Tension in Brussels over Von der Leyen's words about a world order that "no longer exists"

European Commission (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen received a response this Tuesday from other senior officials of the European Union institutions for statements made the day before.

The Portuguese President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the Spanish Vice-President of the EU, Teresa Ribera, are the high-profile leaders who have most distanced themselves from von der Leyen, and have received criticism from the European Parliament, the Spanish Government and some experts.

The head of the European Union Executive was previously targeted by many who had expressed support for the US and Israel for the conflict in the Middle East. Indeed, he also said yesterday that the fall of the Iranian regime did not deserve to shed "tears."

"We need a system of global governance based on standards. Of course, the United Nations system must also be reconsidered. And when traditional formats are not effective, it is up to us to find creative ways to resolve the most serious crises of our time," Von der Leyen said on Monday at the annual conference of EU ambassadors.

He added that 'Europe cannot be the guardian of a world that has disappeared and will not return, the old world order' and, although the EU has' always' defended 'a system based on rules',  stressed that Europe cannot confine itself to that structure to protect its interests.

"We need to build our own European path and find new ways of cooperating with our partners," Von der Leyen said. However, he made no mention in his speech that the US-Israel attack on Iran took place outside UN rules.

Community sources have pointed out that the aim of this speech was not to undermine respect for the system based on rules, but to stress that, in an increasingly contentious world, the EU cannot use these protections as the only means of defending its interests.

In this context, the German politician wanted Brussels to invest in building its own path based on its foundational values, so that the bloc could use its strengths to achieve greater independence.

Europe's "mission"

The President of the European Council has responded to the words of the conservative leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Germany and has done so in the same forum as Von der Leyen 24 hours earlier. "Russia violates peace, China disrupts trade and the United States defies the international order based on rules. In this new reality, what should be the mission of the European Union? First, we must defend the international order based on rules," said Costa.

The Vice-President of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera, for her part, has said that von der Leyen 'may not have spoken in the most appropriate way', but has stated that the German politician is' absolutely committed to the international order '.

From the European Parliament, the President of the Social Democratic Group, Iratxe Garcia, expressed on Tuesday her 'concern' about the words' which, without proper reflection, call multilateralism and diplomacy into question '.

The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has said that the Government "fully shares the words of Antonio Costa" and that "there is no opposition between an old order and a new order", but "between international order and disorder".

Spain's second Vice-President, Yolanda Díaz, in statements to TVE public television, has described as' unfortunate 'the words of the EU President, who has said that instead of relying on international legality, she opted for' barbarism '.