European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 29 May received the Charlemagne Award, which is awarded for “contribution to the unification of Europe”. In her speech in Aachen, Germany, she focused on the need to build an independent Europe, the European Commission press office quoted her as saying.
“We must accept the reality of the moment. We cannot sit idly by while upheavals unfold. We cannot let the seismic changes we face throw us off track. Or fall back into the delusion that the storm will pass. That things will go back to the way they were before – if only the war had ended, or a tariff agreement had been made, or a subsequent election had a different outcome. No, that is not going to happen.”
Consequently, says the Commission President, Europe must build its own future, “free of coercion and aggression”.
Von der Leyen called the next step for an independent Europe to accept countries that have made a “free, sovereign choice to join the EU,” such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkan states.
She also called for Europe to be prepared to respond to potential aggression – which she said is why the EU is providing member states with up to 800 billion euros to increase their defence spending.