After a fruitful legislature that she defined as transformative, "we have to finish the job", Ursula von der Leyen claimed yesterday to the European Parliament and governments in her annual State of the Union speech. It is the last of her mandate, there are less than 300 days until the European elections and, this time, the president of the European Commission wanted to address the citizens, the Europeans more than ever. His speech included several nods to the rural world and industry to try to appease the growing reluctance to the ecological transition, which threatens to derail the final stretch of the legislature.
"I know some had doubts, when I appeared before you in 2019 with my program for a green, digital and geopolitical Europe, but that was before a pandemic and a brutal war on European territory turned upside down the world", Von der Leyen said in Strasbourg without repressing a small smile of satisfaction at the beginning of her speech, when she remembered how she was received then. "But look at Europe today," said the former German minister, who even her rivals recognize as an executive who has been key to the EU's response to these challenges.
"We have seen the birth of a geopolitical Union that has supported Ukraine, opposed Russian aggression, responded to a more assertive China and invested in our alliances" and "we have an ambitious European Green Deal at the center of our economy", claimed the president of the community executive. The European Socialist Group and the Greens applauded his determined commitment to the ecological transition but asked him to strengthen the social pillar of this agenda, to "ask more of those who can do more and less of those who can do less". However, what Germany will need to consolidate her legacy and for the EU to stay on course under her leadership will be the support of her own political family, the European People's Party (EPP), in which the enthusiasm because of the weak green agenda.
Thus, Von der Leyen has committed to promoting the "dialogue" with the rural world and to give more support to the industry to face the challenges linked to the green transition. "We need more dialogue and less polarization. That is why we want to launch a strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the EU. I am convinced that agriculture and the protection of the natural world can go hand in hand. We need both," Von der Leyen said after expressing his "love" for farmers to "feed" Europe.
In the current climate of tensions with the rural world over proposals on the restoration of natural areas, animal welfare or the protection of the wolf, it was an expected wink and the European agricultural employers Copa and Cogeca they thanked in a statement in which they demand that this provision be translated into feasible proposals with sufficient budget allocation behind them.
Not only the ultra-right but the EPP itself have denied the scope of these policies in recent months, promoted with their support at the beginning of the legislature. Even the president of the Eurochamber, Roberta Metsola, this week blamed the European green agenda for the increase in populism. Anxiety about the future is no less in certain industries and Von der Leyen used her speech to announce the opening of an investigation into unfair competition in China for its public aid to the electric car sector, sold at "artificially low" prices ”, in addition to new support measures for the wind industry by accelerating “permitting”, improving auction systems and access to finance.
The president of the EC asked for the support of the Eurochamber and the Twenty-seven to demonstrate that "immigration can be managed effectively and with compassion" by approving the Migration Pact before the end of the legislature. He only mentioned in passing the agreement recently signed with Tunisia to strengthen the control of its borders in exchange for economic aid, a controversial initiative led by the prime minister of Italy, the far-right Giorgia Meloni, but the EU "must work on similar agreements with other countries", he said. The speech, which lasted a little over an hour, included mentions of the latest achievements in the field of gender equality, and ended by proclaiming a clear "no is no" in defense of the directive on violence against women , currently under debate.
The war in Ukraine occupied a shorter part than in Von der Leyen's speech last year. If then his special guest at the meeting was Olena Zelenska, the first lady of the country, yesterday he was accompanied by the Colombian writer Héctor Abad, survivor of the Russian attack that cost the life of the Ukrainian author Victoria Amelina The chamber responded with a standing ovation when Abad told her story and showed a photo of the writer. "We will keep his memory alive and that of all the victims. Hold on, Ukraine!” he added in Spanish, using the slogan of the campaign launched to raise awareness of Latin American public opinion about Russian aggression.
This time, Von der Leyen tiptoed over the decisions taken by the EU in support of Kyiv but defended with conviction that the country's future is in the Union, just like that of the Western Balkans and Moldova. For Von der Leyen, Europe must "respond to the call of history", as the founders of the Union did back in the day, after the Second World War. Now, this means opening the doors to new countries and preparing for the challenges that will involve working in a Union with more than 30 countries. But "we must not wait" to make hypothetical changes in the European treaties to reform the club before admitting new members, because the Union can be "ready" more quickly, he said, contrary to what he proposes for example the French president, Emmanuel Macron, is in favor of undertaking a deep reform of the club before expanding it.
The European bubble eagerly awaited Von der Leyen's speech for the clues he could give about his plans when the legislature ends. Although it is assumed that she aspires to a second term, so far the former German Minister of Defense has not hinted at anything about her future, and now that NATO has postponed to July the handover of its Secretary General she could theoretically aspire to be the first woman to lead the military organization.
His strong defense of the achievements achieved, the emphasis on the need to "finish the job" - that is, to consolidate his legacy - and his strong defense of the enlargement of the EU, which will be the main challenge of the next Commission, have been interpreted by some observers as signs of his desire to continue at the head of the European Commission, an aspiration for which he will first need to improve relations with his own political family. Yesterday, the head of the ranks of the EPP, Manfred Weber, parked the belligerence of other replies to Von der Leyen and applauded her willingness to dialogue more on the green agenda. His attempt to brag about the role of the EPP in the agreements reached received a harsh response from Iratxe García, leader of the European Socialists, who described his approach to the far right as a "historic mistake". "You cannot refer to the 'Von der Leyen majority' and then add their votes to the extreme right to form governments and majorities in this Parliament," replied García. Beyond Von der Leyen's future, it became clear yesterday that the EU is already in election mode.
