Von der Leyen urges Europe to shape new global order

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the creation of an independent Europe on Thursday after receiving the prestigious Charlemagne Prize in the western German city of Aachen.

"An independent Europe - I know this message sounds scary to many people. But this is essentially about our freedom," von der Leyen said.

She warned of the misconception of trusting that everything will return to the way it was before. "That will not happen. Because the geopolitical tensions are enormous."

"The world is once again shaped by imperial powers and imperial wars. By great powers that are prepared to use all means, fair and foul, to gain an advantage," she said, noting Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a striking example of this trend.

"A new international order will emerge within this decade," von der Leyen said. She emphasized that Europe must shape this order. "Our mission is European independence."

The Charlemagne Prize is widely regarded as the highest honour for contributions to European unity. The award committee praised von der Leyen for "keeping Europe united, resilient and capable of action."

The EU politician wants her prize money of €1 million ($1.1 million) which is being awarded for the first time this year, to be used for projects benefitting Ukrainian children.

The award recipient decides jointly with the Charlemagne Prize board how the prize money should be used. The money was donated by a married couple of entrepreneurs from Aachen.