Von der Leyen in Stockholm: “Many Streams Make a Mighty River” — Europe Must Unite for Security, Defence, and Green Competitiveness
#UrsulavonderLeyen #EuropeanCommission #NordicCouncilSummit
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a powerful address at the 77th Nordic Council Summit in Stockholm, urging Nordic and European unity in the face of mounting geopolitical and environmental challenges. Speaking before Nordic heads of state and parliamentarians, von der Leyen praised the Nordic nations for their democratic legacy, social resilience, and cultural influence, calling them “pioneers of democracy” and “pillars of Europe’s moral and social fabric.”
Her message centered on security, solidarity, and sustainability, warning that Europe stands “at the frontier of a fraying global order.” Von der Leyen highlighted recent Russian hybrid threats, including airspace violations, undersea cable sabotage, and cyberattacks, framing them as deliberate attempts to “wear us down and divide us.” Instead, she said, “the opposite is taking place — Europe is responding together.”
She commended Sweden and Finland for joining NATO, Denmark for deepening EU defence cooperation, and Norway and Iceland for forging closer security ties with Brussels. “Many small streams make a mighty river,” von der Leyen quoted a Swedish saying, symbolizing the region’s collective strength.
Addressing the war in Ukraine, she praised Nordic solidarity — from supplying weapons and drones to hosting refugees — and reaffirmed the EU’s long-term commitment: “We will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.” She confirmed the EU’s 19th sanctions package against Russia and progress on a reparations loan using immobilized Russian assets.
Von der Leyen unveiled the EU Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, designed to strengthen collective defence and cooperation with NATO, citing the Nordic “Lead Nation” model for joint procurement as a blueprint for the wider Union. “Europe must be able to protect every centimetre of its territory,” she said.
The Commission President also called for a “Preparedness Union”, inspired by Nordic resilience practices such as Finland’s civil defence infrastructure and Sweden’s citizen-awareness campaigns. She credited former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö for advancing the concept at EU level.
Turning to the economy, von der Leyen underscored competitiveness as key to Europe’s independence, citing Nordic innovation in AI, renewable energy, and biotechnology. She announced a €500 billion Competitiveness Fund within the next EU budget to drive strategic sectors and the green transition, noting that “more than one third” will target climate and nature-related projects.
On climate and clean technology, she celebrated the Nordic region’s leadership — from wind power in Denmark to carbon capture in Norway and bio-economy in Finland — calling it “a great economic opportunity” as global clean-tech markets triple in value to over $2 trillion by 2035.
Finally, von der Leyen turned to the Arctic, warning that it is “warming four times faster than the rest of the planet.” She announced a review of the EU’s Arctic policy to counter new geopolitical threats, including Russian militarization and Chinese shipping routes. She emphasized sustainable development, local engagement, and strategic resource cooperation with Greenland and northern Sweden, calling the Arctic’s economic strength “key to Europe’s strategic independence.”
Von der Leyen closed with a call for unity, invoking the Nordic proverb once again: “Many streams make a mighty river — let us make it flow even stronger for our continent and generations to come.”
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