“According to the German Foreign Minister, twelve countries have already joined Germany’s initiative to abolish the principle of unanimity in EU decision-making. If this initiative is implemented, the European Union will, almost certainly, be transformed from a union of equal member states into a union ruled by the major powers,” Papuashvili wrote. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called in early May for the EU’s unanimity principle to be scrapped, arguing that qualified majority voting should be used instead. According to Papuashvili, the unanimity principle is what guarantees this opportunity for smaller states. While such a move would benefit major powers, Papuashvili argued, it would represent a “catastrophic change” for smaller countries.