The bloc was dealing with “an openly hostile world”, Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual speech to the European parliament in Strasbourg, setting out priorities for the 27-nation EU for the year ahead.
Solidarity among member states was the only possible solution, she said.
“Our path is clear. Building an independent Europe that has the power to act.”
The 27-nation bloc faces war at its borders, with Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
On trade and other issues, it is also facing stiff rivalry from US President Donald Trump’s United States.
The EU faces major headwinds at home as well, including the increasing popularity of a eurosceptic far-right, seen in regional elections in Germany that have weakened Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Opinion polls see Marine Le Pen as the strongest contender in next year’s presidential vote in France.
“The state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been. The state of our union can also feel as precarious as it has ever been,” von der Leyen said.
Von der Leyen, now in her second five-year term at the helm of the EU executive arm, was also set to stress the need to maintain European independence in various sectors, including energy, raw materials and clean technologies.
To achieve that, EU countries will not only need to work together, but also have strong partners like Canada, whose Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Strasbourg and was warmly applauded by EU lawmakers as he arrived to listen to von der Leyen’s speech.
“We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible,” von der Leyen said.
“So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU.”
“Above all, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy,” she said to Carney, who sat in the front row to her left.
Von der Leyen walked up to and embraced Carney after mentioning the “associate membership” issue for Canada and Carney got a standing ovation from the chamber.
She also said the bloc would propose an emergency tool for countries to better deal with mass migration movements following this summer’s deadly rush to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
“Europe needs the means to protect its borders at all times. Especially in scenarios when mass movements are engineered and weaponised. This is why we will propose a new European Emergency Response Framework,” she said in her keynote annual speech to EU lawmakers. (Reuters/AFP)
