Von der Leyen urges EU to "answer the call of history" and open the door to new members
“The time for determination has come and that means thinking about how to prepare for a complete Union. We need to overcome the old binary debates on enlargement. It is not about deepening integration or expanding the Union, since we can and must do both to give ourselves geopolitical weight and the ability to act.. This is what our Union has always done, since each wave of enlargement was accompanied by political deepening. We move from coal and steel to full economic integration. And after the fall of the Iron Curtain, we turned an economic project into a true Union of peoples and States. I believe that the next enlargement must also be a catalyst for progress. We began to build a Health Union at 27 and we can finish it with more than 30. We started building the European Defense Union at 27 and we can finish it with more than 30 members. We have shown that we can be a Geopolitical Union and we have shown that we can move quickly when we are united. The German, whose future is up in the air (she could repeat her position or become Secretary General of NATO next year), did not want to give dates for the enlargement, unlike the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, who two years ago weeks urged to make a move before 2030. He hasn't given specific names either, although Ukraine is now in the front row for obvious reasons.. And he has emphasized that it is a process that is based on merits and efforts and not only will.. But he has made it clear that there can be no alternative. “We are guided by the conviction that completing our Union is the best investment in peace, security and prosperity for our continent. “It is time for Europe to think big again and write its own destiny,” he urged.
Today's speech was not like Von der Leyen's three previous speeches before the Chamber.. The first were marked by a battery of proposals, concrete or indefinite, for their mandate.. Dozens of promises, aspirations and legislative initiatives for five years. Always with large figures of investments, funds or aid to fill headlines. Not this time. In 300 days, the Europeans will go to the polls, they will renew the European Parliament and the continental leaders will choose those responsible for the institutions until 2029, so their intervention has been one of balance and reflection.. Last year's speech had the motto “courage and solidarity”, completely focused on Ukraine and the war. This year's, with different types of aspirations, but perhaps even more ambition, personal and team, has been titled: “Responding to the call of history.”
“This is the time to decide what kind of future and what kind of Europe we want (…) Our Union today reflects the vision of those who dreamed of a better future after the Second World War. A future in which a Union of nations, democracies and peoples would work together to share peace and prosperity. They believed that Europe was the answer to the call of history and when I talk to the new generation of young people, I see the same vision of a better future, that same burning desire to build something better.. That same belief that in a world of uncertainty, Europe must once again answer the call of history. And that is what we must do together,” the German said to lukewarm applause.
Ursula Von der Leyen, during the speech. EFE The three axes of discourse
Von der Leyen's speech has been built around three axes, but the little emphasis on Ukraine and the war, on military, economic and political support, has been surprising.. Not a mention of President Zelensky, when his wife was the guest of honor last year. The country has been mentioned on different occasions, but the change is very striking. Especially when the president has always been one of the most vocal on the issue.
The first axis of the long intervention has been to take advantage of his management and leadership. His style is enormously presidential, controlling. Everything happens through her and her cabinet. It is not by chance that two of its executive vice presidents, Margrete Vestager and Frans Timmermans, have chosen to seek departures before the end of their mandate.. They had been powerful and influential with Jean-Claude Juncker and she has canceled them. But internal controversies aside, and whether or not it is the best style of human capital management, it is indisputable that Von der Leyen has become the image of the EU. She is indispensable in international forums, she is well-known, she is the person the US knows to call when she picks up the phone.
The management of the pandemic, vaccines and war have been its main assets, and this is what he remembered. “We have seen the birth of a geopolitical Union supporting Ukraine, standing up to Russian aggression, responding to an assertive China and investing in partnerships. We now have a European Green Deal as the centerpiece of our economy and with incomparable ambition. We have led the way for the digital transition and become global pioneers in online rights. We have the historic NextGenerationEU (with 800 billion euros for investment and reforms) and we create decent jobs for today and tomorrow. We have laid the foundations for a Health Union, helping to vaccinate an entire continent (and much of the world). “We have begun to be more independent in critical sectors, such as energy, chips or raw materials,” he listed.
The second axis has been the open challenges. The president of the Commission has spoken in depth about the fight against climate change and the importance of the green transformation, evoking the fires this summer in Spain and Greece or the floods across the continent. He has spoken about biodiversity, gender equality (with a resounding “no means no”) and social dialogue (evoking the famous Val Duchesse meeting that gave rise to the Union).
Competitiveness for companies
The economic part was not the most notable, but he had time to mention persistent inflation, the ECB's policies and the need to alleviate the burden on companies. Not the tax one but the bureaucratic one. “Three challenges such as employment, inflation and the business environment come at a time when we also ask the industry to lead the clean transition. Therefore, we must look further and determine how to remain competitive while doing so.. That is why I have asked Mario Draghi – one of Europe's great economic minds – to prepare a report on the future of European competitiveness.. Because Europe will do “whatever it takes” to maintain its competitive advantage,” he concluded, wasting the opportunity to firmly state that “it will be enough.”. The macro part went unnoticed, but this emphasis has been very popular among business associations.. After years of raising its profile, it has placed the sector, competitiveness, and what needs to be done to strengthen and protect it at the center.. This is what they expected from a leader of the European People's Party.
Artificial intelligence, immigration pact and rule of law
He also spoke at length about the so-called Global Gateway (building more resilient connections with the rest of the world), the corridor through the Middle East towards India, Artificial Intelligence, violence against women, biodiversity, the Rule of Law, the Migration Pact that has been stagnating for a decade but that sees it possible to conclude. Focusing, as usual, on the protection of borders and security and little, in passing, on the drama of the thousands of people who die every year trying to reach the continent. The German defended the controversial agreement with Tunisia, millions of euros and turning a blind eye to its rights violations in exchange for collaboration so that no ships leave (as was already done with Turkey), and asked that it be replicated with others.
The third axis has been what needs to be done, immediately, to answer that “call of history”. You have to open the doors. “Ukraine belongs to the Union, Moldova belongs to the Union, the Balkans belong to the Union,” he enthusiastically stressed.. And that means changing the mentality, but also assuming that deep internal transformations will be necessary, in the decision-making system, budgets or internal functioning.. “In a world where some try to eliminate countries one by one, we cannot afford to leave our European colleagues behind. In a world where size and weight matter, completing our Union is clearly in Europe's strategic and security interests,” he said.
That may require changing the Treaties, a Pandora's box that few want to open. “I will always support this House and all those who want to reform the EU so that it works better for citizens, and yes, that means including changes through a European Convention and Treaty when and where necessary. But we cannot – and we should not wait for the Treaty change to advance with enlargement,” said the German. We must answer the call of history, and we must do it now.