Germany has opened discussions with a small group of large EU member states on ways to speed up decision-making by allowing willing countries to move ahead without the full bloc, reviving a long-running “two-speed” Europe debate amid renewed complaints about slow EU processes.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has invited counterparts in France, Poland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands to a video conference on Wednesday 28 January, intended as a “kick-off” for work on a joint agenda and followed by an in-person meeting on the margins of the next Eurogroup.
The move comes as EU capitals face pressure to respond more quickly to external shocks and security challenges. The call follows ridicule from officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration over the time it takes the EU to agree decisions among 27 member states.
Speaking in Berlin on Tuesday 27 January, Klingbeil said: “Now is the time for a Europe of two speeds.” In his letter, he argued that “continuing as before could not be an option” and that Europe needed to become “stronger and more resilient” in an “increasingly unpredictable geopolitical situation”.
The initial focus is economic. Klingbeil’s four-point plan centres on pushing forward an EU capital markets union, strengthening the euro, improving coordination of investment in defence, and securing raw materials. The letter also calls for faster work on a “Savings and Investment Union” to improve financing conditions for European firms, including start-ups and scale-ups.
On the euro, Klingbeil argued for cutting red tape and strengthening Europe’s autonomy in payments, presenting the currency as a “safe haven” based on predictability and the rule of law. On defence, he urged closer cooperation and said defence should be embedded as a priority in the next EU multiannual budget. On raw materials, he called for stronger supply-chain resilience for critical minerals and deeper engagement with international partners.
Poland signalled support for the format. Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domański told Reuters he would participate and said “changes are happening too slowly”. German officials described the approach as flexible, with coalitions varying by policy area and not necessarily limited to the initial six countries.
The initiative sits alongside existing EU treaty mechanisms designed for “differentiated integration”. The Treaties allow groups of member states to pursue “enhanced cooperation” when unanimity among all member states cannot be reached, subject to conditions and formal authorisation. Enhanced cooperation has already been used to set up EU structures that do not include every member state, including the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, established by a regulation “implementing enhanced cooperation”.
More broadly, the EU already operates at different speeds in practice. Not all members use the euro, and not all participate fully in the Schengen area. Reuters noted that flexible coalitions have long been discussed and cited the euro as an example of such an approach applied to a major project.
The immediate political backdrop is the continuing role of unanimity in sensitive areas. The Council of the EU explains that unanimity is required for certain decisions, including in common foreign and security policy, and that sanctions decisions are adopted by unanimity. Supporters of smaller-group formats argue that the unanimity rule can allow single states to delay or block action; critics warn that moving key choices into ad hoc groupings risks weakening cohesion and sidelining smaller members.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has shown a greater willingness to advance issues in Europe without unanimity, including on the EU’s trade agreement with Mercosur and on Ukraine. France has also pushed in recent years for smaller-group progress on policies that have struggled to secure full-EU agreement.
Sweden’s EU affairs minister, Jessica Rosencrantz, told Reuters that forming a “critical mass” could be useful and added: “It is important that the pace is not set by those who want to do the least.” While Sweden is not part of the initial six-country call, the remark reflected a wider debate over whether the EU should use treaty tools such as enhanced cooperation more often, or pursue looser “minilateral” formats outside formal EU structures.
The outcome of Wednesday’s call is expected to shape whether Berlin and its partners develop a standing forum among large economies, or treat the initiative as a project-by-project coalition designed to accelerate decisions where unanimity has proved difficult.
