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Polish FM heads to Budapest to discuss planned EU treaty changes

04.12.2023 11:30
The Polish foreign minister headed to Budapest on Monday for talks with his Hungarian counterpart on ways to block changes to European Union treaties. 
Polands Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk.
Poland's Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk.X/Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk announced his trip in a media interview early in the day, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Poland's top diplomat said he had recently visited six EU countries to discuss planned changes to the bloc's treaties. 

He told private broadcaster Radio Zet on Monday morning that he would visit more capitals this week, starting with a trip to Budapest for talks with his Hungarian counterpart.

Szynkowski vel Sęk said Poland was making EU partners aware of the "dangers posed by the upcoming treaty amendments."

He added that so far "some dozen" member states had taken a "sceptical" view of the proposed changes, including the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

Poland's foreign minister said EU countries had decided the issue would not be discussed at the next European Council later this month, but "in the spring at the earliest."

Szynkowski vel Sęk added some member states wanted the matter of planned treaty changes to be dealt with at that point, "without a vote" at a more technical level in the meantime. 

He said Poland opposed this plan and vowed to raise the issue during his upcoming diplomatic visits, the PAP news agency reported.

On November 22, the European Parliament adopted a set of proposals to amend EU treaties, a move designed to "give citizens a stronger say and create a more effective EU."

The main proposed changes include abolishing the principle of unanimity in the European Council in 65 policy areas, to be replaced by qualified majority voting; the transfer of powers from member states to the EU, in areas such as foreign affairs, external security and defence; and making the euro the mandatory currency for EU countries, according to news outlets. 

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, Radio Zet