European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a stark warning to Australia’s federal parliament, calling on democracies to unite against a “brutal, harsh and unforgiving” world turned “upside down.” She emphasizes that nations must rearm and decarbonize to reduce economic and energy dependencies on China and Russia.
A Shifted Global Landscape
“The world we live in is brutal, harsh and unforgiving. It feels upside down. What we knew as certainties are in question,” von der Leyen states during the landmark address, the first by a female world leader to the joint sitting.
She notes that Europe’s recognition of the need for a more independent strategic posture stems from recent global shifts. “The comfort blanket of yesterday is ripped away. It is confronting,” she adds. “But the world we are living in is also a more honest one. We are saying out loud what has changed and how we are changing.”
Australia’s geographic distance offers no protection amid these changes. “Distance is no longer a protection or a luxury. The world has changed, but we get to choose how to shape our responses,” von der Leyen declares. “While we have not always maximised this potential, our kinship has always bound us. And our cultures have always understood one another.”
Addressing Authoritarian Alliances
Von der Leyen highlights the “unimaginable” image of North Koreans fighting Ukrainians on European soil as evidence of authoritarian regimes uniting against democracies. She praises a new EU-Australia security partnership that enhances defense industrial cooperation.
“As our adversaries adapt to cooperate together, we too must respond together,” she says. “Because when we stand side-by-side we are stronger.”
Strategic Focus on China
China’s massive exports threaten Europe’s industrial base and supply chains, pushing toward de-industrialization. Von der Leyen urges joint action to rebalance global trade. “Both the threat to our supply-chain security and the shock to our industrial base need urgent responses,” she explains. “These are responses we can only devise together. For both Europe and Australia, getting China right is a strategic imperative.”
A new free trade deal liberalizes Australia’s critical minerals access for Europe, delivering mutual strategic gains. “We cannot be over-dependent on any supplier for such crucial ingredients. And that is precisely why we need each other,” von der Leyen states. “Our security is your security. And with our new security partnership, we have each other’s backs.”
Decarbonization and Climate Action
Decarbonization forms a core element of the free trade agreement, with climate change intensifying events across regions. “We all know what we are seeing is more severe. Dorothea Mackellar wrote of Australia’s droughts and flooding rains affecting your sunburnt country,” she references. “But the point is these climatic events have become more frequent and more intense. And it is our common responsibility to find solutions to power the planet we leave our children.”
