President of the European Commission Ursula von der Lajen she stated at the Munich Security Conference that the European way of life, democracy and the trust of citizens were faced with challenges and that it was necessary to Europe be more independent.
Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the need for a new European security strategy.
"It is necessary to ensure that Europe can defend its territory, economy, democracy and way of life," said Ursula von der Leyen, adding that this is the true meaning of independence.
According to her, European Union and Great Britain should come closer in terms of security, economy and in the defense of democracy, because 10 years after Brexit, the future is more connected than ever before.
Von der Leyen said the rigid wall between the civilian and defense sectors must be broken down, as the automotive industry or heavy industry should not be seen as purely commercial, but as part of the defense value chain, adding that a new industrial deal is needed to make Europe safer and bring growth.
When it comes to big investments in defense, Ursula von der Leyen added that it is the "awakening of Europe".
She stated that Europe needs faster decision-making and that this might mean moving to qualified majority decision-making instead of unanimous decision-making.
When asked whether the EU is between two predators - SAD and Russia, she said that the USA and Russia are completely different and that Europe is between the superpowers, but that Russia is a real threat.
Ursula von der Leyen also said that US Secretary of State Mark Rubio, who spoke before her, is a strong ally and that she heard his words that the US wants a strong Europe in the alliance.
Source: FoNet
