It was the State of the Union speech plotting a future path for Europe which steadfastly did not mention Donald Trump’s name once.
There were references aplenty to Europe, Russia, danger, democracy and the need to ‘fight’ in the 7500-word address, but nothing on the current US president.
“Europe is in a fight – for its place in a world in which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe,”
said Ursula von der Leyen in her opening remarks to the European Parliament last week.
There was a time, of course, when America would have had Europe’s back, facing down the threats from the East.
But first came JD Vance and that Munich Speech claiming the greatest threat to our continent came not from Russia, but from within because of our limits on free speech when used to incite hatred.
Then it was Trump’s turn to bash the European Union over trade ties saying it was ‘nastier than China’.
Now America lines up as just another one of Europe’s bullies, like Russia and China, with its across the board tariffs of 15% and threats to slap on more over the treatment of US tech giants.
A sure a sign as ever that Trump has banked the win and getting ready for his next round of bullying.
But there comes a time in every European Commission president’s term when they say ‘Enough’s enough’ and for Ursula von der Leyen that time has come.
She came out fighting as she charted a path, not just for Europe but for all global trading blocs, towards a world of carrying on regardless of what the White House is saying.
Not even Trump’s latest threats to put additional tariffs on countries with digital policies he considered ‘discriminatory’ to US tech companies could put her off her stride.
“I want to be crystal clear on one point: whether on environmental or digital regulation, we set our own standards, we set our own regulations,”
she said.
“Europe will always decide for itself.”
Facing her critics down over the trade deal she signed with the US by asking them to picture the chaos of a full-fledged trade war with America was probably not the smartest move when all people can see around them is chaos.
She ended up trying to ride both horses by using the trade relationship with America as an anchor against China and Russia, while pointing out that 80% of EU trade was with countries other than the US.
She was unequivocal in her ‘I do not believe in tariffs’ statement which set her apart from the man to whom they are ‘the most beautiful words’.
Unable to speak the words ‘Forget Trump’ because the baby narcissist would never let her forget it, that’s what she meant when she said the EU needed to ‘double down on diversification and partnerships. Like with Mexico or Mercosur’.
She talked of her hopes for an historic deal with India by the end of the year and building a coalition of like-minded countries to reform the global trading system – like the CPTPP which she held up as a model platform.
Talking about the Asia-Pacific trading alliance she said: “Trade allows us to strengthen our supply chains, open up markets, reduce dependencies”.
In other words the world’s trading blocs should not get drawn in by Trump, with the games he plays, the uncertainty he causes, the chaos he creates, the damage he does.
Instead they need to look beyond America; not just Europe but also the MERCOSUR group of countries in South America and the ASEAN ones in South East Asia, who crave the certainty of doing business and promoting economic growth where rules are abided by and the apple cart isn’t upset every five minutes.
It remains to be seen how much of von der Leyen’s speech is borne out but she clearly felt the hand of history on her shoulder, describing it as Europe’s ‘Independence Moment’ on issues such as defence and security, energy and technology.
So, no more dependencies on ‘dirty Russian fossil fuels’, but investment in clean technologies that will make Europe more energy independent. No more foreign investors in key tech start-ups such as quantum, AI or biotechnology but an investment union with a ‘Made in Europe’ criterion for public contracts and funding package of EUR500 million to attract top researchers.
‘Made in Europe’ was the biggest takeaway with its commitment to drive demand for European industrial leadership in digital and clean tech, in car production and in affordable energy.
That and an end to dependencies on things like Russian fuel which are being ‘ruthlessly weaponised’ in a world of ‘imperial ambitions and imperial wars’, something that underplayed her call for a ‘New Europe’ free of constraint.
And that was the difference. Previously State of the Union speeches plotting the future of Europe would have had had to have made mention of the sitting US President.
But, with Trump occupying the White House, Ursula van der Leyen’s clarion call for a
New Europe, confident in its ability to go its own way, did not.
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