Politics & Power Quote by Ursula von der Leyen

“Truly independent” is doing double duty here: it’s an aspiration and an accusation. Ursula von der Leyen is sketching a Europe that can stand on its own feet, but the phrase only lands because it implies the opposite condition has been normal - strategic dependence, mainly on the United States for hard security, and on a fragile mix of Russian energy and Chinese markets for economic stability. The ellipsis matters, too. It’s a politician’s glide path from idealism to policy, a pause that lets listeners fill in the threat landscape themselves: Ukraine, cyberwarfare, disinformation, electoral interference, border shocks.

“Free of fear of change” is a subtle rebuke aimed inward. It speaks to Europe’s institutional risk-aversion: the slow compromises, the veto culture, the comfort of incrementalism. Framed this way, change isn’t chaos; it’s the overdue modernization of defense procurement, energy systems, and industrial policy. She’s trying to rebrand disruption as responsibility.

Then she tightens the screw: “investing in our security” signals money, not mottos - higher defense spending, joint capabilities, a more coherent European defense-industrial base. It’s also a bid for credibility with partners who have long doubted Europe’s follow-through.

The final clause, “reaffirming our democratic values with concrete action,” is the tell. Values are treated as a liability unless enforced. In today’s EU, that points to rule-of-law battles with member states, sanction regimes, tech regulation, and migration policy - the places where Europe’s self-image gets stress-tested. Von der Leyen’s intent is to turn “Europe” from a moral brand into an operational project.