EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen delivers first 'State of the Union' speech | DW News

with me now in the studio is richard walker our chief international editor nice to see you richard um fond du lion is expected to give a a a speech now at a time when the european union is fragile we could say that certainly and uh one main goal is to reassure the black citizens that she has a a solid pandemic recovery plan what could it look like yeah well the center piece of this brine is the eu's recovery fund which alexandra just mentioned a lot earlier at the top of the show which for fondue line this is really pretty much chalked up as her biggest achievement so far in her you know less than a year in office now this fund um is uh something that's already been agreed it was agreed back in july at a summit between uh all of the eu leaders uh after much haggling and it really is seen as something of a breakthrough and that's a breakthrough in two ways first of all in in the eu coming together and deciding to really kind of spend its way out of a crisis like this but also in the way that the money is being raised a real kind of sign of solidarity among member states where member states have agreed that the european commission is going to go out and borrow this money themselves on the market and that will be underpinned by all of the member states that money will be guaranteed by all of the member states this is something that hasn't happened before so i think she will be presenting that as something like the european union came together look to the future when dealing with the economic fallout from the pandemic and now it's time to look to the future and think about what are we going to do with that fund there is still some resistance though to taking on this level of debt to the collective debt is it a done deal that every nation is behind this right now yeah i mean it was a it was a it was a a hard slog to get to that deal but that deal now stands and it was certainly unpopular with some of the smaller uh sort of uh northern european states is the shorthand for them states that that prefer not to borrow too much money but they did sign up to this um and i think yeah fond du lion's message is probably going to be okay it's time to look to the future and i think key for her is going to be marrying this effort to kind of get the economy going with the priorities that the commission already had for the european union things like tackling climate change okay now along with um tackling climate change and the chronovirus recovery we have migration that's shaped up to be a very big issue over the last week of course with the fire at the moria uh migration camp on lesbos that's the eu's biggest migration camp migrant camp 12 000 people now homeless how could the plan that we might see being put forward today differ from what we have right now yeah well i mean it is really striking isn't it how something like migration that has been on the back burner for a long time you know there was a real there was an intense crisis in 2015 but it's kind of slipped back down the agenda it takes an event like this uh like this fire to whack it back to the top of the agenda now the migration pact that the eu has talked about for a long time was something that looked like it was going to be shunted off again eclipsed by the pandemic but here we've seen it really come back onto the agenda now uh the plan was due to be announced on the 30th of september they've now pulled that back a week to next week uh usually underline we'll be talking about it today but we don't expect her to go into detail but the the challenge i mean the reason that they've never managed to get through to an agreement on this is that it is such a difficult topic migration is one of the politically hottest potatoes that europe faces um and the kind of the key not to crack and there's very little consensus still on the issue when you look at hungary poland exactly um the czech republic we're getting live pictures right now and uh i believe that that is a fun line right there the commission president just sat down with the pink top um waiting for her we're expecting to hear first from the eu parliament president uh david sasoli he's an italian parliamentarian there he is uh right now he's addressing the parliament first so he'll be making some initial comments and and opening the session um after that we'll be hearing from fond du lion um richard in terms of in terms of migration um when we look at this issue you said it was on the back burner it's very much front and center after this fire um it it has as well as you know taking on all this debt but another issue that's made the european union so fragile in terms of developing a common uh policy what are the big sticking points moving forward with migration regardless of what we hear from online well i think that the the this tough nut that they've failed to crack so far is is what really the you know supporters of some eu-wide migration pact really want which is basically a kind of uh protocol for distributing refugees among eu member states according to the size of their economy and the size of their population now particularly the central and eastern european countries what this group called the visha grad 4 are opposed to that they say that they don't want to be taking in large amounts of migrant now the question is can the commission come up with some kind of plan that gets them on board either persuading them uh to say to say all right we will uh sign up to that something or kind of coming up with some other solution and this is something that has been hinted at in the past okay we'll see if that comes up we're going to go to the speech right now in brussels from the commission six president europeans have really shown this strength of spirit we have seen this with the care workers who moved into care homes to look after those who were ill and elderly we saw this with the doctors and nurses who became family members for those who were breathing their last breaths the frontline workers who day and night week after week took risks so we didn't have to their empathy their courage and their sense of duty is an inspiration to us all and i would like to begin this speech by paying tribute to them [Applause] their stories also reveal a lot a lot about the state of our world and the state of our union they show the power of humanity and the sense of mourning which will live long in our society and they expose to us the fragility all around us a virus a thousand times smaller than a grain of sand exposed how delicate life can be it laid bare the strains on our health systems and the limits of a model that values wealth above well-being it brought into sharper focus the planetary fragility that we see every day through melting glaciers burning forests and now through global pandemics it changed the way we behave and communicate keeping our arms at length and our faces behind masks it showed us just how fragile our community of values really is and how quickly it can be called into questions around the world and even here in our union but people want to move out of this corona world out of this fragility out of this uncertainty they are ready for change and they are ready to move on and this is the moment for europe the moment for europe to lead the way from this fragility towards a new vitality and that is what i want to talk about today honorable members i say this because in the last month we have rediscovered the value of what we hold in common as individuals we have all sacrificed a piece of our personal liberty for the safety of others and as a union we all shared a part of our sovereignty for the common good we turned fear and division between member states into confidence in our union we show that it is possible and what is possible when we trust each other and we trust the european institutions and with all of that we choose to not only repair and recover for the here and now but to shape a better world a better way of living for the world of tomorrow and this is next generation eu this is our opportunity to make change happen by design and not by disaster or by dictate from others in the world to emerge stronger by creating opportunities for the world of tomorrow and not just building contingency contingencies for the world of yesterday we have everything we need to make this happen we have shaken off the old excuses and home comforts we have the vision we have a plan we have the investment it is now time to get to work this morning i've sent a letter of intent to president sasali and chancellor merkel on behalf of the german presidency outlining the commission's plan for the year ahead i will not present every initiative today but i want to touch on what our union must focus on in the next 12 months honorable members the people of europe are still suffering it is a period of profound anxiety for millions who are concerned about the health of their families the future of their jobs or simply getting through till the end of the month the pandemic and the uncertainty that goes with it is not over and the recovery is still in its early stage so our first priority is to pull each other through this and to be there for those that need it and thanks to our unique social market economy europe can do just that it is above all a human economy that protects us against the great risks of life illness ill fortune unemployment and poverty it offers stability and helps us better absorb shocks it creates opportunities and prosperity by promoting innovation growth and fair competition never before has that enduring promise of protection stability and opportunity being more important than it is today allow me to explain why first europe must continue to protect lives and livelihoods this is all the more important in the middle of a pandemic that shows no sign of running out of steam or intensity we know how quickly numbers can spiral out of control so we must continue to handle this pandemic pandemic with extreme care responsibility and unity in the last six months our health systems and workers have produced miracles every country has worked to do its best for its citizens and europe has done more together than ever before when the member states closed borders we created green lanes for goods when more than 600 000 european citizens were stranded all over the world the eu brought them back home when some countries introduced export bans for critical medical goods we stopped that and ensured that critical medical goods should go where it was needed we worked with the european industry to increase the production of masks of gloves of tests of ventilators our civil protection mechanism ensured that doctors from romania could treat patients in italy or that latvia could send mosques to his baltic's neighbors and we achieved all that without having full competencies so for me it is crystal clear we need to build a stronger european health union it is time to do that and to start making this a reality we must now draw the first lessons from the health crisis we need to make our new e4 eu for health program future proof and this is why i had proposed to increase funding and i'm grateful that this parliament is ready to fight for more funding and remedy the cuts made by the european council and we need to strengthen our crisis preparedness and management of cross-border health issues as a first step we will propose to reinforce and empower the european medicines agency and ecdc our center for disease prevention and control as a second step we will build a european barda an agency for biomedical advanced resource research and development this new agency will support our capacity and readiness to respond to cross-border threats and emergencies whether of natural or deliberate origin we need strategic stockpiling to address supply chain dependencies notably for pharmaceutical goods and as a third step it is clearer than ever that we must discuss the question of health competencies and i think it is a noble and urgent task to do this for the conference on the future of europe and finally and because it was a global crisis we need to learn the global lessons this is why along with prime minister conte and the italian g20 presidency next year i will convene a global health summit next year in italy this will show europeans that our union is there to protect them all and this is exactly what we have done when it comes to workers when i took office i vote to create an instrument to protect workers and businesses from external shocks because i knew from my experience as a minister for labor and social affairs that these schemes work they keep people in jobs they keep the skills in the companies and of course they keep the business the smes in business these smes are the motor of our economy and they will be the engine of our recovery and this is why the commission created the sure program and i want to thank this house for working on it in record time if europe has so far avoided mars unemployment seen elsewhere it is thanks in large part to the fact that around 40 million people applied for short time work schemes the speed and the unity of purpose means that 16 countries will soon receive almost 90 billion euros from sure to support workers and companies from lithuania to spain it will give peace of mind to families who need that income to put food on the table or to pay the rent and it will help protect millions of jobs incomes and companies right across our union this is real european solidarity in action and it reflects the fact that in our union the dignity of work must be sacred but the truth is that for too many people work no longer pays dumping wages destroys the dignity of work penalizes the entrepreneur who pays decent wages and distorts fair competition in the single market and this has to stop and this is why the commission will put forward a legal proposal to support member states to set up a framework for minimum wages everyone must have access everyone must have access to minimum wages either through collective bargaining or through statutory minimum wages i personally i am a strong advocate of collective bargaining and the proposal will fully respect national competences and traditions we have seen in many web member states that introduced collectively bargained minimum wages how a well-negotiated minimum wage secures jobs and creates fairness both for the workers and for the companies who really value them so honorable members minimum wages work and it is time that work paid the second promise of the social market economy is that of stability by showing it was united and up to the task europe provided the stability that our economies need i will not forget when the crisis hit the commission immediately triggered the general escape clause for the very first time in our history we flexibilized our european funds and state aid rules authorizing more than 3 trillion euro in support to companies and industry from fishermen in croatia to farmers in greece from smes in italy to freelancers in denmark the european central bank took decisive action through the pep program the commission proposed next generation eu in record time thus combining investment and the much much needed reforms the council endorsed it in record time this house is working towards voting on it with maximum speed honorable members for the first time and for exceptional times europe has put in place its own common tools to complement national fiscal stabilizers this is a remarkable moment of unity in the european union and this is an achievement we should take collective pride in we made that [Applause] now it's time to hold our course we have all seen the forecasts we can expect our economies to start moving again after a 12 drop in gdp in the second quarter but as the virus lingers so does the uncertainty here in europe and around the world so this is definitely not the time to withdraw support our economies need continued policy support and the delicate balance will need to be struck between providing financial support and ensuring fiscal sustainability in the longer term there is no greater way to stability and competitiveness than through a stronger economic and monetary union confidence in the euro has never been stronger the historic agreement on next generation eu shows the political backing that it has and we must now use this opportunity to make structural reforms in our economies and complete the capital markets union and the banking union deep and liquid capital markets are essential to give businesses access to the finance they need and they needed to grow and invest in recovery and in the future and they are also a prerequisite to further strengthen the international role of the euro so let's get to work and finally complete this generational project and the third enduring promise is the promise of opportunity the pandemic reminded us of many things we have may have forgotten or we may have taken for granted we were reminded how linked our economies are and how crucial a fully functioning simple market is to our prosperity and to the way we do things the single market is all about opportunity opportunity for consumers to get value for money opportunities for a company to sell everywhere in europe and opportunities for the industry to go to drive global competitiveness and for all of us it is about the opportunity to make the most of the freedoms we cherish as europeans it gives our companies the scale they need to prosper and to save heaven for them in times of troubles we rely on it every day to make our lives easier and it is crucial for managing the crisis and recovering our strength so let's give it a boost we must tear down the barriers of the single market we must cut red tape we must step up implementation and enforcement and we must restore the four freedoms in full and as fast as possible the linchpin of this is a fully functioning schengen area of free movement and we will work with parliament and member states to bring this high up on our political agenda and we will propose a new strategy for the future of schengen based on this strong internal market the european industry has long powered our economy providing a stable living for millions and creating the social hubs around which our communities are built we presented a new industry strategy in march to ensure industry could lead the trin green and digital transition the last six months have only accelerated that transformation at a time when the global competitive landscape is fundamentally changing as to we have to keep up and this is why we will update our industry strategy in the first half of next year and adapt our com competition framework which should also keep pace honorable members all this will ensure europe gets back on its feet but as we pull through together we must also propel ourselves forward in the world of tomorrow and there is no urgent need for acceleration no more urgent need for acceleration than when it comes to the future of our fragile planet while much of the world's activity froze during lockdowns and shutdowns the planet continued to get dangerously and we see it all around us from houses evacuated due to the glacier collapse on the mobile to fires burning through oregon to crops destroyed in romania by the most severe droughts in decades but we also saw nature coming back into our lives we longed for green spaces and clean air for mental health and our physical well-being we know change is needed and we also know it is possible the european green deal is our blueprint to make that transformation at the heart of it is our mission to become the first climate neutral continent in 2050 but we will not get there with the status quo we need to go faster and we need to do things better we looked in depth in every sector to see how fast we could go and how to do it in a responsible evidence-based way we held a wide public consultation and conducted an extensive impact assessment and on this basis the european commission is proposing to increase the 2030 targets for emission reduction to at least 55 percent i recognize that this increase from 40 to 55 is too much for some and not enough for others but our impact assessment clearly shows that our economy and industry can manage this and they want it just yesterday 170 business leaders and investors from smes to some of the world's biggest companies wrote to me calling on europe to set a target at least at 55 our impact assessment clearly shows that meeting this target would put the european union firmly on track for climate neutrality by 2050 and for meeting our paris agreement obligations and if others follow our lead the world will be able to keep warming below 1.5 degrees celsius i'm fully aware that many of our partners are far away from that but we have to lead and i will come back to the carbon board adjustment mechanism later but for us the 2030 target is ambitious it's achievable and it is beneficial for europe we can do it and we have already shown that we can do it while emissions dropped 25 since 1990 our economy grew more than sixty percent the difference is now that we now have the technology we have way more expert expertise and we have the investment and we're already embarking towards a circular economy with carbon neutral production we want to be leading in the world on that we have more young people pushing for change we have more proof that what is good for the climate is good for business and is good for us all and we have a solemn promise to leave no one behind in this transformation without just transition fund we will support the regions that have a bigger and more costly change to make we have it all now it's our responsibility to implement it and to make it happen and i want you at my side and i invite you for this endeavor because we only can do it together this is our mission on the european level on rebel members meeting this new target will reduce our energy import dependency will create millions of extra jobs and more than half air pollution pollution to get there we have to start now by next summer we will revise all of our climate and energy legislation to make it fit for 55 we will enhance emission trading boost renewable energy improve energy efficiency reform energy taxation but the mission of the european green deal involves much more than cutting emissions this is important but it is about making systemic modernization across our economy society and industry it is about building a stronger world to live in our current levels of consumption of raw material energy water food and land use is not sustainable we need to change how we treat nature how we produce and consume how we live and work eat and heat travel and transport so we will tackle everything from hazardous chemicals to deforestation to pollution this is a plan for a true recovery it is an investment plan for europe and this is where next generation you will make a real difference firstly 37 of next generation eu will be spent directly on our european green deal objectives and it i will ensure that it also takes green financing to the next level we are world leaders in green finance and we are the largest issuer of green bonds worldwide we are leading the way in developing a reliable eu green bond standard and i can announce today that we will set a target of 30 of next generation eu's 750 billion euros to be raised through green bonds secondly next generation you should invest in lighthouse european projects with the biggest impact hydrogen renovation and one million electric charging points and allow me to explain how this could work two weeks ago in sweden a unique fossil-free steel pilot began test operations it will replace coal with hydrogen to produce clean steel this shows the potential of hydrogen to support our industry with a new with a clean license to operate i want next generation eu to create new european hydrogen valleys to modernize our industries to power our vehicles and to bring new life to our rural areas the second example are the buildings we live and work in our buildings generate more than 40 percent of our emissions they need to become less wasteful less expensive and more sustainable and we know that the construction sector can even be turned from a carbon source into a carbon sink if organic building materials like wood and smart technologies like ai are being used so i want next generation eu to kick-start a european renovation wave and make our union a leader in the circular economy but this is not just an environmental or economic project it needs to be a new cultural project for europe every movement has its own look and feel and we need to give our systemic change its own distinct aesthetics to match style with sustainability and this is why we will set up a new european bauhaus a co-creation space where architects artists students engineers designers work together to make that happen this is next generation eu this is shaping the world we want to live in a world served by an economy that cuts emission boosts competitiveness reduces energy poverty creates rewarding jobs and improves quality of life a world where we use digital technologies to build build a healthier a greener society and this can only be achieved if we all do it together and i will insist that recovery plans don't just bring us out of the crisis but also help us propel europe forward in the world of tomorrow see you guys that this pandemic occurs during a time without digital technology quarantine spent in full isolation cut off from family relatives supply problems inability to go to work surely this is what it must have looked like 100 years ago in the last pandemic a century on modern technology enables us in a time of severe pandemic for young people to pursue their studies at home people to work from home keeping production lines open and distributing those products it allows public administration to provide important services to citizens in a matter of just a few weeks we witnessed greater progress and digital transformation than over several years but we are coming up against the limit of what analog technology will allow us to do now this transition has just begun the forthcoming decade will and must be europe's digital decade we need a common plan for a digital europe with clearly set out targets and objectives for 2050. we need targets for 2030 in the field of connectivity digital competence skills public administration and many other areas we also need clear principles the right to privacy the right to access freedom of expression the free flow of data and cyber security in order to achieve all this europe must take a leadership role or else it will be following others who will setting be setting the standards for us this is why quick and decisive action is needed so badly now there are three areas that we i believe must focus on first of all when it comes to personal like data b2c business to consumer europe was too slow and has had to follow others this must not happen again with industrial data and i have some good news europe is in the lead in this field we have the technology and we have the industry but this alone will not win us the race the quantity of industrial data will multiply four-fold over the next five years and that will bring with it opportunities so now is the time to allow businesses startups smes to fully exploit the potential industrial data is invaluable when it comes to developing new products and new services however the reality looks very different eighty percent of industrial data that are gathered and collected never get put to any use which is a huge waste a true data economy would be a powerful driver for inner innovation however this is why europe must secure the data and make it widely accessible we need common data collection in the field of energy and health care for example which will boost the activity of research clusters businesses research centers must be able to access in a secure way this data and use its potential this is why in the context of next generation eu we will be establishing a european cloud on the basis of gaia x the second area that we must focus on is technology itself in particular artificial intelligence now whether it's for precision farming or precision healthcare and early diagnosis in healthcare or autonomous driving ai opens up whole new worlds for us it's truly fantastic but these worlds need to be regulated too algorithms must not create any black boxes and there must be clear rules and procedures when things go wrong the european commission will be proposing a new european law in this field which will tackle the issue of supervision of personal data and control of personal data every time we access a website and it asks us to establish a new digital identity or set up a user profile or to register on a platform the fact is we simply don't know what will happen to our data we must put a stop to this this is why the european commission will come forward with a proposal for a new secure digital identity one that we can really trust and that citizens can use europe-wide for everything whether it's right renting a bicycle or paying taxes an identity that you have full control over where you can control the data that is transferred and how it is used that is our idea of a technology focused and centered around people for the service of people the third focal point infrastructure we must keep up with the racing pace of technology and if we want to build a europe that is on an equal footing with others then we simply cannot allow 40 percent of people in rural areas to still be lagging behind when it comes to broadband access broadband connections are the foundation for home learning home shopping home office working and many of the services that are now being offered online without broadband it's simply impossible to run a business these days or to expand a business fast data connections are a basis a requirement and an opportunity for rural areas to develop it's only with this technology that rural areas will fully be able to exploit their potential and attract investment and population the investment leap that we're going to see through next generation eu is a one-time opportunity it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move forward with development in this field this is why we want to focus on secure connectivity developing 5g 6g and fiberglass we need to use this opportunity to come up with a common approach for connectivity and the development of digital infrastructure in europe now none of this is an end in itself this is about no less than europe's digital sovereignty and in this context i'm very pleased to announce an 8 billion investment in super computer technology this will be high tech made in europe european industry to be able to develop its own driver for investment in digital economy one that will allow us to use data in a way that is energy efficient and secure all this and more for me really is part of this digital europe honorable members if we really press on the accelerated pedal now we must ensure that we remain dear to our principle we allow that retains control over its future sets the course for its future we have everything we need in order to realize this stream industry is clamoring for a plan and that plan is now in place there's never been a better time to invest in technology across europe from sofia to lisbon across the country continent we want to open new digital clusters we have the idea we have the investment power to be truly successful in this field which is why 20 of the next generation eu budget will be earmarked for digital development and with this we hope to propel europe into the digital age on the basis of our values our strengths and our ambitions honorable members europe is determined to use this transition to build the world we want to live in and that of course extends well beyond our external borders the pandemic has simultaneously shown both the fragility of the global system and the importance of cooperation to tackle collective change and in the face of the crisis some around the world choose to retreat into isolation others actively destabilize the system europe choose to reach out our leadership is not about self-serving propaganda it is not about europe first it is about being the first to seriously answer the call when it is needed in the pandemic european planes delivering thousands of tons of protective equipment landed everywhere from sudan to afghanistan somalia to venezuela we know no of us will ever be safe until all of us are safe and we know wherever we live whatever we have there has to be access affordable and safe access to vaccines treatments and diagnostics at the beginning of the pandemic there was no funding there was no global framework for a covet 19 vaccine there was just the rush to be the first one to get one and this was the moment when the european union stepped up to lead the global response with civil society with g20 with who and others we brought more than 40 countries together to raise 16 billion euros to finance research on vaccines on tests on treatments for the whole world and this is europe's unmatched convening power we can be so proud of it is not enough to find a vaccine we need to make sure that european citizens and those around the world have access to it and just this month the european union joined the kovacs global facility and contributed 400 million euro to help ensure that safe vaccines are available not only for those who can afford it but for everyone who needs it because we know vaccine nationalism puts lives at risks only vaccine cooperation saves lives [Applause] honourable members we are firm believers in the strength and value of cooperating in international bodies it is with a strong united nation where we can find long-term solutions for crisis like libya and syria it is with a strong world health organization that we can better prepare and respond to global pandemics or local outbreaks be it corona or abella and it is with a strong world trade organization that we can ensure fair competition for all but the truth is also that the need to revitalize and to reform the multilateral system has never been so urgent our global system has grown into a creeping paralysis major powers are either pulling out or they're taking the institutions hostage for their own interests and neither road will lead anywhere yes we need change but we need change by design and not by destruction of our international system and this is why i want the european union to lead reforms on w-h-o and w-t-o so that they are fit for today's world but we know that multilateral reforms take time and in the meantime the world will not stop without any doubt there's a clear need for europe to take clear positions and quick actions on global affairs two days ago the latest eu china leaders meeting took place the relationship between the european union and china is simultaneously one of the most strategically important and one of the most challenging we have and from the outset we have said china is a negotiating partner an economic competitor and a systemic rival we have interest in common on issues such as climate change and china has shown it is willing to engage through a high level dialogue but we expect also china to live up to his commitments in the paris agreement and to lead by example in the economic field there's still hard work to do on a fair market access for european companies reciprocity and over capacity and we continue to have an unbalanced trade and investment partnership and there is no doubt that we promote very different systems of governance and society we believe in the universal value of democracy and the rights of the individual europe is certainly not without issues think for example of growing anti-semitism but criticism and opposition we discuss them here publicly criticism and opposition are not only accepted but they are legally protected there is an open debate about all these issues so we must call out human rights abuses whenever and wherever they occur be it on hong kong or be it with the uighurs but what holds us back why are even even simple statements on eu values delayed watered down or held hostage for other motives when member states say europe is too slow i say be courageous and finally move to qualified majority voting at least on human rights and sanctions [Applause] implementation [Applause] this house has called many times for european magnitsky act and i can announce that we will now come forward with a proposal we need to complete our toolbox honourable members be it in hong kong moscow or minsk europe must take a clear and swift position and i want to say it loud and clear the european union is on the side of the people of belarus we have all been moved by the immense courage of those peacefully gathering in the independence square or taking part in the fearless women's march the elections that brought them into the streets were neither free nor fair and the brutal response by the government ever since has been shameful the people of belarus must be free to decide their own future for themselves they are not pieces on someone else's chessboard and to those that advocate closer ties with russia i say that the poisoning of alexey navalny with an advanced chemical agent is not a one off we have seen the pattern in georgia in ukraine in syria and salisbury and an election meddling around the world and this pattern is not changing and no pipeline will change that turkey is and will always be an important neighbor but while we are close together on the map the distance between us appears to be growing yes turkey is in a troubled neighborhood and yes it is hosting millions of refugees for which we support them with considerable funding but none of this is justification for attempts to intimidate their neighbors our member states cyprus and greece can always count on europe's full solidarity on protecting their legitimate sovereignty rights the escalation in the eastern mediterranean is in our mutual interest the return of exploratory vessels to turkish posts in the past few days is a positive step in this direction this is necessary to create the much needed space for dialogue refraining from unilateral actions and resuming talks in good faith is the only path forward the only path to stability and lasting solutions honourable members as well as responding more assertively to global events europe must deepen and refine its partnerships with its friends and allies and this starts with revitalizing our most enduring partnerships we might not always agree with recent decisions of the white house but we will always cherish the transatlantic alliance based on shared values and history and an unbreakable bond between our people so whatever what may happen later this year we are ready to build a new transatlantic agenda to strengthen our bilateral partnership be it on trade on tech or taxation and we are ready to work together on reforming the international system we build together jointly with like-minded partners for our own interests and in the interest of the common good we need new beginnings with old friends on both sides of the atlantic and on both sides of the channel the scenes in this very room when we held hands and saying goodbye with old lang syne spoke a thousand words and they showed an affection for the british people that will never fade but with every day that passes the chances for timely agreement do start to fade negotiations are always difficult and we are used to that and the commission has the best and most experienced negotiator michelle barnier to navigate us through that but talks have not progressed as the we would have wished and that leaves us very little time as ever as ever this house will be the first to know and it will be the one that has the last say and i can assure you we will continue to update you thoroughly just as we did with the withdrawal agreement this withdrawal agreement took three years to negotiate and we worked relentlessly on it line by line word by word and together we succeeded and the result guarantees our citizens rights financial interests the integrity of the single market and crucially the good friday agreement and the european union and the uk jointly agreed it was the best and only way for ensuring peace on the island of ireland and we will never backtrack on that and this agreement has been ratified by this house and by the house of commons it cannot be unilaterally changed disregarded or disciplined this is a matter of law and trust and good faith [Applause] and that is not just me saying it i remind you of the words of margaret thatcher i quote britain does not break treaties it would be bad for britain bad for relations with the rest of the world and bad for any future treaty on trade end of quote this was true then and this is true today trust is the foundation of any strong partnership and europe will always be ready to build strong partnerships with our closest neighbors this starts with the western balkans the decision six months ago to open accession negotiations with albania and north macedonia was truly historical indeed the future of the whole region lies in the european union we share the same history we share the same destiny the western balkans are part of europe and they are not just a stop over on the silk road we will soon present an economic recovery package for the western balkans focusing on a number of regional investment initiatives and we will be there for the eastern partnership countries and our partners in the southern neighborhood to help create jobs and kick start the economies when i came into office i chose for the very first trip outside the european union to visit the african union and it was a natural choice it was a natural choice and it was a very clear message because we are not just neighbors but we are natural partners three months later i returned with my entire college to set out the priorities for a new strategy with africa it is a partnership of equals where both sides share opportunities and responsibilities africa will be a key partner in building the world we want to live in whether it is on climate digital or trade honourable members we will continue to believe in open and fair trade across the world not as an end in itself but as a way to deliver prosperity at home and promote values and standards more than 600 000 jobs in europe are tied for example to the trade with japan and our recent agreement with vietnam alone helped secure historic labor rights for millions of workers in the country we will use our diplomatic strength and economic clout to broker agreements that make a difference such as designating maritime protected areas in the antarctica this would be one of the biggest acts of environmental protection in history we will form high ambition coalitions on issues such as the digital ethics of fighting deforestation and we will develop partnerships with all like-minded partners from asian democracies to australia africa the americas and anyone else who wants to join we will work on just globalization we cannot take this for granted we must insist on fairness and a level playing field and europe will always move forward alone or with partners to do that i want to come back to the carbon board adjustment mechanism carbon must have its price because nature cannot pay this price anymore and this carbon board adjustment mechanism should motivate foreign producers and eu importers to reduce their carbon emissions while ensuring that we level the playing field in a wto compatible way the same principle applies to digital taxation we will spare no effort to reach agreement in the framework of oecd and g20 but let there be no doubt should an agreement fall short of a fair tax system that provides long-term sustainable revenues europe will come forward with a proposal early next year i want europe to be a global advocate for that honourable members if europe is to play a vital role in the world it must also create new vitality insight and to move forward we must now overcome the differences that held us back the historic agreement on next generation eu shows that it can be done and the speed with which we took decisions on fiscal rule state aid or sure all this shows it can be done so let's do it migration is an issue that has been discussed long enough migration has always been effect for europe and it will always be throughout centuries it has defined our societies it has enriched our cultures and it has shaped many of our lives and this will always be the case as we all know the 2015 migration crisis caused many deep divisions between member states with some of those scars still healing today a lot has been done since but a lot is still missing if we are all ready to make compromises without compromising on our principles we can find a solution next week the commission will put forward its pact on migration we will take a human and humane approach and there are principles saving lives at sea is not optional and those countries who fulfill their legal and moral duties or are more exposed than others must be able to rely on the solidarity of our whole european union we will ensure a closer link between asylum and return we have to make a clear distinction between those who have the right to stay and those who do not we will take action to fight smugglers strengthen external borders deepen external partnerships and create legal pathways and we will make sure that people who have the right to stay are integrated and made to feel welcome they have a future to build and skills energy and talent i think of swat the teenage syrian refugee who arrived in europe dreaming of being a medical doctor within three years she was awarded a prestigious scholarship from the royal college of surgeons in ireland i think of the libyan and somalian refugee doctors who offered them medical skills the moment the pandemic stuck in france and last year i told you of the story of muas whom i had the honor to meet he is studying physics today in europe honorable members if we think about what they have overcome and what they have achieved then we simply must be able to manage the question of migration together the images of the morya camp are a painful reminder of the need for europe to come together everybody has to take a step up here and take responsibility and the commission will just do that the commission is now working on a plan for joint pilot with the greek authorities for new camp on lesbos we can assist with asylum and return processes and significantly improve the conditions for the refugees but i want to be clear if we step up then i expect all member states to step up too migration is a european challenge and a whole of europe must do its part [Applause] we must rebuild the trust among us and move forward together and this trust is at the very heart of our union and the way we do things together it is anchored in our founding values our democracies and in our community of law as walter heinstein used to say this is not an abstract term the rule of law helps protect people from the rule of the powerful it is the guarantor of our most basics of everyday rights and freedoms it allows us to give our opinion and to be informed by a free press before the end of the month the commission will adopt the first annual rule of law report covering all member states it is a preventive tool for early detection of challenges and for finding solutions i want this to be a starting point for commission parliament and member states to ensure there is no backsliding the commission attaches the highest importance to the rule of law and this is why we will ensure that money from our budget a next generation eu is protected against any kind of fraud corruption or conflict of interest this is [Applause] non-negotiable the last months have also reminded us how fragile it can be we have a duty to always be vigilant to care and nurture for the rule of law and breaches of the rule of law cannot be tolerated i will continue to defend it and the integrity of our european institutions be it about the primacy of european law the freedom of the press the independence of the judiciary all the sale of golden passports european values are not for sale donna remembers these values are more important than ever i say that because when i think of the state of the union i am reminded of the words of john hume one of the great europeans who sadly passed away this year if so many people live in peace today on the island of ireland it is in large part because of his unwavering belief in humanity and conflict resolution he used to say that conflict was about difference and that peace was about respect for difference and as he so rightly reminded this house in 1998 and i quote the european visionaries decided that difference is not a threat difference is natural difference is the essence of humanity end of quote and these words are just as important today as they ever have been because when i look around we ask ourselves where is the essence of humanity when three children in wisconsin watch their father shot by the police while they sit in the car where is the essence of humanity when anti-semitic carnival costumes openly parade on our streets where is the essence of humanity when every single day roma people are excluded from society and others held back simply because of the color of their skin or their religious belief i am proud to live in europe in this open society of values and diversity but even here in this union these stories are daily reality for so many people and this reminds us that progress on fighting racism and hate is fragile it is hard won but very easily lost so now is the moment to make change to build a truly anti-racist union that goes from condemnation to action and the commission is putting forward an action play plan to start making that happen as part of this we will propose to extend the list of eu crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech whether because of race religion gender or sexuality hate is hate and no one should have to put up with that [Applause] we will strengthen our racial inequality laws where there are gaps we will use our budget to address discrimination in era such as employment housing or health care we will get tougher on enforcement when implementation lags behind because in this human union fighting racism will never be optional we will improve education and knowledge on the historical cultural causes of racism we will tackle unconscious bias that exists in people in institutions well yes and even algorithms and we will appoint the commission's first ever anti-rise racism coordinator to keep this at the top of our agenda and to work directly with people civil society and institutions honorable members i will not rest when it comes to building a union of equality a union where you can be who you are and love who you want without fear and recrimination because being yourself is not your ideology it is your identity and no one can ever take it away so i want to be crystal clear lgbtqi free zones are humanity free zones and they have no place in our union [Applause] and to make sure that we support the whole community the commission will soon put forward a strategy to strengthen lgbtqi rights as part of this i will also push for mutual recognition of family relations in the eu because if you are a parent in one country you are of course a parent in every country and adversity world where we work together to overcome our differences and when we support each other in the difficult times we are talking about a world of tomorrow that is stronger more respectful more healthy a world that we are building to leave to our children we are teaching our children how to live they are teaching us what life means this year has showed that more than ever there are millions of young people who are calling on us to enact change for a healthier planet or the hundreds of thousands of children who put up beautiful rainbows in their windows as a sign of solidarity all across europe there is one image though that has really stayed with me over these last six months it is an image which shows us the world through the eyes of our children that is the image of karola and victoria two young girls who were playing tennis on the roofs of liguria in italy during the lockdown it was not just their courage and their talent that shone through in this image but it is also the lesson that they can teach us it is a lesson to never give up when faced with obstacles that you should never let conventions hold you back and that you should always seize the moment that is what karola vittoria and all the young people of europe teach us every day about how to live this is the future generation of europeans next generation eu this year europe has taken up their example and made a step forward together when we needed to find a way forward for our future we did not let outdated conventions hold us back when we felt a fragility around us we seized the moment to give fresh impetus to our union when we had the opportunity to go it alone as we have done in the past we chose to use the full strength of the 27 to give all 27 a chance for the future we have shown that we are in this together and that we will overcome this together ladies and gentlemen members of parliament the future will be what we make of it and europe will be what we want it to be we should stop trying to break it down and instead build it up to make it stronger and to build the world that we want to live in long live europe you're with dw news live from berlin you're getting live coverage right now from brussels where in a wide-ranging speech hitting on numerous internal and global issues eu commission president ursula fonda lion has delivered her first state of the union speech recapping some main points for you now the president touched on the need for the bloc to prepare for future health crises like the coronavirus pandemic she also highlighted the need for economic stability in the wake of the crisis urging members to deepen the eu monetary union while also calling for continuing labor reforms on the climate fun lions said the eu needed to go faster to achieve climate goals and proposed raising carbon emission reduction targets significantly she also touched on plans to invest in digitalization and ai with the creation of a new eu superpower a super computer rather fun line also touted a new eu migration pack due to be unveiled next week okay let's go to brussels live now for more from dws bureau chief there alexandra of fundament alexandra a wide-ranging speech there european commission president said she wants to move the eu from fragility to vitality what what struck you most about her path to get there well i think what was very interesting was to see how she really managed to to send a positive message how she was trying to convince the members of the european parliament that the european union can and should emerge stronger more resilient out of the corona pandemic crisis and how she was insisting that the european union should take a leadership role in terms of climate change with regards to the climate change where she announced that the commission is proposing to increase the target of emissions reduction up to 55 in 2030 and she also was saying that the european union now after this this crisis or in the middle of this crisis has a chance to be a leader with regards regard to digital transformation and she made quite a huge number of very concrete proposals one of them the establishment of a secure digital identity that the eu citizens could use whether we are talking about riding a bicycle off or paying taxes okay there was also some very specific uh suggestions there from her from also getting to a global vaccine to fight the pandemic and moving into the future for potentially other vaccines as well what did she have to say there well she was once again talking important is to coordinate the efforts and what i found very interesting maybe not surprising but very telling is that uh talking about uh what is important for europe and how europe uh is standing for solidarity she also mentioned the white house and the pr the u.s president and and his america first policy uh without mentioning his name she said that europe is not about putting europe first that europe is for standing for all nations working together to overcome this coronavirus pandemic but she was also criticizing the us by saying that there are major forces that are pulling out of international institutions that are taking those into institutions um hostage uh at times where we need we have to work together and to strengthen international institutions for example like the wmho the commission president uh also touched on some of the challenges of facing the european union right now right now some old wounds from the migration crisis uh for example there's still healing well that it's true um ozola fonda lion talked about uh the refugee crisis she talked about the situation on the greek island of lesbos what's going on in morya and here once again she stressed how important it is to uh show solidarity with those who need refuge but at the same time how important it is for the european uh mem states to to be to be together to come together on this issue and and to work together to solve this uh crisis alexander phenomenon in brussels live where ursula fonda line has just delivered her first state of the union address thanks very much for now alexandra and with me here in the studio richard walker our chief international editor richard a lot on the plate here just went far longer than we expected she said she wasn't going to details but we have plenty of them uh ursula on the line saying it's all about european values strengths and ambitions you know broadly where did she want to take the european union yeah i mean it was striking wasn't it we were we started to look at the clock here at close to the hour mark and i think she hit one hour and 17 minutes at the end which three languages even rivals some of the longest u.s state of the union speeches um but i think i would agree with alexandra what she just said at the beginning there about trying to present um you know a positive message while at the beginning of the speech she acknowledged the kind of trauma that europe has been going through and is still going through and the anxiety that the people feel i think you know a big part of her speech was about projecting confidence i think a key line that she made early on in this speech that she's saying that this is now the moment to make change happen by design not by disaster or by dictat from others so this is like a kind of declaration of okay we've got so far so far so good we've had some big problems but we're kind of we feel like we're fairly on top of the pandemic at the moment we need to be thinking about the future uh and also need to be kind of marrying what uh europe has learned from the pandemic uh to the commitments that they already had and i think maybe the kind of overarching theme that you could say on that front was well-being uh mental health she also mentioned physical health economic health way beyond that well being in the health area well-being in society and the economy and well-being for the planet um and i think that was kind of the thread uh thro uh flowing through her speech because i went through the whole speech didn't absolutely yeah it certainly did let's take a listen now to that uh to a fun line on the issue of the chronovirus and and how to deal with the pandemic so for me it is crystal clear we need to build a stronger european health union it is time to do that and to start making this a reality we must now draw the first lessons from the health crisis we need to make our new e4 eu for health program future proof and this is why i had proposed to increase funding and i'm grateful that this parliament is ready to fight for more funding and remedy the cuts made by the european council a future proof health plan how does she want to get there that is a very ambitious goal well i think that that's going to be the question that we pose at almost every step along this speech you know you have your theme of well-being but okay how do you achieve it um it was interesting how she talked about this because she she she talked back about the early stages of the crisis and i think many people will remember and in the first few weeks or a couple of months of the crisis there was a lot of controversy in europe that countries were going their own way they were doing their own thing they were closing their borders they were looking they were holding on to their own kind of protective gear all of that ppe that the health systems needed um fond de line kind of talked about the moment where europe really tried to get back on top of that but she said that she achieved that and the european union achieved that despite not having the powers to do so and that now is the time to start saying all right the eu needs to have central powers uh relating to this health area and there are some things which were quite specific like saying that she wants to strengthen bodies like the ecdc that's the european center for disease control so more centralization and to address issues like uh there were inadequate stockpiles that's right strategic strategic stockpiles and a global health summit i found that a very interesting um initiative yeah that's something that she wants to hold in italy next year she said that she's spoken to the italian government italy because italy will be uh chairing the g20 so the international grouping next year but whenever in the european union you get to a discussion about where the powers are held are they held by nation states or are they held centrally uh by the european union that is inevitably a huge discussion people don't like giving up powers it's going to be very difficult moving forward with this i mean there's going to be a lot of discussion uh necessary at the parliamentary level in strasbourg where this was in brussels but at the commission as well how do you think her proposals are going to go down on the labor front i mean it sounded great you know a minimum wage for everyone but couldn't that be disruptive economically in the european union where jobs flow to certain regions specifically because the labor rates are lower yeah well it was interesting that she wasn't calling for a statutory for a legal minimum wage in every country she said that she's also that she said that she's particularly a fan of collective bargaining and bear in mind she's a conservative i mean this sounds like kind of social democratic question she's from michael's cdu party we have to remember that yeah so she's a conservative she's not saying that this has to come come via kind of legal measures um but she's saying that she wants to see that across the eu but again of course this is now up to individual countries whether they implement that but you know i think there she's using the bully pulpit effectively saying um that you know the pandemic as a whole has proven how successful the european kind of social market economy which caused a german term but she applied that kind of more broadly to europe can be and that the implicit criticism was of the united states there were a number of implicit criticisms in the united states alexandra yes but but essentially saying look what happened i mean she didn't say this spell this out but implicitly look what happened in the united states this incredibly precipitous uh uh fall in employment like eight-digit numbers of people suddenly uh uh uh getting unemployment benefit that that has not really happened in the eu because of this short-time working scheme that was brought in on eu level so essentially that the eu would would support going on to kind of cutting workers hours and subsidizing that to the companies and hailing that as a big success of european solidarity in this crisis there was another uh success that that uh ursula funda line is looking at moving forward she wants to make the eu the leader in climate change the battle against climate change and meeting carbon reduction goals etc let's take a listen to what the commission president had to say on that we need to go faster and we need to do things better we looked in depth in every sector to see how fast we could go and how to do it in a responsible evidence-based way the european commission is proposing to increase the 2030 targets for emission reduction to at least 55 percent okay that is a big change going from 40 to 55 by the end of the decade germany's going to have to lead on that certainly yeah well i mean but she pointed out that only very recently she had received a letter from more than 100 businesses calling for this level of ambition so she's she's really framing this is not something that's anti-business or difficult uh necessarily but also a huge opportunity but i think here there were some quite interesting specifics for instance talking about how again coming back to this idea of kind of marrying getting out of the pandemic and recovering from the pandemic to these long-term goals so trying to bring together this recovery fund with these green targets and she says that she wants 37 of the spending from the european green from the recovery fund to be on green deal goals and even using green bonds as an investment mechanism uh to achieve that so quite interesting specifics there and it'll be interesting to see what kind of take up like these green bonds get and that goes the green bonds are going to be a big a big question moving forward richard thanks very much for coming in on this our international chief international editor richard walker

Channel: DW News

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Keywords: von der leyen speech, european union, state of the union, state of the european union, state of the eu speech, state of the eu, eu speech, ursula von der leyen, ursula von der leyen speech, eu commission, ursula von der leyen european parliament, european commission, ursula von der leyen and trump, ursula von der leyen eu, ursula von der leyen interview english, eu parliament

Id: 5d6RlzSqrQk

Length: 96min 49sec (5809 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 16 2020