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Your email address will not be published.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

Türkiye’s Return Reaches an Early Reckoning

Türkiye’s Return Reaches an Early Reckoning

Paraguay Match in Santa Clara Raises Questions About Türkiye’s World Cup Comeback
Türkiye’s first World Cup since 2002 has shifted from celebration to strategic planning. After losing to Australia in the opening match, Vincenzo Montella’s team needs not only points against Paraguay in Santa Clara but also a composed display that reflects the footballing spirit which brought them back to th

Read More

Miliband Seeks Key Role in Team Burnham; North Sea Talk Avoided.

Miliband Seeks Key Role in Team Burnham; North Sea Talk Avoided.

Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party, now strongly opposed to net zero policies and supportive of oil and gas, won the Aberdeen South vote, defeating the Scottish National Party. Oil and gas companies are key employers in the area, where many drilling-related jobs have disappeared due to depleted reserves and lack of investment.
Badenoch claims Miliband’s policies are worsening the situation, making

Read More

Canadian Retail Sales Increase 0.5% in April; Strong May Growth Indicates Consumer Resilience

Canadian Retail Sales Increase 0.5% in April; Strong May Growth Indicates Consumer Resilience

OTTAWA, Canada, June 19 – Eurotoday Newspaper — Canada retail sales increased by 0.5% in April, according to newly released official data, providing another indication that consumer spending continues to support the country’s economy despite elevated borrowing costs and ongoing global uncertainty. Preliminary estimates also suggest Canada retail sales could climb 1.0% in May, pointing to stronge

Read More

Europe Selects Its Own Frontier AI Developer

Europe Selects Its Own Frontier AI Developer

EUROPA Consortium to Develop Open-Source AI Model for All 24 EU Languages
The European Commission has chosen a consortium led by Italy’s Domyn to create an advanced AI model for Europe’s multilingual landscape, turning the focus on technological sovereignty into a real public-interest initiative.
The decision, revealed on Friday, appoints the EUROPA consortium as central to the EU’s Fronti

Read More

Portugal Parliament Rejects Labor Reform, Intensifying 2026 Political Challenge

Portugal Parliament Rejects Labor Reform, Intensifying 2026 Political Challenge

Lisbon, Portugal, June 19 – Eurotoday Newspaper — Employment legislation Europe remains in focus after Portugal’s parliament voted against the government’s proposed labour reform package, delivering a major setback to the country’s minority administration. The decision comes after weeks of political debate over employment protections, business flexibility, and economic competitiveness. The faile

Read More

Britain’s Keir Starmer Considers a Bleak Future

Britain’s Keir Starmer Considers a Bleak Future

Three out of four individuals indicated that Reynolds had encouraged the PM to agree to the widespread calls for him to establish a departure timeline. However, the fourth person disputed this characterization of the meeting. Both No. 10 and Reynolds’ team refused to comment.
A fifth person, an MP, stated they were informed ahead of the Downing Street meeting that Reynolds was planning to have an

Read More

Gaza: UNICEF Issues Alert on Child Killings, Citing Grave Risks

Gaza: UNICEF Issues Alert on Child Killings, Citing Grave Risks

“During a period supposedly defined by restraint and protection, a child has been killed, on average, every single day for more than eight months,” said UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder. “That is an absurd and devastating figure.”
Killed while playing
Briefing journalists in Geneva via video from Amman, the UNICEF aid veteran noted that the children “were not killed in a warzo

Read More

Canada’s Financial Markets Strengthen with Expanded Bank Lending Capacity

Canada’s Financial Markets Strengthen with Expanded Bank Lending Capacity

Sarhan Basem is Eurotoday’s Senior Correspondent to the European Parliament. With a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Sarhan brings a unique blend of linguistic finesse and analytical prowess to his reporting. Specializing in foreign affairs, human rights, civil liberties, and security issues, he delves deep into the intricacies of global politics to provide insightful comment

Read More

Meloni and Sánchez Clash Over EU Migration Crackdown

Meloni and Sánchez Clash Over EU Migration Crackdown

The stance of Spain on migration is “well known,” a spokesperson from the Spanish government stated, confirming that Sánchez had defended it during the summit dialogue. Madrid is “more than happy” to participate in a conversation on migration, the spokesperson added. The spokesperson did not address the remark about Africa.

An Italian representative mentioned the interaction was “not a clash” bu

Read More

EU Leaders Prioritize Competitiveness Again

EU Leaders Prioritize Competitiveness Again

Brussels urges swifter measures on energy costs, industry, and the single market ahead of carbon-market review in July
EU leaders are urging swift advancement on Europe’s competitiveness agenda, calling on Brussels and national governments to expedite simpler regulations, lower energy costs, industrial renewal, and investment. The conclusions from Friday’s Brussels meeting underscore the “

Read More