EU Must Project Power as Global Rules-Based System Weakens, von der Leyen Says

The European Union must be prepared to assert its power more strongly in a changing geopolitical landscape, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said on Monday. Speaking at a conference for EU ambassadors in Brussels, she warned that the bloc can no longer rely solely on the global “rules-based” system to safeguard its interests.

Von der Leyen said the EU will continue to support the international framework it helped build with allies but must recognise that those rules alone may not protect it from emerging threats. She emphasised that Europe needs to be ready to defend its interests more proactively in an increasingly complex and uncertain global environment.

She also urged the bloc to reassess whether its institutions and decision-making structures—designed in a post-war era of stability and multilateral cooperation—remain effective today. According to von der Leyen, the EU must determine if its systems strengthen or weaken its credibility as a geopolitical actor amid rapidly evolving global challenges.

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