While we are dealing with Sulík and Matovič, an important debate is starting in the EU Commentary on the current topic plus an overview of articles from the past week that you should not miss. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with Czech Prime Minister Peter Fial during a visit to Prague. Photo: TASR/AP Although the government crisis is attracting our attention these days, a debate is starting in Europe that is more important than whether and when Igor Matovič and Richard Sulík will resign. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Prague at the beginning of the week and gave a speech on the grounds of Charles University on how he envisions the future of the EU. Its key point was the limitation of unanimous decision-making in the Union, that is, the abolition of the right of veto of the member countries during voting in the Council of the EU. According to Scholz, it is necessary to act quickly and pragmatically in the Council of the EU at the level of ministers. Where unanimity is needed today, however, with each additional member state, the risk that one country’s veto will block the will of all other members increases. “That’s why I proposed that in the area of common foreign policy, but also in other areas, such as tax policy, we gradually switch to decisions by qualified majority,” declared the German chancellor. Supporters of EU federalization are cheering for this idea, and it is currently being applauded especially strongly in progressive circles. MEP and head of Progressive Slovakia Michal Šimečka is also a supporter of the abolition of the right of veto in foreign policy. In the current debate, the finger is often pointed at Hungary, pointing out how Viktor Orbán complicated the agreement on sanctions against Russia. But there is also another side of the coin. The fact that large states can assert their positions more easily does not automatically mean a more reasonable and effective foreign policy of the Union. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki recently pointed this out when he asked himself where we would be if we always gave in to the Germans. He recalled that it was the veto of Poland and the Baltic states that blocked Germany’s idea of holding an EU-Russia summit in 2021, which would de facto rehabilitate Putin as a full-fledged partner. Another example of a big mistake with an impact on geopolitics is the German energy policy. By pushing for the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Germany increased its own, as well as European, dependence on Russian gas and thus Putin’s blackmail potential. Without the right of veto, the foreign policy of the Union could, for example, be significantly different in relation to Israel. These were often smaller countries such as the Czech Republic or Hungary, which are somewhat outside the European mainstream in this respect and have already blocked joint EU statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict several times in the past. Because they seemed too critical of Israel. The search for unanimous agreement will always be lengthy and complicated, and will often involve compromises. But it is precisely this search for compromise that holds the Union together. Abolishing unanimity could do more harm than good. It is true that Viktor Orbán complicated the decision-making on sanctions against Russia and made minor concessions, but the package of relatively tough sanctions nevertheless became a reality. But if the member countries were harshly outvoted by the big states, the entire European project would become even more alienated from many nations and antagonisms within the Union would increase significantly. Of Slovakia’s top politicians, only President Zuzana Čaputová, who supported the abolition of the veto in foreign policy last year at the Globsec conference, spoke more clearly about the abolition of unanimous decision-making. However, other politicians should also find time to join this debate. Because the president’s opinion on this issue does not correspond to our national interests and it would be appropriate to correct it. Abolishing the right of veto has long been dreamed of by the big European states, but it is in the interest of the smaller ones to reject this idea because it limits our sovereignty. Texts of the week Erik Potocký took a closer look at why food prices are rising and claims that there are other reasons than the lack of grain. Lukáš Krivošík wrote about the fashion of our intellectuals to talk about emigration. Pavol Rábara explains what it means when Vaticanists talk about Francis’ pontificate entering the “pre-conclave” phase. Zuzana Hanusová investigated how families change their habits in times of inflation. Lukáš Krivošík and Andrej Žiarovský talked about the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev and Russian-Turkish relations. Christian Heitmann writes about why the German government is still planning to shut down the last nuclear power plants despite record energy prices. Food crisis The rumor of famine was created by stock market speculators. The world has enough grain Food prices in stores are not rising due to lack of grain. Inflation is mostly fueled by expensive energy. The new trend of our intellectuals to think aloud about emigration from Slovakia Thirty years after the adoption of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, many people feel frustrated with developments in our country. Talk of emigration is a form of escape. The period before the conclave Sarah’s manifesto, Marx’s gesture. Cardinals are already sending signals Francis’ pontificate has entered the “pre-conclave” phase. Does the Pope have a favorite for his successor? How families live in times of inflation We already had to save during the summer for what will come in the winter, we prefer not to imagine How they are radically changing their previous habits, we talked to three families from the east, center and west of Slovakia. Andrej Žiarovský Memory of Gorbi and Russian-Turkish relations What is the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev. And how the complex history of Russian-Turkish relations affects the conflict in Ukraine. Energy crisis Germans could use nuclear power, but green egocentrics are hating the plans Despite record energy prices, the German federal government continues to plan to shut down the last three nuclear power plants.