Overview
- Ursula von der Leyen used her 2025 Charlemagne Prize acceptance speech to call for a 'Pax Europaea', envisioning an autonomous European security structure.
- The European Commission has released up to €800 billion to help member states boost defense spending and capabilities.
- Germany will increase its military budget to 3.5 percent of GDP and dedicate an extra 1.5 percent of GDP to broader security expenses.
- von der Leyen highlighted that the established international order has disintegrated and forecast a new global framework emerging before 2030.
- The initiative addresses risks from the Russia-Ukraine war and worries over declining U.S. defense commitments in Europe.