Ursula von der Leyen Unveils Her New Team at the EU Parliament

Strasbourg (Eurotoday) – The EU Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen said her new team is ready to address the bloc’s mounting challenges immediately.

Ursula von der Leyen expressed gratitude to the outgoing College of Commissioners, acknowledging that five years ago, the challenges Europe would face were unforeseen. She praised the dedication and tirelessness of the team, thanking them sincerely for their service to Europe.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, EU Commission President von der Leyen cautioned that Europe has “no time to waste” to strengthen its defenses and its competitiveness, as MEPs prepared to greenlight her latest executive to start work. Pleading for a massive defense spending boost, she stated, “We have no time to waste. And we must be as ambitious as the threats are serious.”

“Our freedom and sovereignty depend more than ever on our economic strength. Our security depends on our ability to compete, innovate and produce,” von der Leyen told MEPs.

How does von der Leyen plan to support candidate countries?

Presenting the latest College of Commissioners and its programme, von der Leyen said Europe’s commitment to the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and other candidate countries “will always be stronger” than Russian efforts to “prevent them having a European future.” 

“The dream of Europe extends to the Western Balkans, to Ukraine, to Moldova and beyond. We have seen the bravery of the people of Ukraine in pursuing their European journey. We have seen the resilience of the people of Moldova to stick to their European future /…/ At the same time, we have seen how Russia will stop at nothing to prevent them from having a European future,” the President of the European Commission stated.


Comments

2 responses to “Ursula von der Leyen Unveils Her New Team at the EU Parliament”

  1. Burst Nibbler Avatar
    Burst Nibbler

    Right, because nothing says “we’re ready to tackle challenges” like assembling a fresh team while the clock’s ticking! 🕰️ Should we have a parade or just pop the champagne already? 🍾

  2. King Panther Avatar
    King Panther

    Another day, another fancy presentation about “strengthening defenses”—I suppose that’s code for “let’s spend more money while looking serious”? 🤔 Just what we need, a fresh team to tackle the same old spaghetti of problems! 🍝

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Europe’s energy supply "must become more independent," says EESC

Europe’s energy supply "must become more independent," says EESC

The body representing civil society at EU level has called for a “comprehensive storage strategy.”
The demand comes with the European energy system facing deep geopolitical, economic and social transformation.
Now, the Brussels based European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) argues, in a newly adopted opinion, that the EU now needs a “clear, common plan” for energy storage, something that is

Read More

June 19, 1862: U.S. Congress Abolishes Slavery

June 19, 1862: U.S. Congress Abolishes Slavery

On June 19, 1862, the U.S. Congress enacted the Territorial Slavery Act, banning slavery in all current and future U.S. federal territories. The full abolition of slavery throughout the United States was later achieved with the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.
The act declared that slavery or involuntary servitude would not exist in any U.S. territories, except as punishment for a crime.
This action

Read More

Hungary Confronts Energy Crisis with Paks Nuclear Plant Shutdown Due to Drought, PM Reports

Hungary Confronts Energy Crisis with Paks Nuclear Plant Shutdown Due to Drought, PM Reports

“Due to the further drop in the Danube’s water level,” Magyar wrote Saturday, “tomorrow it will be completely shut down for the first time in 44 years.”
The Soviet-built Paks facility remains the backbone of the country’s power system. The loss of output has triggered national energy-saving measures and offers of support from regional neighbors.
A prolonged outage would cripple Hungary’s electrici

Read More

ECR Claims Ceuta Crisis Stems from "Years of Weakness"

ECR Claims Ceuta Crisis Stems from "Years of Weakness"

Some MEPs say the renewed migration crisis in Ceuta “once again demonstrates the consequences of migration policies that send the wrong signals.”
The claim, by the ECR group in the EU parliament, comes as 60,000 people are locally estimated to have crossed into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the last 24 hours.
It appears that this is part of an apparent attempt to ove

Read More

Wildfires Threaten Europe’s Outdoor Workers

Wildfires Threaten Europe’s Outdoor Workers

Wildfires and extreme heat in France and Spain highlight a broader workplace-safety issue in Europe. While fire crews face the most visible danger, agricultural workers, builders, delivery riders, and municipal employees also endure long hours in hazardous heat and smoke. Protecting these workers requires more than public warnings; practical plans are needed to enable work to slow or stop without

Read More

A Major Milestone for Belgian Animal Park

A Major Milestone for Belgian Animal Park

A Belgium conservation centre has chalked up a world first.
With the birth of two Lear’s macaws, Pairi Daiza has become the only nature conservation centre open to the public in the world to have successfully bred all three species of blue macaw on Earth: the hyacinth macaw, the Spix’s macaw and the Lear’s macaw.
On 1 and 3 July, two Lear’s macaws (Anodorhynchus leari) were born at Pairi Daiza’s

Read More

Roma Holocaust Remembrance Confronts Europe’s Present

Roma Holocaust Remembrance Confronts Europe’s Present

Europe will observe Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August, honoring the Roma and Sinti victims of Nazi atrocities and facing a history that was long overlooked in public memory. The day is a reflection of the present: remembering is ineffective unless European bodies and governments tackle the ongoing discrimination Roma communities face in education, housing, employment, and public life.
On th

Read More

Andy Burnham Urges Gianni Infantino to Resign from FIFA

Andy Burnham Urges Gianni Infantino to Resign from FIFA

“The notion that this could even be considered, in my opinion, indicates that the FIFA president is unfit to lead the organization.”
Upon being informed that FIFA is proceeding with its plan despite widespread opposition, including from UEFA, the PM reacted: “Oh wow. Have they actually done that? Oh wow.”
Burnham, who has long advocated for community ownership of football clubs, tweeted earlier th

Read More

Leading Airline Nurtures Future Aviation Talent

Leading Airline Nurtures Future Aviation Talent

Emirates Engineering has launched Material Futures Studio, a six-week programme that challenges university students to reimagine retired aircraft materials and transform them into new products.
The initiative is led by the Upcycling department within Emirates Engineering.
The Material Futures Studio brings students together with aviation professionals to work on real-world industry challenges, e

Read More

Sankofa: Embracing Africa’s History to Shape Its Future

Sankofa: Embracing Africa’s History to Shape Its Future

Yodith Gideon has dedicated her career to supporting individuals in building businesses across two continents. Sankofa is currently available.
In Akan mythology, the Sankofa bird flies forward while looking back, embodying the idea of retrieving the past to give meaning to the future. In today’s world, facing climate change, debt issues, and authoritarianism, this ancient symbol is highly r

Read More