The discussion around changing EU treaties is seen as a crucial matter for national sovereignty by the Polish Foreign Minister, Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk. He indicated that he would raise this topic during visits to several European capitals, including Copenhagen, Brussels, Prague, Vilnius, and Riga, as part of broader talks on common European challenges.
Changing treaties
A resolution approved by the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week advocates amendments to the EU treaties. The core proposals include moving away from unanimous voting in the EU Council for about 65 areas, transferring more powers from member states to the European level, and creating two new exclusive EU competences in environmental protection and biodiversity (Article 3 TFEU). The package also envisions a broadening of shared powers across seven new domains: foreign and security policy, border control, public health, civil protection, industry, and education. The euro is proposed to become the mandatory currency for member states. In addition, the European Commission would be reduced to fifteen members, which means not every country would have its own commissioner. At the same time, the so‑called “European executive power” would see its authority expanded.
The new head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will convince other countries
Speaking at a briefing at Warsaw’s Okęcie military airport, the Foreign Minister warned about the risks of adopting proposals to alter treaties.
As Foreign Minister, he said he would undertake missions to various European capitals to explain why accepting treaty amendments could be risky for Poland and for the EU as a whole.
– he was quoted as saying in the ministry’s public profile on the X platform.
The minister noted that the proposal has already been adopted by the European Parliament and will now be discussed in the General Affairs Council, where ministers responsible for European affairs meet.
Afterwards, he planned to address heads of government during the European Council summits, moving from ministers to prime ministers in the process.
He also pointed out that there was a Polish influence in the EP’s vote, with nine Polish MEPs supporting the resolution. The list of MEPs backing the move included Róża Thun, Marek Balt, Marek Belka, Robert Biedroń, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Łukasz Kohut, Bogusław Liberadzki, Leszek Miller, and Sylwia Spurek.
The minister remarked that without this Polish support, the proposal might not have progressed, and he stressed that the EP’s decision did not reflect a common European majority in favor of the changes.
The emphasis, he added, should be on engaging partners and persuading them of the potential implications of centralizing too much decision‑making at the EU level. He announced a schedule of visits to European capitals, starting with Copenhagen and continuing to Brussels, Prague, Vilnius, Riga, and other cities.
The minister concluded that this issue is fundamental to the defense of the state and to the ability of state authorities to determine Poland’s future, underscoring the importance of the national perspective in any broader European reform debate.
The discussion surrounding the treaty change proposals adopted by the European Parliament is not merely procedural; it touches the future structure of the Union. He emphasized, in posts on the X platform, that the debate must be framed with attention to how centralization could affect national autonomy and the protection of Polish citizens.
Additional commentary in Polish media has framed these treaty changes as a critical assessment of the EU project, with some observers arguing that the changes could challenge the sovereignty of member states. The discourse continues as EU institutions move toward a formal discussion in the coming weeks.