Von der Leyen pushes for deeper EU integration in fight against US and China

According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union must move quickly towards deeper economic integration if it wants to survive increasingly fierce global competition. In a letter addressed to national leaders, she warned that the world is increasingly governed by "brute force, strategic rivalry, and the abuse of dependencies," according to Politico.

The response should be to strengthen the EU's competitiveness and greater economic integration. Von der Leyen criticized differing national rules and trading conditions that hinder businesses and weaken the single market.

The key priority is to remove internal barriers and reduce bureaucracy, on which the Commission intends to present a special report to leaders.

The topic will be the focus of attention at an informal summit in Belgium, where leaders will also discuss how to better leverage the size of the European economy. If consensus cannot be reached among all 27 states, the Commission admits that it will seek alternative solutions.

(mja)