State of the Union: is von der Leyen really ready to fight?
Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday delivered her first State of the Union annual speech since her re-election as EU Commission President. "This must be Europe's independence moment," she stressed, addressing the EU parliament. Commentators are at odds over how combative von der Leyen really is.
The right words at the right time
It was a powerful speech, says Die Zeit:
“Europe is in a fight - that was her first, stirring sentence. 'In a world of carnivores, we cannot be vegetarians' - this sentence comes from French President Emmanuel Macron. Although von der Leyen didn't evoke the image of the vegetarian among carnivores, it was a recurring theme throughout her almost one-hour-long speech. European naivety must come to an end; Europe must not remain stuck in yesterday's world out of nostalgia. The reality and the danger could not be described more clearly. ... These were the right words at the right time.”
No sign of battle-readiness
Unfortunately, von der Leyen is only baring her teeth verbally, complains L'Echo:
“The Commission President wants a combative Europe, but she embodies the Europe that refused to fight its first battle by not opposing Donald Trump. She wants a geopolitical Europe: she has signed a deal on economic submission which she nevertheless describes as 'fair and balanced'. She wants a Europe that invests in its future and its energy transition: yet she announces massive investments and purchases in the US. ... At a pivotal moment in its history, Europe is suffering from both a lack of unity and a crisis of credibility: it will take much more than a speech to achieve true autonomy.”
Don't put up with further humiliation
Von der Leyen's praise of the tariff agreement with the US obscures the fact that this treaty is a humiliation for Europe because it effectively tries to dictate rules to the EU by linking everything to security, criticises Dagens Nyheter:
“This is not only humiliating, but in the long term also potentially fatal for the bloc: why should states hand over power to a European supranational level if the decisions are not even made there? The EU must draw a red line. No more concessions. Europe can afford to pay for its own security, support Ukraine and provide guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. We can acquire the military capabilities that are lacking. We must acquire them.”
Not on a par with the US or China
Handelsblatt has low expectations for the speech:
“Von der Leyen will list all the things she has already initiated in her second term of office - from reducing bureaucracy to industrial policy and armament. And it's true that there has been no shortage of announcements. But there is a lack of implementation. Von der Leyen is building many castles in the air. ... The main reason is because Europe remains Europe. The 27 member states apply the brakes whenever EU integration comes up against their supposed national interests. ... Europe is the solution, German politicians are fond of saying. But when it comes to the crunch and they have to hand over power or money to Brussels for a certain task, suddenly they say: No, Berlin can do that far better on its own. With this attitude, multiplied by 27, Europe will never catch up with the US or China.”
Learn the language of power
Svenska Dagbladet calls for more resolve from the EU on fundamental issues:
“Over the years, the EU has shown remarkable skill when it comes to dealing with crises. In such cases the small-mindedness in EU negotiations is exchanged for unity and strength. ... Europe must recognise its historical role and take responsibility for its geopolitical awakening. Europe was born as a successful market. Now it must learn to speak the language of a major power.”
Consensus on Draghi's analysis
At least there is consensus right now, Guillaume Maujean and Nick Blow from the Brunswick Group consultancy firm observe in Les Echos:
“Europe has a valuable strength: it has succeeded in making a diagnosis that everyone agrees with. The report presented by Mario Draghi a year ago accurately identified the structural weaknesses: a loss of competitiveness vis-à-vis the US and China, the massive need for financing and the urgency of a common industrial policy. This diagnosis led to a consensus at European level - an unusual phenomenon in a community that is often characterised by divergence. Institutions, member states and business circles have agreed on which problems need to be solved. This foresight forms the basis for the course that the Commission has now mapped out.”