The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, appealed this Saturday to revive the mutual defense clause of the European Union (EU) during a speech in which she urged Europe to be more independent to guarantee its own security.
“I believe that the time has come to give life to Europe’s mutual defense clause. Mutual defense is not an optional task for the EU (…) It is our collective commitment to support each other in the event of aggression,” said the European leader during her speech at the Munich Security Conference.
“We face the clear threat of external forces trying to weaken our Union from within. The return of openly hostile competition and power relations. The European way of life is challenged in new ways. In all areas, from territorial to tariffs or technological regulations,” he assured.
“In essence, all of this points to a simple reality in today’s fractured world: Europe no longer has any choice but to increase its independence,” Von der Leyen said during her appearance at the Munich Security Conference.
This clause was introduced in the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007, in the so-called Article 42.7 by which EU Member States have “the obligation to provide aid and assistance with all the means at their disposal” if another Member State is the victim of aggression on its territory.
Assistance can be military, but could also include diplomatic support or medical assistance.
However, Von der Leyen added that “this commitment only has weight if it is based on trust and capacity” and noted that the EU must be faster in making decisions.
“This may mean basing ourselves on the result of a qualified majority instead of unanimity,” he suggested, pointing out that this would not require changing the rules of the community bloc, but that “we also have to be creative.”
The European mutual defense clause, in the eyes of Von der Leyen, must represent the backbone of the new European Security Strategy built.” from “all our policy tools: trade, finance, standards, data, critical infrastructure, technology platforms and information.”
“We need a new doctrine for this, with a simple objective: to ensure that Europe can defend its own territory, its economy, its democracy and its way of life at all times,” he said.
“In Europe we must be prepared and willing to use our force assertively and proactively to protect our security interests. We need a new doctrine for this, with a simple objective: to ensure that Europe can defend its own territory, economy, democracy and way of life at all times. Because this is, ultimately, the true meaning of independence,” Von der Leyen concluded.
Likewise, the president of the European Executive emphasized “formalizing the beginnings of new collaborations on security” with countries such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland and Canada.
Von der Leyen has appeared at one of the most important international forums of the year just minutes after the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, proclaimed before the same attendees the end of the “deception” of liberal democracies.
Just as he proposed to Europe a new model of relations under the aegis of the nationalism of the American president, Donald Trump, the same one who began his second term by declaring a tariff war on Europe.
In this situation, Von der Leyen has called for self-sufficiency “in all dimensions.”
“Some might say that the word ‘independence’ contradicts our transatlantic bond. But the opposite is true. An independent Europe is a strong Europe. And a strong Europe strengthens the transatlantic alliance,” he assured.
All of this, based on imperative security needs because “limits have been crossed that can no longer be undone” for a fundamental reason such as the war in Ukraine, a conflict that has increased spending by 80 percent in 2025 compared to before the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, a “shock therapy” for Europe.
Finally, the German politician and former Minister of Defense urged “tearing down the rigid wall that separates the civil and defense sectors” and beginning to consider the automobile, aerospace and heavy machinery industries “as a fundamental part of the defense value chain.”