President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Monday that the EU must "view its foreign policy in today's geopolitical environment with a clear eye and a cautious attitude."

At a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, von der Leyen questioned whether the EU's practice of relying on "consensus and compromise" in foreign policy and decision-making is "an aid or an obstacle."

While von der Leyen made these remarks, some believe she is trying to position herself as the main representative of the EU abroad. According to media reports, this move has angered some member states and lawmakers, who accuse von der Leyen of overstepping her authority.

However, with the ongoing wars in Iran and Ukraine, and US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to seize Greenland from Denmark, von der Leyen emphasized in her speech on Monday that the EU needs to completely reform its approach to foreign policy. The current policy mostly requires unanimous agreement from all 27 member states, which has led individual countries to repeatedly block EU decisions, such as Hungary recently blocking a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine.

"We urgently need to reflect: our principles, institutions, and decision-making mechanisms—designed for a post-war stable and multilateral world—are they keeping up with the speed of change around us, both in design and implementation," von der Leyen told the ambassadors present. "I know this is a sharp message and a difficult conversation."

Regarding the 90 billion euro loan promised to Ukraine, von der Leyen said, "Everyone has seen the challenges we face in making this happen, even though all 27 leaders have already agreed. This goes back to the question I raised earlier: is our system still functioning efficiently?"

Von der Leyen did not provide specific details, but reiterated that the EU will provide the loan to Kyiv "because our credibility, and more importantly, our security, is at risk."

Von der Leyen said that the Middle East crisis was not the "trigger" for her statement, but rather "a symptom of a broader issue, just like the Greenland issue and the Ukraine issue."

"In this era of rapid change, we either cling to what made us strong before, defending those habits and conventions that history has long surpassed; or we choose a different fate for Europe," von der Leyen said.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU must present itself as an independent force.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for European unity and strengthening its own independence, while insisting that it is necessary to have direct dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. She stated this during a speech at the traditional Matthias Dinner in Hamburg: "Europe needs more than ever to take its destiny into its own hands."

Merkel pointed out that the EU must present itself as an independent force and participate on equal terms with the United States in addressing key global issues, including the Ukraine conflict. She said EU countries need to learn to act with a "unified voice that the world takes seriously."

Original: toutiao.com/article/7615276267906089498/

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