European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on Sunday that the European Union can no longer rely solely on a "rules-based" system to counter mounting security threats, signaling a fundamental shift in the bloc's approach to foreign policy and defense.
The statement, delivered as EU leaders convened emergency consultations on the Iran crisis, represents a philosophical break from decades of European emphasis on international law, multilateral institutions, and diplomatic engagement over military power projection.
"The rules-based international order that has underpinned our security and prosperity is being systematically challenged," von der Leyen said, according to Reuters. "We must be willing to defend our interests and our values with all the tools at our disposal."
The Commission president's remarks come as Europe faces a confluence of crises: the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Iran conflict's threat to energy supplies, and an increasingly transactional US administration under President Donald Trump that has pressured European allies to contribute more to their own defense.
For the EU, which built its post-World War II identity around soft power, economic integration, and international norms, the shift represents a historic reorientation. The bloc has traditionally relied on sanctions, trade agreements, and diplomatic pressure rather than military force, even as member states maintain individual armed forces and NATO commitments.
"This is decades of EU philosophy changing," noted one Brussels-based policy analyst. "The European project was founded on the idea that rules and institutions could replace power politics. is acknowledging that adversaries who don't accept those rules have forced a rethink."
