Von der Leyen to convene first-ever Security College
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will soon convene the first ever Security College, designed to ensure that commissioners are regularly updated on security threats and developments.
Tuesday marks 100 days since the start of the new European Commission with Von der Leyen at the helm. The start of the new legislature on 1 December feels "like a lifetime ago", Von der Leyen said at a press conference to mark the occasion, citing "geopolitical shifts" that are "shaking alliances" and the crumbling of "decades-old certainties".
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures"
Von der Leyen announced that a Security College would be convened in the coming weeks. Without giving many details, she said the initiative was part of efforts to "switch to a preparedness mindset". "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," she said.
US remains ally
The intention is to involve all commissioners, underlining that every area should be included in the analysis of threats. Von der Leyen gave the example of Russian manoeuvres around gas supplies four years ago or the flow of migrants from Iraq at the Polish border shortly afterwards. These examples show that Europe needs to broaden its threat analysis, she said.
"The common interests of the EU and the US remain greater than the differences"
Responding to questions from the press, Von der Leyen added that despite all the recent statements and actions of president Trump and his administration, the US remains an ally. The common interests of the EU and the US remain greater than the differences, she said, adding that there was no question of applying a de-risking strategy to relations with the US, as had been done with China.
© PHOTO WIKTOR DABKOWSKI/ZUMA PRESS WIRE
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