“There is no room for any more illusions,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said as she called for the bloc to get serious about its defence on Wednesday.
Ongoing geopolitical tensions require “a new European defence mindset from institutions to industries to investors,” she told MEPs in Strasbourg ahead of a debate on strengthening European defence.
She was referencing not only to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also the war in Gaza and the “continued rise of aggressive economic competition and distortion.”
Von der Leyen said she is in favour of having a defence commissioner in the next administration to provide industry with the support it needs, signalling that defence will be the central focus of the next mandate following elections in June if her bid for a second term is successful.