President von der Leyen addressed students and faculty at RWTH Aachen University, highlighting the importance of Europe’s role in shaping the future. In her speech, she emphasized the values upon which Europe was founded and its evolution from six states to a union of 27. She stated, “Europe is a truly great gift. But there is no guarantee that Europe will continue to move forward.”
Von der Leyen touched on Russia’s war against Ukraine, attributing it to Ukraine’s desire to join the EU and President Putin’s fear of democracy. She said, “Putin is ultimately afraid of too much Europe. Because he fears the power of freedom and the appeal of democracy.”
The president spoke about scientific progress, citing Thorsten Sieß’s development of a heart pump as an example of innovation stemming from academic freedom. Von der Leyen noted, “Developed and produced here in Aachen by Thorsten Sieß – a former Engineering student at RWTH,” highlighting its impact on medical technology.
She announced the launch of the Choose Europe initiative aimed at removing regulatory obstacles for start-ups and facilitating venture capital access through measures like the European Innovation Act and Super Grant initiative.
In her address, von der Leyen also discussed environmental preservation as essential for intergenerational fairness: “Because those who come after us would never forgive us – and rightly so – if we shirked this task.”
Concluding her speech with encouragement for critical thinking among students, she quoted August von Kaven: “Gullibility is one of the main causes of mistakes.” She urged students to use their freedom for discovery and innovation.
