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Your email address will not be published.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

Britain’s Leadership Crisis: A Symptom, Not the Disease

Britain’s Leadership Crisis: A Symptom, Not the Disease

Andy Burnham’s rise to Downing Street No. 10 may buy the Labour Party time. But Britain’s political crisis runs far deeper than personalities, campaign skills or messaging strategies.
The question of whether Andy Burnham would make a better prime minister than Keir Starmer misses the point entirely. Britain’s political crisis runs far deeper than personalities, campaign skills or messaging strate

Read More

Zelenskyy Appoints New Head of Ukraine’s Army

Zelenskyy Appoints New Head of Ukraine’s Army

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared that Mykhailo Drapatyi will become the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, succeeding Oleksandr Syrskyi in a significant wartime leadership transition since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The decision, revealed late Tuesday, arrives as Ukraine grapples with maintaining military operations and addressing public concerns about

Read More

Is Everyone Aboard the Burnham Bus?

Is Everyone Aboard the Burnham Bus?

Andy Burnham aims to discuss his new bus fare cap; however, as Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy note, discussing other topics seems unlikely without the Commons in session.
They analyze the funding mechanism for the bus fare plan. Chancellor John Healey claims it won’t burden British taxpayers, but details raise funding concerns.
At the Farnborough Air Show, there’s a chance to discuss defe

Read More

EU Pledge to Ukraine: "Our Support is Unwavering"

EU Pledge to Ukraine: "Our Support is Unwavering"

Modern wars are won “not only by military strength but by drones and cutting-edge technologies.”
So says Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space who was speaking after the European Commission and Ukraine signed a major new defence industrial partnership.
The EU says the move marks a “major step forward” in the integration of the European and Ukrainian defence industries.
The Commiss

Read More

Value of the 2026 World Cup Trophy

Value of the 2026 World Cup Trophy

The World Cup held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico has concluded. The trophy is among the most prestigious in sports, with only a few having the honor to touch it. Typically, this privilege is reserved for the winning players. After the celebrations, the trophy is secured away for good reason.
Officially, the World Cup trophy is crafted from pure gold. It stands 36.5 cm tall and weighs 6

Read More

Drone Strikes by Ukraine Intensify Pressure on Russian Economy

Drone Strikes by Ukraine Intensify Pressure on Russian Economy

The central bank has maintained high interest rates to control inflation, with the key rate at 14.25 percent, amid a widening budget deficit. Businesses face even higher credit costs, exacerbated by competition with the Kremlin for savings.
Initially, Moscow planned to reduce military spending this year, but it has surged, making up nearly half of government spending in the second quarter, accordi

Read More

Everyone Watches Oil While Iran Turns to Maritime Moves.

Everyone Watches Oil While Iran Turns to Maritime Moves.

By Tuesday night, after four consecutive nights of strikes, Iranian missiles and drones continue to target power and desalination infrastructure along Kuwait’s southern coast. The primary target remains the Shuaiba complex, a dense stretch of turbines and water treatment units south of Kuwait City where crews have fought fires across multiple sectors as generating units went dark. Kuwait draws n

Read More

Spain: EIB Group and Santander to unlock €1.43 billion for small businesses and mid-caps, supporting competitiveness, the green transition, and women entrepreneurs

Spain: EIB Group and Santander to unlock €1.43 billion for small businesses and mid-caps, supporting competitiveness, the green transition, and women entrepreneurs

The EIB Group, through the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund, is making a significant investment in a new Santander securitisation, which will unlock €1.43 billion for financing small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps in Spain. More than €100 million will be directed to women entrepreneurs and businesses primarily owned or managed by women. This initiative aims to

Read More

Zelenskyy Dismisses Top Army Commander Amid Nationwide Protests

Zelenskyy Dismisses Top Army Commander Amid Nationwide Protests

“We will jointly determine an updated strategy of our defense and steps to continue the reform of the corps system, to fulfill the supply requests of combat commanders,” Zelenskyy stated in a national address on Tuesday evening.
He also thanked Syrskyi for successful operations in 2022 in Kyiv and Kharkiv and the 2024 incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
Joint Forces Commander M

Read More

Armand Denis: His Fascinations

Armand Denis: His Fascinations

He would be the first to admit that as a young boy growing up in Antwerp, he had some very strong obsessions. From an early age he was infatuated with the natural world of animals and travel and later in life with film, photography and cultural anthropology. His passions would go a long way into how we view animal welfare, conservation and the environment today. Meet Armand Denis …
Armand Denis

Read More