EU can no longer rely on 'rules-based' system against threats, von der Leyen says

2026-03-09 10:38:35

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BRUSSELS, March 9 (Reuters) - The EU must be prepared to project its power more assertively as it can no longer rely on a “rules-based” ‌system against threats and must determine if its institutions and systems help or hinder its credibility, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.

“We will always defend ⁠and uphold the rules-based system that we helped to build with our allies, but we can no longer rely on it as the only way to defend our interests or assume its rules will shelter us from the complex threats that we face,” von der Leyen said ‌at ⁠a conference for EU ambassadors.

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“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,” she added.

Reporting by Lili Bayer; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Bart Meijer

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