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Ursula von der Leyen:We need to significantly increase our defense industrial capacity, we need a defense commissioner
The European Union must significantly increase its industrial defense capacity in the next five years, and for this it is necessary to increase spending, said Thursday, at the EPP Congress in Bucharest, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who also called for the creation of a position of European Commissioner for Defence.
Security in Europe also means doing more for our own defense. Our common goal should be very clear. We must significantly increase our defense industrial capacity in the next five years. And at the heart of this must be a simple principle. Europe must spend more, Europe must spend better and Europe must spend European money. And this will help us cover the urgent need to rebuild, restore and modernize the armed forces of the member states. And to continue to support Ukraine, said Ursula von der Leyen in the speech given on the occasion of the vote for her designation as a candidate of the European People's Party for the presidency of the European Commission.
She stressed that Europe must develop and produce "the next generation of operational capabilities that win battles" and called for the creation of a "Commissioner for Defense for the next mandate".
In the EPP Manifesto for the European elections at the beginning of June, adopted on Wednesday at the Congress in Bucharest, it is mentioned that a position of "commissioner for security and defense should be established, which would better coordinate the aspects related to defense within the competences of the EU and promote cooperation, as well as a Defense Council with the defense ministers of the member states".