From sovereignty to social networks: Notices and ads by Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula Von der Leyen starred on Wednesday, 16 September, the second speech on the State of the Union of the new mandate during the plenary session of the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg.

In her speech, the European leader recalled the need to defend European identity against all external threats, was concerned about mass migration movements and also addressed the technological reality and the need to protect children from their risks.

These are the most important points in the speech of the leader of the community executive.

Sovereign EU in a “complex of great dangers”

Von der Leyen started by remembering that it is necessary to defend “true sovereignty for europeans”, in a “complex of great dangers”like war, hybrid attacks and the rise of extremes.

“If I look at Europe today, my conclusion is this: the state of our Union is the strongest ever, but the state of our Union may also seem as precarious as ever”he did.

“ Whether they are ultranationalists or anti-Europeans, whether they are Russian interference or misinformation, the names may be different, but the goal is the same. They despise our values and want to destroy our European unity. So let us not just fight these forces; let us fight together for our European idea”, said the President of the European Commission and also advocated the creation of a nATO-inspired European response mechanism to address hybrid threats which attack the security of the 27 Member States.

Emergency mechanism in the EU after Ceuta crisis

Von der Leyen did not exclude from his speech concerns about the mass arrivals of migrants to the European Union, announcing the creation of a new emergency mechanism.

“ The events of this summer show that our instruments need to evolve, especially in emergency situations. Europe needs the means to protect its borders at all times, especially in scenarios where mass movements are orchestrated and instrumentalised,” he said before announcing a new European Emergency Response Framework.

“ It is we Europeans who decide who enters our Union and under what circumstances and not the smugglers and traffickers,” he said.

Canada as the first member of the European Union (EU)?

On the other hand, the European leader has shown willingness to open doors to a new country, having proposed that Canada become the first associated member of the European Union (EU), leading the relationship between the two blocks to the highest possible level.

“I would like to work with you to open the door to Canada being the first member of the EU,” said Ursula von der Leyen, addressing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney,

European Commission wants to ban social media for children under 13

It was noted at the sitting that the Commission also intends to establish new rules for the use of the Internet among minors. 

The new legislation seeks prohibit children under 13 from accessing social networks and to have personal accounts up to the age of 15, to prevent minors being “attracted to increasingly extreme content,” he said. Also online platforms that produce content for minors between the ages of 15 and 18 should adopt a safe design, said referring to the “addictive” design of these platforms, as well as the use of sexualized images generated by Artificial Intelligence.

Investment in our renewable energy

The President of the European Commission wants to double the share of renewable electricity in the European Union by 2040, reducing the import of fossil fuels by EUR 260 billion annually.

In the face of MEPs, von der Leyen added that the EU “could reduce its fossil fuel import invoice by EUR 260 billion a year. But we also need to ensure that the electricity we generate is available.”.

On another point, he even mentioned that “any modern budget” of the European Union (EU)) “needs new own resources”, and urged that “conditions be created so that our companies can attract investment and grow.”

Rethinking Europe

Finally, Ursula von der Leyen announced next year the holding of a new Congress of Europe to rethink the future of the bloc and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

The event will bring together “the brightest minds” of the continent, bringing together “thinkers, writers, artists, scientists, citizens and civil society” to develop “a vision capable of inspiring the next generation of Europeans and capable of rekindling the European imagination.”.

The idea is that “the next generation can write their own story” and contribute to “never forget the birth of our Union: people who have been at war for so long have come together to build a common destiny,” concluded Ursula Von der Leyen.