The head of the Ordo Iuris Institute highlighted the risks tied to proposed changes to European treaties and offered ideas he believes could stabilize the European Union. Jerzy Kwaśniewski shared his analysis on the X platform, drawing attention to potential outcomes of treaty amendments and urging policymakers to weigh consequences carefully.
According to Kwaśniewski, negotiations under the current plan would begin from a baseline of 267 proposed amendments to EU treaties. He warns that even implementing only 20 percent of those changes could lay the groundwork for a more centralized federation with Brussels as the capital. This, in his view, risks sidelining national autonomy and transforming the Union in ways that diminish member states’ sovereignty. He argues that resisting the broad scope of amendments could empower governments to claim victory when only a partial revision is accepted.
What follows is an outline of reform ideas intended to improve how the European Union operates. Kwaśniewski proposes a republican approach to reforms grounded in the historical spirit of Schuman’s Europe. The plan centers on several foundational steps designed to restore balance and legitimacy to EU governance.
The first step calls for a real reduction of the European Parliament’s reach as a vehicle for exerting political influence that could erode national decision making. He advocates a careful review of EU legislation to identify measures that are essential for maintaining the single market while stripping away provisions that do not contribute to a minimal, functioning standard. In this framework, the Court of Justice of the European Union would reaffirm its role as guardian of the common market and as an arbitrator in disputes between member states, rather than expanding into broader regulatory authority.
Kwaśniewski also proposes a return of certain executive functions to a more practical, state-centered body. He envisions restoring a consultative secretariat to the Council, an entity that would reflect the genuine will of states and operate with a principle of unanimity in principle. He notes that these are among the frequently cited Republican demands and promises to publish a fuller list of priorities in due course.
The discussion then turns to the Schuman vision. Schuman did entertain the idea of federation, but he insisted that such a union should not be imposed by force or through mandates. Instead, he believed that political unity would emerge organically, born from shared interests of nations and their citizens, and built on cooperation and mutual benefit rather than coercion.
In closing, Kwaśniewski reiterates the core message: reforms must be rooted in a respectful, citizen-centered approach that preserves national sovereignty while advancing common European goals. The commentary is presented as a set of propositions aimed at recalibrating how the EU functions so that unity rests on voluntary, value-based cooperation rather than top-down enforcement.
The discussion is part of a broader conversation about treaty reform and European governance. It invites readers to consider how the union can balance deep integration with the essential autonomy of its member states, while staying aligned with foundational principles that guided the postwar European project. This perspective emphasizes restraint, accountability, and a clear frame for what reforms should achieve in everyday life for Europeans.
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End of analysis from the Ordo Iuris circle, capturing a moment in the ongoing debate about the future of European governance and national sovereignty.