Von der Leyen calls for EU foreign policy to be ‘more realistic and interest-driven’

European Commission head says rules-based system can no longer be relied upon to protect the continent’s interests Europe can “no longer be a custodian for the old-world order” and needs “a more realistic and interest-driven foreign policy”, the head of the European Commission has said. Speaking to an audience of EU ambassadors on Monday, Ursula von der Leyen said the union “will always defend and uphold the rules-based system” but could no longer rely on it to defend European interests and shelter the continent from threats. She added: “We urgently need to reflect on whether our doctrine, our institutions and our decision making – all designed in a postwar world of stability and multilateralism – have kept pace with the speed of change around us. Whether the system that we built – with all of its well-intentioned attempts at consensus and compromise – is more a help or a hindrance to our credibility as a geopolitical actor.” Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister who pledged to lead a “geopolitical” commission when she took office in 2019, has faced criticism in recent days for her handling of the Iran war. A prominent MEP and former French m

Mar 9, 2026 → Mar 24, 2026