EU President Ursula von der Leyen: “The West as we knew it no longer exists”

Ursula von der Leyen
Photo: DPA

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the German weekly Die Zeit that “the West as we knew it no longer exist,” as she spoke of “historic” changes taking place as a result of Donald Trump’s presidency in the US. Here are some of the points she made

ZEIT: What has changed since the start of your, and Donald Trump's, second term?

Von der Leyen: The changes have been historic. When the Wall of Berlin fell in 1990, the end of history was proclaimed. Now history is back, and so are geopolitics. And we see that what we had perceived as a world order is becoming a world disorder, triggered not least by the power struggle between China and the United States, but of course also by Putin's ambitions. That is why we need another, new European Union that is ready to go out into the big wide world and to play a very active role in shaping this new world order that is coming.

- Today, I would say that Europe is awake – wide awake. And we have very clearly outlined that we have to go much further forward in two areas: building our own defence capability and improving our competitiveness. There is strong political momentum and a willingness within the EU to break new ground in a very creative way. The fact that we are now providing EUR 800 billion in funding for military capabilities would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. The readiness of all 27 Member States to strengthen our common defence industry would have been inconceivable without the developments of recent weeks and months. The same applies to the economy. Everyone wants to emulate our common plan for greater competitiveness, because everyone has understood: We need to stand firm in today's globalised world.

- The West as we knew it no longer exists. The world has become a globe also geopolitically, and today our networks of friendship span the globe, as you can see in the debate about tariffs. A positive side effect is that I am currently having countless talks with heads of state and government around the world who want to work together with us on the new order.

- I am a great friend of the United States of America, a convinced Atlanticist. I firmly believe that the friendship between Americans and Europeans remains. But the new reality also includes the fact that many other states are seeking to draw closer to us. 13% of global trade is with the United States. That's a lot. 87% of the world's trade is with other countries. And they all want predictability and reliable rules. Europe can deliver that. We must now use this momentum to open up new markets for our companies and establish as close a relationship as possible with many countries that have the same interests as us.

- For me, it is crucial that Europe plays a strong role in shaping the new world order that is slowly emerging. And I firmly believe that Europe can do that. Let's look back at the last decade: the banking crisis, migration crisis, Brexit, pandemic, energy crisis, Russia's war against Ukraine. All these are serious crises that have really challenged us, but Europe has emerged bigger and stronger from every crisis. (Lie! They have not overcome any of these listed crises!).

- People have learned that when there are big crises, Europe certainly provides some of the big answers. That gives you confidence. And secondly: Europe has always managed the crises as a team.

…I would like to know what crises Europe has overcome without wars? The crises of the 20th century – two World Wars in Europe. They fought themselves with each other and with Russia/USSR.

Only US money and cheap resources from USSR/Russia kept the European economy at a good level and allowed Europeans to live well. Now it is over… So, Europeans can do nothing on their own.

I wonder, what crises does Madame have in mind that Europe has personally overcome?

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