European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Central Europe for its growing strategic importance in the EU in her opening speech at the GLOBSEC conference in Prague.
The conference took place from 30 August to 1 September.
Central Europe is not only geographically at the heart of Europe, but it is also politically and strategically central to the future of the European Union.
Von der Leyen also called for a review of Europe’s security architecture against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, which she called a serious warning signal.
“For decades, many said that economic interdependence was the ultimate source of security. You all know that Europe was buying Russian gas. And this was supposed to be the guarantee that Moscow would never start a new war on the old continent. This was an illusion.”
She also stressed that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defence. The EU should strengthen its capacity for self-defence and deterrence of potential threats, the president added.
Our aim must be to build continent-size defence output. You must be at the heart of our Union’s future. I count on you.
