The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, believes that there is a possibility for the EU to abandon unanimity.

At the Munich Security Conference, Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of creating a mutual defense pact within the European Union, according to Article 42(7) of the EU's founding treaty. She stated that mutual defense is not optional, but a collective obligation, stressing that the EU must act more quickly and decisively in the face of current international challenges. Von der Leyen suggested that, to facilitate this, the Union should abandon the requirement for unanimous voting and adopt decisions by qualified majority. This proposal comes in the context of the U.S. reducing its support for NATO, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also called for discussions on Article 42.7.