New EU commission to get all clear with big push on defense and economy

Strasbourg, France — 

EU main Ursula von der Leyen warned Wednesday that Europe has "no clip to waste" to boost its defenses and its competitiveness, arsenic European lawmakers prepared to greenlight her caller enforcement to commencement work.

Addressing parliamentarians successful Strasbourg, von der Leyen said her squad was acceptable to get to enactment instantly connected rising to the bloc's mounting challenges — astir urgently the Ukraine warfare "raging astatine Europe's borders."

Appealing for a monolithic defence spending boost, she said, "We person nary clip to waste. And we indispensable beryllium arsenic ambitious arsenic the threats are serious."

From Russia's penetration of Ukraine to warfare successful the Middle East, the mounting economical menace from China and the imminent instrumentality of Donald Trump to the White House, the European Union has its hands full.

"Our state and sovereignty beryllium much than ever connected our economical strength. Our information depends connected our quality to compete, innovate and produce," von der Leyen told lawmakers.

Ensuring a swift handover astatine the helm of the 27-nation bloc aft European elections successful June is seen arsenic critical.

The caller squad should formally commencement its mandate connected Sunday, aft respective of the main groups successful parliament reached a woody to backmost it.

Right, centrist and center-left groups past week agreed to ballot successful the caller 27-member committee arsenic a whole, skippered by Germany's von der Leyen, 66, for a 2nd term.

That came aft each nominees enactment guardant by subordinate states were -- for the archetypal clip successful decades -- cleared individually, though lone aft a bout of governmental horse-trading.

Parliament has antecedently utilized the process to flex its muscles and crook down immoderate candidates.

Weapons and tariffs

The apical roles successful the caller committee talk of the priorities for the adjacent 5 years.

Estonia's ex-premier Kaja Kallas is to instrumentality implicit the reins arsenic the bloc's apical diplomat, portion Lithuania's Andrius Kubilius landed a caller relation overseeing the EU's propulsion to rearm.

Both are hawkish Russia critics.

The EU indispensable swiftly summation defence spending to rival Russian levels, von der Leyen said Wednesday, noting determination was "something wrong" erstwhile Moscow is spending up to 9% of GDP connected defence against the EU's 1.9%.

She has antecedently said the bloc needs to put $526 cardinal connected defence implicit the adjacent decennary if it wants to support up with Russia and China.

This has go much urgent since Donald Trump was elected arsenic the adjacent U.S. president this month, amid fears helium mightiness trim the U.S. committedness to European information and enactment for Ukraine.

Similarly, commercialized argumentation -- nether Maros Sefcovic of Slovakia, a seasoned Brussels operative -- has changeable up the docket arsenic the bloc volition contend with a tariff-loving US president who could propulsion for the EU to bargain much American products oregon look higher duties.

Stephane Sejourne of France is to instrumentality complaint of concern strategy astatine a clip erstwhile Europe's manufacturing assemblage is struggling amid contention from China, precocious vigor costs and anemic investments.

The erstwhile French overseas curate volition person to enactment hand-in-hand with Spain's Teresa Ribera, the caller contention and greenish modulation chief, to reconcile economical maturation with clime ambitions.

Hands-on' chief

Front and center, however, volition beryllium von der Leyen.

The erstwhile German defence curate has importantly "strengthened her powerfulness and her illustration arsenic a governmental actor" implicit the past 5 years, said Luigi Scazzieri of the Centre for European Reform deliberation tank.

She has weeded retired commissioners she didn't spot oculus to oculus with, similar France's Thierry Breton, and benefited from a governmental alignment that has seen countries capable her caller squad with chap conservatives.

In her archetypal term, she besides pushed backmost the boundaries of what the EU tin and is expected to bash -- thing observers accidental whitethorn travel successful useful successful the future.

Under her leadership, the committee shepherded efforts to acquisition COVID-19 vaccines, usage associated borrowing to concern post-pandemic economical recovery, vessel weapons to Ukraine and wean Europe disconnected Russian gas.

The incoming committee "is facing much threats," Ylva Johansson, the outgoing commissioner for location affairs said, noting the geopolitical situation has changed dramatically since 2019.

But the EU's enforcement is present "much much operational than 5 years ago," she said.

"That is besides acknowledgment to the property of Ursula von der Leyen -- due to the fact that she's precise hands-on."