In Strasbourg today, ECR Co-Chairman Prof Ryszard Legutko strongly rejected Olaf Scholz's ideas about an even closer European Union and especially his calls for a majority vote in the Council on foreign and fiscal policy.

Reacting to Scholz’s ‘This is Europe’ speech, in which the German Chancellor explained that the Ukraine crisis and geostrategic challenges had shown that the EU needed to unite further towards centralisation, Legutko responded that Germany, as a large country, does not need to act as a pioneer of supposedly forward-looking ideas. EU policy was already too dominated by large countries, and its policies towards Russia and in the area of migration - both highly influenced by Germany - had failed, said Legutko. Germany should shift down a gear and join the ranks of the other member states.

The Russian policy was the most spectacular disaster of the EU’s big guys and those who are most responsible for this want to have more power in foreign policy. The logic behind it boggles the mind, the more we screw up, the more power we want. The logic would be the reverse, because you screw up so much you should be kept in check for as long as possible”, Legutko said. Drawing on the concepts of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristoteles, he described the European Parliament as a place where the tyranny of the majority reigns and where the rights of minority opinions count for nothing, while the European Commission is an unelected oligarchy. For Legutko, it is unthinkable that such bodies should be given even more power.

The ECR Co-Chairman is concerned that majority voting would swing the pendulum even further in favour of the big countries, without the small countries being able to do anything about it. “The big guys do what they want, never bother to consult anyone and call it leadership. And with the voting system in the Council securing their interests, there is little chance they could be outvoted”, Legutko said.

Prof Legutko’s speech reads in full:

“Madame President, Mister Chancellor, Ladies and Gentlemen,

to understand the role of Germany one

needs to start with the basic question: What sort of political system is the European Union? And I submit it is a combination of an oligarchy and a tyranny of the majority. The Parliament functions, of course, as the tyranny of the majority and the Commission as a typically oligarchic institution, unelected with limited democratic legitimacy and having an unquestionable lust for power. As far as I could understand you Mr. Chancellor you want this body to have even more power. But the pillars of European oligarchy are the big guys among the Member States and the biggest is of course Germany. The big guys do what they want, never bother to consult anyone and call it leadership. And with the voting system in the Council securing their interests, there is little chance they could be outvoted. Of many sins that the German governments have committed, let me mention two: the migration crisis, when Germany single handedly opened the EU borders and, recently, the energy and security crisis, which resulted from it having a long and murky tradition of political romance with Russia. Today, the German politicians beat their breasts and promise to be good boys in the future. Well, the problem with the big guys is they can promise anything and repentance is as easy for them as it is inconsequential. When I heard that the best option would be the gradual evolution of the veto and the evolution of the veto in foreign policy, I simply cannot believe my ears. The Russian policy was the most spectacular disaster of the EU’s big guys and those who are most responsible for this want to have more power in foreign policy. The logic behind it boggles the mind, the more we screw up, the more power we want. The logic would be the reverse, because you screw up so much you should be kept in check for as long as possible. Chancellor Scholz, I do not have any illusions about Germany mending its ways. You are too big. You are too hubristic. Especially lately, I read your statement and I heard something like this today also, about Germany taking responsibility for the EU. Just as a matter of interest, if you could satisfy my intellectual curiosity, where can one read about German responsibility for the EU in the treaties? The only proper thing for the German governments would be to take the back benches and as political hygiene requires, let others run the show. You tried, you failed. You should withdraw. Unless, Mr Chancellor, you or your colleagues in the European oligarchy believe that German leaders, like diamonds, are forever.”