Von der Leyen on the state of the EU: frown and friendship with Canada

The European Union wants to enter into a close partnership with Canada, expand its support for Ukraine and emulate NATO on security issues. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this on Wednesday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. More protection for children on social media is also planned, said von der Leyen in her annual State of the Union speech.

The speech was eagerly awaited because the situation is serious. “Our Union is stronger than ever before,” said von der Leyen. “At the same time, it can also feel as if the EU is more at risk than ever before.” The increasingly brutal war in Ukraine, the never-ending conflict in the Middle East, the China shock 2.0 for industry, the skyrocketing costs of energy and living costs - the list is long.

The CDU politician tried to work through this list and build on her speech from last year. At that time, she declared Europe’s “independence” – in energy, but also in digital and military matters. The goals have not yet been achieved, as several critical reports from the European Court of Auditors show. Nevertheless, von der Leyen made further gains this year.

This time it painted a picture of a union that is forging new ties around the world and expanding economically and militarily to defend its independence. The biggest turning point is therefore in foreign policy. Together with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, she wants to work towards “making Canada the first associated member of the EU”.

Carney had traveled to Strasbourg for the occasion; On Thursday he wants to give a speech in the European Parliament. For the time being, however, it remained unclear what was meant by the association. Von der Leyen announced, among other things, a technology alliance and closer cooperation in the defense industry. The cooperation is not directed against anyone, she emphasized.

In the European Parliament, however, the signal was understood somewhat differently. Many EU MPs see Carney as the man who will stand up to US President Donald Trump in the tariff dispute - unlike von der Leyen, who agreed to an unequal customs and trade deal last year. The parliamentarians hope that cooperation with Canada could also give the EU more courage.

The EU and Canada already have close relations. They signed a free trade deal years ago; However, the Ceta agreement has not yet been ratified by several EU states. Both partners also work closely together on Ukraine policy and armaments. It is unclear whether an association can offer added value.

The chairman of the Trade Committee in the European Parliament, Bernd Lange (SPD), called von der Leyen's initiative “particularly remarkable”. It may be “the first step towards a transcontinental partnership” based on “the principle of a Swiss model, but with political participation.”

In addition, von der Leyen announced an even closer partnership with Ukraine and further financial and military aid. However, she did not speak of an association in this context. In the spring, Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke out in favor of “associated membership” for Ukraine, but this was met with little approval in Brussels and Kyiv.

The proposal to establish a European Security Council that would work closely with partners such as Canada, Norway, Great Britain and Ukraine raised eyebrows. Security and defense policy is not an EU competence; the Member States decide on this. But von der Leyen ventured even further. She brought up a crisis mechanism analogous to Article 4 of the NATO Treaty.

The EU could then respond more quickly and in a more coordinated manner to incidents such as those at the airport in Leipzig/Halle, where Russian agents are said to have planned a drone attack. However, the federal government in Leipzig refrained from triggering NATO Article 4. Here too, the added value of a new EU clause is not immediately obvious. There could even be a dispute because the EU would compete with NATO.

In her speech, which lasted around an hour and a half, von der Leyen announced a whole series of other initiatives. The EU Commission plans to present the “EU Kids Act” as early as Thursday, which promises more protection for children and young people on social media. A framework plan for climate resilience is planned for October. Brussels wants to list the 100 most endangered areas.

However, the EU President has failed to come up with a broad plan for climate adaptation, as was called for in Berlin after the forest fires and heat waves this summer. “Inaction is not an option,” criticized Terry Reintke from the Greens. “We finally need effective heat protection for employees,” she explained.