situation is no longer so given the phase changes" caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also promised to seek Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria for their long-awaited accession to the Schengen area of ​​freedom of movement. It is a "personal commitment" welcomed by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. The German chancellor also proposed that, to ensure the quality of the enlarged EU's performance, the scope of rule-breaking measures should be expanded and not limited to violations of the rule of law, such as those targeting Hungary and Poland. Schulz, who has launched huge investments in the German military, wants to address the "uncoordinated shrinking of European armed forces and defense budgets" exposed by the Russian invasion. He pointed out the need for greater cooperation between European companies in armaments projects, joint manufacturing and procurement. Schulz reiterated his support for Emmanuel Macron's proposal to form a "European political group". "Once or twice a year we will discuss central topics of interest to our continent as a whole: security, energy, climate and connectivity," he said. For his part, the French president sees it as a "new European organization" that allows candidates to join the European Union in addition to the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway