Announcements can be a useful thing. At least in the short term, at least for those who announce something. At the moment the initiative is shining. How realistic the implementation is in the future plays a secondary role. Anyone who announces can signal: I have the reins of action in my hand.
In the morning, the President of the EU Commission stands at the lectern and gives her annual keynote speech on the state of the European Union. She makes many announcements in it: a European plan for heat waves, a banking package, a European Society for Critical Raw Materials, a new European Security Council, a dialogue with the major AI companies about opportunities and risks. And that's just a small selection.
Evil tongues claim that in her many years as a politician, Ursula von der Leyen has developed a mastery of announcing things, only part of which later become reality. Anyone who thinks better of her might think: Von der Leyen is at least doing something. After all, the wind is rough in the world. She herself puts it - with her own pathos - in such a way that in the "cold, fragile world" only Europe can offer Europeans real sovereignty.
But a non-European also plays a central role in Strasbourg: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. He personally sits as a guest in the plenary hall and hears the announcement that affects his country. Von der Leyen has many words of praise about how the EU and Canada would work together on valuable raw materials or support for Ukraine: "We see the world with the same eyes: from AI to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics."
Now she wants to open the door to "associated" EU membership. "We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest possible level," said the Commission boss. However, the EU treaties do not provide for such a form of membership. What will come of it, what exactly is meant, must remain open for now. Carney wants to respond to the offer tomorrow when he speaks in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
Over the course of the week, von der Leyen caused irritation because she actually wanted to be back in Brussels on Thursday to present her plans for child protection on social media. At some point she must have realized that it would be diplomatically difficult not to listen to the Canadian guest in person.
This problem has been resolved. The press conference on child protection will now take place tomorrow in Strasbourg. But she already provided the central points today: A social media account should only be available in the EU from the age of 15. Before that "mini accounts", but only one hour of use per day.
It is an issue that is high on the President's priority list. A year ago she also announced action in her keynote speech. Now a law called the “Kids Act” is to come. For now it is a proposal from the EU Commission, which, as always, the member states and parliament still have to negotiate.
In the area of security and defense, Ursula von der Leyen would like to restructure the EU. Specifically, it proposes an independent alarm mechanism for security crises - independent of NATO, but analogous to Article 4 of the NATO Treaty. The institutions and decision-making in the EU have not kept pace with the new reality. "Our systems were made for a different world. They were shaped by well-intentioned attempts at consensus and compromise," said von der Leyen.
She also announced a concept for a European Security Council. There have been long discussions with partners such as Canada, Norway, Ukraine and Great Britain about a format for heads of state and government that deals with the security of the continent. This is now even more urgent given the nature and extent of the current threats.
It's not a new idea. Angela Merkel had already promoted this in 2018. Their idea called for a smaller committee with changing members. French President Emmanuel Macron also supported such a body. It was never implemented. So now comes a new attempt. Exit open.
Ursula von der Leyen spoke for more than an hour. It quickly becomes clear: There are dissatisfied listeners - for example the Association of the German Auto Industry. VDA President Hildegard Müller criticizes the lack of concrete solutions: "Announcements and declarations of intent are not concrete policies and do not ensure competitiveness or jobs."
The ideas and announcements are now undergoing a reality check. What can she implement? What's a marginal note left on a speech manuscript?
