That, too, is a reason to be proud of Europe. DER SPIEGEL: Ms. President, when you spoke about the European Union with DER SPIEGEL in a 2011 interview, you threw your support behind the concept of a "United States of Europe." Von der Leyen: Europe is in a strong position as an economic power, and we are seen around the world as a defender of the rule of law. The U.S. has levied sanctions pertaining to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. Climate protection is supported by 26 additional EU countries. That was the essence of European Council President Charles Michel’s response to fierce criticism of his decision, on a visit to Ankara Tuesday, to take a seat next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was relegated to a sofa.. Michel came under heavy attack from across the European political spectrum all … Ursula von der Leyen stammt aus der Familie Albrecht und wuchs bis 1971 in Brüssel, anschließend im südöstlich von Hannover gelegenen Ilten auf. Ultimately, the European Court of Justice will issue a verdict. Ursula von der Leyen snubbed in chair gaffe 7 April 2021, 6:51 am Ursula von der Leyen was speechless after being left without a chair during a … Von der Leyen: That was early on in his term and a lot has changed since then. That is why the European Defense Union could only really get going after the Brexit referendum. The EU has come under heavy fire for its slow vaccine roll out in comparison to some other countries. For the large coal-mining regions, we are planning a multi-billion-euro fund to help companies and people make the adjustment. Von der Leyen: My first priority will be that of describing just how good day-to-day relations between Americans and Europeans actually are. The first day of the annual Munich Security Conference has seen Germany's defense minister criticising US moves to cut spending on the United Nations. One after the other, they have silently buried their erstwhile strident demands for "Grexit," "Dexit" or "Frexit." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged failures in the procurement of coronavirus vaccines in an interview with German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and other foreign media on Thursday evening. The U.S. wants to destroy the nuclear deal with Iran while Europe would like to save it. Stromeyer (1927–2002). Ursula von der Leyen 'Lack of perspective': why Ursula von der Leyen's EU vaccine strategy is failing ... “We’re tired of being the scapegoat,” Von der Leyen said in a recent interview. The Dublin system, according to which the country where an asylum seeker first arrives is solely responsible for asylum proceedings and accommodation, is simply unfair for countries like Italy, Spain or Greece that are particularly exposed. Von der Leyen: Slow down a bit. Ursula von der Leyen: There are always ups and downs in politics, particularly in times of crisis. Von der Leyen: I'm going to go into the meeting with a completely open mind. Ursula von der Leyen was sitting in her converted flat next to her office in the EU's palatial HQ in Berlaymont when the phone started ringing. We aren't focused on a single company, rather we as the EU want to develop fundamental standards. The article you are reading originally appeared in German in issue 1/2020 (December 28th, 2019) of DER SPIEGEL. Von der Leyen: It is true that the pipeline project also has a political dimension and that the European Commission with its funding is protecting the interests of eastern member states. The EU must now forge ahead. That will result in a clean product that will benefit the global climate and will likely be a bit more expensive. And I gave no interviews at all. SPIEGEL+ kann nur auf einem Gerät zur selben Zeit genutzt werden. In France, the yellow vest protests were triggered by gas prices of 1.80 euros per liter. Your predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker was able to gain a modicum of respect through his chummy style. But I still, of course, stand for the politics that I practiced in the past. Take a look at the General Data Protection Regulation, for example. How severely does Brexit weaken EU foreign and security policy? The EU Commission president said that the bloc was sticking with its goal of vaccinating 70% of the adult population by the end of the summer, but that there would likely be further problems and obstacles on the way. VIDEO 1:56 01:56 The path to that goal is a long one. DER SPIEGEL: Your own project, one intended to demonstrate Europe's renewed strength, is a climate package known as the Green Deal. "The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the European Union or abroad — for work or tourism," she announced on Twitter. When it comes to initial meetings, a lot depends on intuition. Will you continue using the same tone with him? However, Ursula von der Leyen said they are still working on the details of the fund. I spent time in the U.S. during my schooling and later lived there for several years. If there is a risk that data from citizens or companies could be accessed as a result of this law, then we cannot accept it. But we didn't have the necessary structures. But there are also moments when Europe must take strong, rapid action. "In hindsight we should have given more thought in parallel to the challenges of mass production.". Social equality is one of the key elements of the European Green Deal and must go hand-in-hand with investments in a clean future. That is the correct path: debate with each-other, but stay together. Von der Leyen: The Commission is in touch with the Greek government. © 2021 Deutsche Welle | EU must get better organised in security and defence, for example with civil and military planning facility, says Minister Ursula von der Leyen (Germany) Sie ist die Tochter des ehemaligen Ministerpräsidenten von Niedersachsen Ernst Albrecht (1930–2014) und dessen Ehefrau Heidi Adele geb. I know the Americans well. When we invest in building improvements, then heating costs sink for tenants, even if energy will cost more in the future. Von der Leyen: We won't solve the problems by making flying impossible or banning driving. We defend democracy together, something that isn't self-evident in the world of today. Von der Leyen: It is a major concern of mine because time is extremely short for the vast number of questions that have to be negotiated. In a surprise move the leaders nominated. Ursula von der Leyen was left without a seat at a summit in Ankara on Tuesday after her two male counterparts took the only available chairs, leaving her to perch on a nearby sofa. For how long do you intend to stand by and watch? Do all countries really have to participate in everything together? In July, I was elected with a razor-thin majority of just nine votes. The European Commission's failure to obtain sufficient vaccines is causing frustration among Member States. hier finden Sie die wichtigsten Nachrichten des Tages, die beliebtesten Geschichten von SPIEGEL+ und Tipps für Ihren Feierabend. That is why we want to initially focus on issues where the lack of a deal could create the largest problems due to the absence of international rules that would apply in the case of a hard Brexit. I want to further develop the leadership role in areas like climate policy and digitalization, for example. Send Facebook Twitter reddit EMail Facebook Messenger Web Whatsapp Web Telegram linkedin. And come on, I was responsible for introducing the first minimum wage in Germany, in the caregiving sector. DER SPIEGEL: You have said that Europe must be more self-confident on the world stage and have referred to the EU executive under your leadership as the "geopolitical Commission." All member states will have to be ready to contribute to deeper integration. DER SPIEGEL: But when it comes to existential questions, that path doesn't lead the EU to solutions. The people can't really wait until you and the EU member states come up with a universal concept. If the French hadn't forcefully intervened, Mali would have ceased playing its role as a stabilizing element in the Sahel region. Sorry not sorry. Otherwise, they would never have united behind the target of climate neutrality. Among your most ambitious goals is the European Green Deal, which includes a CO2 border tax designed to protect European companies. “I am aware that only a country can be a speedboat, while the EU is more like an oil tanker,” said Von der Leyen. In an interview with DW's Melinda Crane, Ursula von der Leyen hailed recent European efforts to bolster military cooperation. Your political role model Wolfgang Schäuble once spoke of a two-speed Europe. DER SPIEGEL: You are demanding that Europe play a more self-confident role on the world stage. Von der Leyen: There has been no movement on the issue lately, but migration will be something that Europe will have to face for decades to come. We used the time to assemble the current Commission and to refine our program, with the result that I now, after four months, enjoy a broad majority for my team. That has to be Europe's calling card. - We underestimated the industry's difficulties in increasing production as soon as the vaccine arrived, and mass-producing the vaccine. Contact I am convinced that fundamentally, we are on the same side of the table as the Americans, even if we may disagree on some issues internally. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has no shortage of challenges facing her as she begins her tenure. That was the case with family policy several years ago and the same process is now taking place with climate policy. Many cities and regions in the U.S., along with the state of California, continue to operate within the framework of the Paris Agreement. By adopting it, we established a new standard for the entire world in support of a form of digitalization that starts with individuals and seeks to respect the rights of people. The aeronautics industry is conducting intensive research into the possibility of using hydrogen as a power source. DER SPIEGEL: What do you think of the proposal from Robert Habeck, the co-head of the German Green Party, that Germany should focus on accepting children from the Greek camps? What do they look like? Von der Leyen: We're certainly not standing by and watching. DER SPIEGEL: You plan on visiting U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming weeks. Von der Leyen: It's not the countless promises that matter, but reality. But the contrary is currently the case, even when it comes to fundamental values such as the freedom of the press and of research. Ernst Albrecht war bis 1971 für die EG tätig, zuletzt als Generaldirektor. Is that still your goal now that you have become president of the European Commission? Analysts have their doubts that the Commission's plan will achieve "a lot." Which of these controversial issues will you discuss first? European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said drugmaker AstraZeneca could face a ban on exports of coronavirus vaccine doses it produces in the EU if it did not meet its delivery obligations. In an exclusive interview with the Bulgarian National Radio, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the pandemic with the coronavirus was still in a critical moment, despite some better news heard in recent days. You can find more information in our data protection declaration. The new EC President-elect Ursula von der Leyen’s first interview came out of a meeting in Berlin with journalists from a consortium of five European newspapers: La Vanguardia in Spain, La Stampa in Italy, Le Monde in France, Sueddeutsche Zeitung in Germany, and The Guardian in the UK. It became clear to the Eastern Europeans that we also had to develop military structures within the EU. Von der Leyen: It is completely normal for Europe and the U.S. to defend their own interests. The former German defence minister, who took command of the EU’s executive branch in 2019, said … In third place behind the U.S. and China? The EU chief also defended the joint procurement program, saying that the aim had been to avoid competition among the 27 member states over doses, even if that meant the process progressed slower. DER SPIEGEL: A liter of gasoline costs around 1.40 euros at German gas stations. DER SPIEGEL: The Brexiteers have promised that the United Kingdom will be better off without the EU. I've already mentioned CO2-neutral steel production. She spoke with DER SPIEGEL about Donald Trump, climate change and the state of democracs inside the EU. After that, I started to speak frequently and directly with the representatives, for many hours at a time. DER SPIEGEL: The British government would like to secure a comprehensive deal on future relations by the end of 2020. Von der Leyen: It is clear that the costs for climate protection can't simply be passed on one-to-one. Von der Leyen: Together with all member states, we have collected ideas with the goal of arriving at a common European position. Das Thema des Tages: Ursula von der Leyen im Interview Am 1. Both sides, though, are now eager to establish close cooperation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged failures in the procurement of coronavirus vaccines in an interview with German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung … Von der Leyen: We are facing a huge task, but there is also new momentum. One of these standards has to be that the companies that provide us with these highly sensitive technologies are independent and cannot be coerced by their governments to provide data. DER SPIEGEL: If we may, your program reads as though Macron wrote it: climate protection, European minimum wage, a "European unemployment benefits reinsurance scheme.". Poland and Hungary are veering toward a more autocratic model. Von der Leyen: We have to speak in depth about this issue. Von der Leyen: The "United States of Europe" is a project for my children. Heads of government like Viktor Orbán of Hungary are quite happy to benefit from the EU financially but are otherwise opposed to almost everything for which Europe stands. Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech was an unabashed declaration that English now reigns supreme among the 24 languages of the European Union. On the other hand, though, the European Commission is vehemently opposed to sanctions against European companies that are legal participants in projects. DER SPIEGEL: The EU can only demonstrate strength externally if it is unified internally. Von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, said while collective decision-making could be cumbersome, it ensures that the poorest countries in the EU are not left behind, according to French newspaper La Croix . Of course, there are controversial issues when it comes to economic and trade relations, but that's just part of the story. DER SPIEGEL: The U.S. ambassador in Germany, Richard Grenell, claims that with the sanctions introduced against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the U.S. has the support of 15 European countries, the European Parliament and the European Commission. And in the cases of Poland and Hungary, our message is extremely clear. DER SPIEGEL: Another conflict with the U.S. centers around the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. We use cookies to improve our service for you. According to figures collected by Oxford University's Our World In Data, a little over 3% of the EU population had been vaccinated by Tuesday. "We focussed a lot on the question of whether there would be a vaccine, on its development," the EU chief said. European commission chief defends record, saying EU’s slower approval process was ‘right decision’. This problem came to a head when the EU threatened to stop exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the EU to the UK over concerns that the EU was not receiving its fair share. You are planning to submit proposals on the issue soon. DER SPIEGEL: Poland insisted on an exception. DER SPIEGEL: Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on the climate and has also chosen a confrontational approach to Europe on trade. What would you like to achieve? I remember the beginning of the pandemic. What is your strategy? The unemployment reinsurance plan, meanwhile, is essentially no different than the program we used in Germany to get through the hard times following the 2008 financial crisis. The 28 EU member countries have agreed on their nominees for the bloc's top jobs. To take one example, we in Europe are working towards CO2-neutral steel production in a few years. It's not always easy, but Europe arrives at a fair settlement, while in the U.S. things are frequently imbalanced in favor of the market or, in China, the state. DER SPIEGEL: In Brussels, many see you as an emissary of Merkel's, but in Berlin, there is a feeling that you are closely aligned with French President Emmanuel Macron, who essentially opened the door to your appointment. Is he right? Our priority is rapid assistance and it will be provided. The European Commission had no competence in health policy, and it took us some time to convince the member states that we should have a common European approach. The 5G and 6G infrastructures are critical technologies for the secure flow of data in Europe, for our economy, for public administration and for the private sector. It is important to me that Europe achieves a sustainable solution for protecting our borders and for a humane migration policy. Von der Leyen: I don't see it as a vertical arrangement. Or would it perhaps make sense to disengage from someone like Orbán and give up the principle of unanimity? Von der Leyen used three languages in her speech: in order of appearance, French, English and German. | Mobile version, goal of vaccinating 70% of the adult population. In the interview with German newspapers, Von der Leyen reiterated that the EU's contract with AstraZeneca states that vaccines destined for the bloc would be produced in both EU and UK plants. The Brexit drama has already become a bitter lesson for all those populists who have fantasized about leaving the EU. Von der Leyen: The great thing about the last several weeks is that I was able to put together my own majority in European Parliament. During your tenure as German defense minister, you had harsh words of criticism for Trump on occasion - for his comments about NATO, for example, but also for his closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Von der Leyen: As president of the European Commission, I cannot interfere in German national politics. Over the last five years, the international situation has shown that it isn't helpful for any country to stand completely on its own. In contrast to other areas, the British were extremely reserved when it came to joint security policy and blocked some advances within the EU. The number of SUV registrations is also climbing by the year. As such, I have a sense for the unique perspective of America and the Americans. It Certainly Didn't Hurt Europe', Paris Soloist: Macron Plays Fox in the EU Hen House. She won by a slim majority, with 383 out of 747 votes. The major barrier for further roll out has been a lack of doses for which many blame the EU's joint vaccine procurement program. We have to better prepare ourselves for those moments. Von der Leyen said the EU was “just starting” and the commission’s strategy was “the right one”, in an interview with Le Monde and other European newspapers. Even beyond those two issues, there is a fair amount of friction between the U.S. and the EU. DER SPIEGEL: Where do you see Europe from a geopolitical perspective? URSULA von der Leyen's incompetent heading up of the EU's calamitous vaccination programme inadvertently kickstarted the UK's booming vaccine industry, an expert has claimed. In the family, she has been known since childhood as Röschen, a diminutive of Rose. Brexit has cost a lot of political capital. Newsnight is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs TV programme - with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews. Legal notice | DER SPIEGEL: That would take Huawei out of the equation. Munich Security Conference - DW talks to Ursula von der Leyen, German Defense Minister | DW English. And that's why you have to evaluate the final result. In my generation, the priority is that of putting Europe in a strong position. But you're actually a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union. It's not just about trade policy, but also about security issues and fishing rights, to name just a couple of examples. Six years ago, Mali faced collapse in the face of terror, and there was a political will in Europe to do something to help. DER SPIEGEL: But what if people don't want to change their lifestyles? We won't solve the problem by forcibly compelling certain EU member states to act. Von der Leyen: The consequences of Brexit will actually be less severe when it comes to foreign and security policy.