Von der Leyen calls for stronger European voice on world stage

BRUSSELS, July 16 (KUNA) -- The only candidate for President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Tuesday said that the world needs more Europe.
"As a Defence Minister, I have been many times in this war-torn neighbourhood (Middle East). I will never forget the words of former President of Iraq Masoum, who said: We want to see more Europe here. The world is calling for more Europe. The world needs more Europe," she said.
Von der Leyen, the current German defence minister, presented before the European Parliament in Strasbourg today her political agenda for the five-year mandate of the next European Commission.
"I believe Europe should have a stronger and more united voice in the world - and it needs to act fast," she stressed.
She noted that the cornerstone of our "collective defence will always be NATO. We will stay transatlantic and we have to become more European. This is why we created the European Defence Union." The German politician who was born and raised in Brussels addressed the Members of the European Parliament in three languages, French, German and English.
The European Parliament will vote in a secret ballot today evening to endorse or reject her as the head of the EU's executive body. She needs the backing of an absolute majority of 374 votes.
If elected she will be the first woman to become the President of the European Commission.
Her speech also touched on issues like climate change, migration, youth and economy.
"Our most pressing challenge is keeping our planet healthy. This is the greatest responsibility and opportunity of our times. I want Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050," she said.
Von der Leyen said that "in the last five years, more than 17,000 people have drowned in the Mediterranean, which has become one of the deadliest borders in the world." "At sea there is the duty to save lives and in our Treaties and conventions there is the legal and moral duty to respect the dignity of every human being," she said.
The German defence minister referred to her personal experience with a Syrian refugee.
"Four years ago, I was lucky enough to welcome a 19-year old refugee from Syria into my home and my family. He spoke no German and was deeply scarred by his experience of civil war and flight. Today, 4 years later, he is fluent in German, English and Arabic. He is a community leader by day, in vocational training and a student for his high school degree by night. He is an inspiration for us all. One day, he wants to go home," she noted.
Referring to Brexit, she said that for the very first time in 2016 an EU Member State decided to leave the European Union.
"This is a serious decision. We regret it, but we respect it. Since then, together with the current government of the United Kingdom, the European Union has worked hard to organise the orderly departure of the United Kingdom," concluded von der Leyen. (end) nk.mt