Smer-SD: EU's Key Challenge is Restoring Sovereign Cooperation

Bratislava, May 1 (TASR) - The EU's most important challenge is returning to the principles of sovereign cooperation between member states, the Smer-SD party stated on Thursday, marking the 21st anniversary of Slovakia joining the EU, adding that the Union must reform to stop promoting centralised decision-making, unrealistic green policies, and pressure on migration. Lubica Koncalova from Smer-SD press department stated that what Slovakia needs is a strong voice within the EU to protect national interests, social stability, and peace. According to Smer, the abolition of the veto right could mark the beginning of the end for the EU and countries, including Slovakia, would become mere bystanders. "We see the veto right as a safety brake for states that can't agree with a proposal that goes against their national interests. If such a radical change is adopted, the EU will definitively become a project that further deepens the divide between large, powerful states such as Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, and smaller states such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland," Smer representatives explained. According to Smer, the EU should focus on peace, diplomacy, and strategic autonomy in foreign policy, maintaining a balanced stance on the war in Ukraine and the Gaza conflict. "It seems as if the EU is no longer a tool for peace," Koncalova added. lin/mcs