Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the EU’s executive president issued a rallying call to unite member states facing an energy crisis as winter approaches. Von der Leyen described the Russian invasion as not just a war in Ukraine, but “a war on our economy, a war on our values and a war on our future.” Dressed in the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine’s national flag, the Commission president announced she would visit Kyiv later on Wednesday and planned detailed talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to ensure Ukraine’s “unhindered access to the single market ». Ukraine’s first lady, Olenka Zelenska, was in the audience in Strasbourg and was applauded by MEPs. Von der Leyen pledged to work with Zelenska to rebuild Ukrainian schools and pledged 100 million euros (£87 million) in EU funds. An estimated 70 schools have been damaged or completely destroyed by Russia. The president of the European Commission, who has already visited Kyiv twice since the war broke out, also said the EU would stay the course with its sanctions on Russia. “Sanctions are here to stay,” he said. “It is time to show determination, not appeasement.” He said the EU’s economic restrictions on the Russian economy were working and offered some impressive claims. “The Russian military is taking chips from dishwashers and refrigerators to repair their military equipment because they ran out of semiconductors.” As expected, Von der Leyen confirmed that the Commission is moving ahead with windfall taxes on the excessive profits of energy companies. EU officials hope to raise 140 billion euros, which will be channeled to vulnerable households and businesses struggling with a tenfold increase in gas prices since before the Covid pandemic. “The big oil, gas and coal companies are also making huge profits,” Von der Leyen said. “So they have to pay fairly – they have to contribute to the crisis.” It also confirmed that the profits of low-carbon power producers, renewable energy and nuclear power companies would also be cut, with funds redistributed to people in need. The Commission has backed down on the idea of a gas price cap. EU member states were divided over which countries the cap should cover, with some staunchly opposed to the idea, fearing a threat to security of supply. EU suggests profits from energy businesses go ‘to those who need it most’ – video Von der Leyen suggested she had not abandoned a price cap in some form, promising to develop “a set of measures that will take into account the special nature of our relationship with suppliers, ranging from unreliable suppliers like Russia to reliable friends like Norway”. . And in a victory for countries such as Spain and France that have long complained about EU electricity market rules, he promised “deep and comprehensive reform” that would help consumers benefit from cheaper renewables. The wide-ranging speech also touched on the climate crisis, with Von der Leyen arguing that the record-breaking hot and dry summer of 2022 should spur efforts to adapt. He promised to double the EU’s fleet of firefighting planes and helicopters to fight forest fires. He also opened the door to a revision of the EU’s founding treaties and promised tougher anti-corruption rules within EU member states. Focusing on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, von de Leyen called for a review of policies from energy to the treatment of refugees. In a reference to the EU’s long-running talks on joint management of asylum seekers, Von der Leyen said: “Our actions towards Ukrainian refugees must not be an exception. They can be a blueprint for what’s to come.” He also acknowledged long-standing complaints by Poland and the Baltic states that their warnings about the Russian president went unheeded in Western Europe. “We should have listened to the voices within our union … We have been told for years that Putin will not stop.” Unlike similar speeches in recent years, there was no direct reference to the UK, although Von der Leyen, an Anglophile who studied at the London School of Economics, paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. “He’s a legend,” Von der Leyen said. “She has been steadfast through all the tumultuous and transformative events of the past 70 years.”
