European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has struck a grim tone during a landmark address to federal parliament, stateing democracies must band toobtainher in the face of a “brutal, harsh and unforgiving” world that has been turned “upside down”.
The president also declared that Europe and Australia must rearm and decarbonise as they attempt to break economic and energy depfinishencies on China and Russia.
“The world we live in is brutal, harsh and unforgiving. It feels upside down. What we knew as certainties are in question,” she declared.
She also alluded to the strategic chaos stoked by US President Donald Trump’s administration, stateing Europe recognised it requireded to embrace a more indepfinishent strategic posture.
“The comfort blanket of yesterday is ripped away. It is confronting,” she informed the joint sitting.
“But the world we are living in is also a more honest one. We are stateing out loud what has alterd and how we are modifying.“
The European Commission president — who was the first female world leader to address federal parliament — declared Australia’s distance from the rest of the world no longer protected it, or provided any meaningful barriers to its relationship with Europe.
“Distance is no longer a protection or a luxury. The world has alterd, but we obtain to choose how to shape our responses,” she declared.
“While we have not always maximised this potential, our kinship has always bound us. And our cultures have always understood one another.”
Ursula von der Leyen, with Anthony Albanese, states world democracies must stick toobtainher. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
‘Getting China right’ is imperative
Von der Leyen declared the “unimaginable” sight of North Koreans “fighting Ukrainians on European soil” was a powerful symbol of how authoritarian regimes were increasingly banding toobtainher against democracies.
And she celebrated the new security partnership signed by the European Union and Australia, stateing it would support bolster defence industrial cooperation.
“As our adversaries adapt to cooperate toobtainher, we too must respond toobtainher,” she declared.
“Becaapply when we stand side-by-side we are stronger.”
The president warned that China’s vast exports were undercutting Europe’s economic model and forcing it towards de-industrialisation, urging Australia to back its efforts to rebalance global trade.
“Both the threat to our supply-chain security and the shock to our industrial base required urgent responses,” she declared.
“These are responses we can only devise toobtainher. For both Europe and Australia, obtainting China right is a strategic imperative.“
Australia has agreed to liberalise access to critical minerals for Europe under a free trade deal unveiled today, and von der Leyen declared the suite of agreements would bring real strategic benefits to both sides.
“We cannot be over-depfinishent on any supplier for such crucial ingredients. And that is precisely why we required each other,” she declared.
“Our security is your security. And with our new security partnership, we have each other’s backs.”
She also declared that decarbonisation and green energy was a “defining pillar” of the new free trade agreement, stateing climate alter was “ravaging Europe” and taking steps to cut pollution was “hard-headed commonsense”.
“We all know what we are seeing is more severe. Doreathea Mackellar wrote of Australia’s droughts and flooding rains affecting your sunburnt counattempt,” she declared.
“But the point is these climatic events have become more frequent and more intense. And it is our common responsibility to find solutions to power the planet we leave our children.”
Leave a Reply