Ursula von der Leyen: 'The West as we knew it no longer exists'

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told German weekly Die Zeit that "the West as we knew it no longer exists," in an interview in which she spoke about the "historic" changes taking place as a result of Donald Trump's presidency in the US.

Ursula von der Leyen: 'The West as we knew it no longer exists'

"Europe is still a peace project. We don't have bros or oligarchs making the rules. We don't invade our neighbours, and we don't punish them," Ursula von der Leyen said in a wide-ranging interview with the Zeit newspaper.

Since Donald Trump's second appointment, "Historical" has changed, says EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – and explains how Europe needs to react.

The West as we knew it no longer exists; a new world order is emerging, and Europe is playing an important role in shaping it, said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in an interview for the German weekly “Die Zeit”. “The world order we have become accustomed to has turned into a world disorder. (...) That is why we need a new European Union that is ready to play an active role in shaping the new order,” the head of …

The West as we knew it no longer exists; a new world order is emerging, and Europe is playing an important role in shaping it, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with the German weekly Die Zeit.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday (April 16, 2025) that the “historic” changes brought about by President Donald Trump’s (Republican Party) second term in the United States mean that the West “as we knew it” no longer exists. Despite this, she praised the relationship with the country and defended the bloc’s position regarding the tariffs imposed by the Republican. “The world has also become a globe geopolitica…