Von der Leyen urges stronger independent Europe amid rising global threats

Ursula von der Leyen used her annual EU address to press for stronger defence, lower dependence and wider security ties. Her pitch underscored Europe's push to act more independently as wars, energy shocks and strategic rivalries deepen.

In Short

• She warned wars and geopolitical tensions were reshaping Europe's strategic environment
• The bloc paid 90 billion euros extra after Hormuz disruption hit energy
• Brussels wants an emergency protocol for consultations after member state incidents

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday called for a stronger and more independent Europe, warning that the bloc was facing an increasingly hostile world shaped by Russia's war in Ukraine, conflicts in West Asia, economic competition with China, rising energy costs and growing threats to European security.

In her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, von der Leyen said Europe must cut its dependence on imported fossil fuels, China and other external suppliers, while strengthening its defence capabilities, industries and internal market. "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," she told lawmakers.

Speaking in Strasbourg, von der Leyen also referred to Europe's response to threats to Greenland, without naming US President Donald Trump, whose administration has repeatedly expressed interest in taking control of the Danish autonomous territory. The EU has previously expressed solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, and stressed the importance of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

She also pointed to the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Europe's energy security, saying imported fossil fuels had cost the bloc an additional 90 billion euros since the start of the conflict, without adding any energy supply. She proposed an "Emergency Security Protocol", modelled on NATO's Article 4, under which a security incident in one EU member state could trigger consultations among all member states to coordinate a response, deter further escalation and reduce its impact.

Separately, von der Leyen said the EU should set up a European Security Council involving partners including Canada, Norway, Ukraine and the UK. In a major foreign policy announcement, she proposed that Canada become the EU's first "associate member", offering a new level of cooperation in areas including defence, energy, critical minerals, batteries, AI, quantum technology and cyber security. She said the EU and Canada would move beyond their existing trade relationship towards an "Alliance for the Future".

The annual State of the European Union address is one of the EU's key political events. The practice began in 2010 and Wednesday's speech was von der Leyen's sixth. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola presided over the debate, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended as a guest of honour. Summing up her message, von der Leyen said Europe must be more capable of acting independently as traditional alliances and assumptions about the international order come under strain. "In this world, Europe has chosen to forge its own path. And a stronger, independent Europe is now emerging," she said.

With PTI Inputs

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