Text analysis: How von der Leyen went from fluffy to fight in 5 short years

Five years ago, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen devoted her first State of the European Union address to her plans to use the Covid pandemic as a catalyst for positive change.

Now she says, “Europe must fight.”

The Commission president’s speech on Wednesday was marked by a grim read of geopolitical events ― from war and bloodshed in Ukraine and Gaza, to pressure from U.S. president Donald Trump and rising costs, a housing crisis and poverty at home.

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