When Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the European Union speech last year, the backdrop was chaotic.
Russian drones had just crossed into Polish airspace, Donald Trump was casting doubt on America’s commitment to NATO, and the Commission president herself was facing votes of no confidence. Her answer to this disarray? Europe, she said, was in a fight — and this was its “independence moment.”
A year later, can we say that Europe met that moment? And is it winning the fight or losing it?
To take stock of what the EU has achieved in the last 12 months we must understand the pressures on Commissions President, she is diplomatically battling with the United States; who are pushing her to be her proxy, not only against Russia, but also against Israel. Whilst in Europe as a whole, there is discord on how the UE should manage its relations with UK.
Still a little bitter than the UK left the EU, Von der Leyen cannot deny the strength of having more cooperation with UK, especially as a stance against American impunity.