Following the results of the European elections, Ursula von der Leyen delivered a statement at the European Parliament on 18 July 2024 to support her second mandate as European Commission President. Outlining her vision for the future, the President stated that Europe “can choose to invest in the security and defence of its own continent“. As part of this vision, the President went on to state that Europe’s investments in defence were still too low, ineffective and fragmented. To this end, the ambition for Europe must be to create a genuine single market in defence and to invest in more high-end defence capabilities. Ever since Russia’s war on Ukraine, these have been obvious components of a revitalised European defence, but the months and years ahead will be a genuine test of how far the EU is committed to protecting European citizens and defending Europe. 

Read