German leader outlines vision for bigger and more coherent EU

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a speech at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic (Petr David Josek/AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a growing European Union to agree on a series of changes that would help it overcome internal divisions and stand up to external rivals such as Russia and China.

In a wide-ranging speech at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, Mr Scholz said the EU must make itself “fit” for future enlargement from 27 to 30 – or even 36 – nations by taking more decisions by majority vote, rather than requiring unanimity on all issues that has in the past allowed individual member states to veto key decisions.