Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced the proposal for the establishment of a European Security Council in her speech at the European Parliament. This council is designed to enhance security and defense cooperation among European countries and partners like Canada, especially in light of increasing threats from Russia.
Closer Cooperation with Canada
In her speech held in Strasbourg, von der Leyen emphasized that the European Union and Canada, as two democracies facing a "gap in the rules-based international order," must expand their relations. She urged Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, to cooperate in making Canada the first associated member of the European Union. This request was met with a positive response from parliament representatives.
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Carney, who is recently seeking to deepen relations with the European Union, participated as the first head of a foreign government in the annual "State of the European Union" meeting. The aim of this meeting is to accelerate the progress of relations between the two sides ahead of the EU-Canada summit in Montreal next month.
Coalition for the Future and Security of Europe
Von der Leyen also stressed the need to go beyond trade cooperation and transform relations into a "coalition for the future." She announced that there should be more joint cooperation in various fields including technology, defense, energy, and cybersecurity.
In this context, she referred to plans for creating an "emergency security protocol" that would allow EU member states to initiate urgent negotiations in the event of a crisis. This plan is particularly important as Europe faces hybrid threats from Russia.
The President of the European Commission further added: "We must unite to respond appropriately to the dangers threatening the security of our continent. These threats are increasingly becoming a reality." She also promised that the EU's support for Ukraine against Russian attacks will increase ahead of winter.
Von der Leyen also pointed to the need to develop Europe's independent military capabilities and called for the creation of "a new European tool for strategic enablers." These actions demonstrate Europe's determination to strengthen its security and defense against global threats and could help foster closer cooperation with like-minded countries.
Ultimately, these developments in security and international cooperation could have wide-ranging impacts on democratic and security relations in the European continent and help strengthen Europe's position against global challenges.
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