Under EU treaties, member states can veto decisions in areas that touch their core sovereignty: foreign policy, taxation, enlargement, and the budget. Under the EU treaties, the bloc is a union of sovereign states, not a federation, and no government should be forced into decisions that cut against its fundamental interests.
That legal basis is solid. Article 31(1) of the Treaty on European Union mandates unanimity on foreign and security policy decisions. Article 4(2) obliges the EU to respect member states' national identities. The veto is not a loophole; it rightfully exists by design.
