According to von der Leyen, the “inconvenient truth” is that for decades Europe has not seen its own security as a key issue. Recently, however, she underwent – as the EC President argued – “shock therapy”.
What would Ursula von der Leyen like to introduce regarding EU defense?
What changes in decision-making is von der Leyen talking about?
What defense spending is expected in Europe until 2028?
What is the meaning of the mutual defense clause according to von der Leyen?
— The numbers speak for themselves. Defense spending in Europe in 2025 increased by nearly 80%. compared to the period before the war in Ukraine, she said. — By 2028, defense investment in Europe is expected to exceed even the amount the United States spent on such equipment last year. This is a real European awakening, she added.
Mutual defense clause
In her opinion, “the time has come to implement the European mutual defense clause.” — Mutual defense is not optional for the EU. This is an obligation arising from our own Treaty [o Unii Europejskiej]its Article 42, paragraph 7 – she noted. This clause states that if a Member State becomes the victim of an armed attack on its territory, the other Member States are obliged to provide assistance and support using all means at their disposal.
Von der Leyen said that for the EU to be ready for this, it needs to make decisions faster, which means making decisions by a majority vote rather than unanimously. — We do not need to change the Treaty for this purpose. We have to use the one we have. We have to be creative, she added.
As she noted, the EU should tighten cooperation with Great Britain on security, economic and democratic defense issues. — 10 years after Brexit, our future remains as intertwined as ever. Therefore, it is in our common interest to take an ambitious approach to partnership. The EU, the UK, indeed all of Europe – we are in this together. And we will always stick together, she emphasized.
