Signal to new members of the EU Commission: the EU must grow

Delivering her annual “State of the Union” address at the General Assembly of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made notable remarks.

Beginning her speech with the European Parliament elections to be held in June 2024, von der Leyen stated that millions of voters will vote for the first time due to their age, and that they will consider issues such as the economic crisis in Europe, the war in Ukraine and the devastating impact of climate change as they think about what kind of future they want.

Emphasizing that many parliamentarians were skeptical when he spoke of a “green, digital and geopolitical Europe” in 2019, when he took office, but the Covid-19 epidemic and the resurgent war on the European continent proved him right, von der Leyen said: “Look at the point Europe has reached today.” “We have witnessed the emergence of a geopolitical union that supports Ukraine, opposes Russian aggression, and responds to China’s assertive investments and partnerships,” he said.

GAVE A MESSAGE OF EXPANSION

The experienced name also marked the expansion of the European Union. Noting that the future of Ukraine, as well as Moldova and the Western Balkan countries, lies in the EU, von der Leyen stressed that enlargement is based on merit.

Von der Leyen said: “We need to present a vision for successful expansion. A union of more than 500 million people living in freedom, democracy and prosperity. A union of young people who can study and work freely. “A union where the rule of law and fundamental rights are always present, the basis of our unity in future member states, with an independent judiciary and opposition, vibrant democracies where journalists are respected.”

Von der Leyen noted that EU institutions have deepened their cooperation with member states to protect the union’s borders and emphasized that Bulgaria and Romania should now be included in Schengen.