Ursula von der Leyen’s speech to Parliament

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The Chamber and the galleries were filling up, with a number of senators filling the seats in the centre aisle. Curiously, the Conservative benches were pretty empty—even Pierre Poilievre was absent. Normally at events like these, they let staffers come in as seat-fillers, and even with a larger-than-expected number of staffers in the Conservative seats, the back row was still largely empty, which was a bit mysterious and makes one wonder about the reasons why.

Justin Trudeau was up first, noting that he spoke at the European Parliament in Brussels last year, and how much of an honour it was to able to reciprocate. In French, he talked about how Putin thought he could divide Europe with his invasion of Ukraine, and a year later, it was clear how wrong he was. He praised von der Leyen’s defence of democracy, and that Canada is proud to call her a friend. He also noted that she is only the sixth woman to address the Canadian Parliament, the first European Commission president, and that she is standing up against autocracy. Trudeau also praised other woman taking a stand—Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and the women of Iran, and that it was important to empower their voices. 

von der Leyen took the lectern, and thanked “Dear Justin,” the assembled parliamentarians and guests, and thanked them for welcoming her to the heart of Canada, and the home of Canadian democracy. She noted that hard times reveal true friends, which is what Canada and the European Union are. She noted the contributions of Canadians in wars in Europe, and noted her own German nationality and that it was Naziism that threatened the world, and that European allies including Canada brought freedom and democracy. She praised Canada for building a welcoming community, and compared it to the European Union as a community of values and destiny.

von der Leyen moved onto the invasion of Ukraine, and the effect that had on the people of that country, because Putin refuses to recognise their freedom, and that we cannot accept that an military power with fantasies of empire can just roll tanks over the borders of their neighbours. She praised Canada’s efforts to stand up for Ukraine and to stand up for the United Nations Charter. She praised Canada’s Operation UNIFIER, which has been instrumental in Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression, praising the professionalism that Canadian training imparted on them. “Canada has saved Ukraine in the first days,” she stated to applause. She praised Canada’s contribution to the support package Ukraine has put to get together, saying that Canada has contributed “beyond its fair share.” She also stated that Russia must pay for its crimes of aggression, and praised the unified price cap on Russian oil. She also said that Ukrainians must be the masters of their own future, particularly their desire to join the EU.

von der Leyen noted Canadians and Europeans took in displaced Ukrainians, and noted the stories of escape and warm embraces. She switched to French to talk about Europe shaking its dependence on Russian gas, that Putin’s blackmailed failed, before noting Canada’s role in energy exports (which was perhaps a bit exaggerated) before praising renewable energy. She praised Canada’s climate actions and commitment to renewables, including the carbon price. She said that democracies must work together to reduce risks, that our values are at stake, and that Canada is a natural partner for Europe because of its resources but also for its respect for the environment, labour rights, and commitment to Indigenous rights.

Switching back to English, von der Leyen talked about the weakening of the post-war commitment to human rights, and that she saw the atrocities that happened in Bucha, Ukraine, once it was Liberated. She decried Russia’s use of rape as a weapon of war, saying that the war was not only against human rights but women’s rights. She noted that in Ukraine, women were not allowed to be in combat operations when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, but that has since changed because those women insisted on it. Since the start of the war, the number of women in the army has doubled, while others do their part, pointing to Zelenskyy’s wife as emblematic of the courage of Ukrainian women, calling her an inspiration.

Noting that tomorrow is International Women’s Day, she praised Trudeau’s decision to name a gender-balanced Cabinet in 2015, and that she had followed his suit in the European Commission. She spoke about gender equality, and breaking down barriers for women, to build a world of fair chances. She said that while no democracy is perfect, all democracies are perfectible, before wrapping up her speech to yet more applause.

From here, we went to the responses. The Speaker of the Senate praised Europe’s friendship with Canada, and that protecting democracy and the rule of law is now more important than ever. Speaker Rota read some remarks about the EU being a bastion of hope and democracy, and that it was an inspiration. With one final round of applause, that was it. None of the other leaders got to give their own speeches, and the crowds filtered out.