Credit: ec.europa.eu/  Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission in Brussels,  Belgium

By Gary Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC TIMES

“I do not know what it is to be black,” Ursula von der Leyen, a German, and president of the European Commission  stated.  The European Union’s top official made the remark during an impassioned speech at European Parliament in Brussels last week on the subject of race and discrimination in the wake of the death of George Floyd. The unarmed African-American’s death on 25 May was captured on video while a police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes in Minneapolis, sparking worldwide protest.  von der Leyen said “it is time we talked about racism – openly and honestly” while admitting there is a lack of racial and ethnic diversity within the EU’s  institutions.

“I do not know what it is to be black, or a member of any other ethnic, religious or sexual minority in the places I have lived. I have never experienced what it is to be treated differently simply because of the way I was born. I do not know what it is – to be treated with suspicion, – day after day, – walking down the street, – or doing my groceries; – applying for a job, – or moving in to a new home.  Most of us in this room do not know.”

-Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission 

van der Leyen said many fellow citizens  “know and are telling us loud and clear that we have let racism happen for far too long”.   All of the EU Commissioners in the 27-nation bloc are white like van der Leyen.  In a resolution adopted on Friday with 493 votes to 104 and 67 abstentions, the Parliament “strongly condemns the appalling death of George Floyd” in the US, as well as similar killings elsewhere in the world. MEPs called on the US authorities to address structural racism and inequalities, criticise the police crackdowns on peaceful protesters and journalists and President Trump’s threat to deploy the army as well as his “inflammatory rhetoric”.  

Credit: Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times /  Former Germany Federal Minister of Defense  Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen  at United Nations Security Council Debate on Women In  Peacekeeping,   UN world headquarters New York City, Apr. 11, 2019

“We relentlessly need to fight racism and discrimination: visible discrimination, of course. But also more subtle racism and discrimination – our unconscious biases. All sorts of racism and discrimination! In the justice system and law enforcement, in the labour and housing markets, in education and healthcare, in politics and migration. We should join forces, at all at all levels: European, national, regional, local, public or private, business and civil society, and each of us individually, as citizens. To build a Europe that is more equal, more humane, more fair. Let me be very clear: in our Union there is no place for racism or any form of discrimination.”

-Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission 

The EU top official added that the bloc needs to work together to answer difficult questions including:

– Why do racism and discrimination endure in our societies?
– Why are there political parties supporting xenophobia and racism that win elections?
– Why are members of ethnic and religious minorities underrepresented in political, social and
academic institutions,
– and overrepresented in poverty, illness and law enforcement statistics?
– What can we do in the fields of education, employment, healthcare, housing and more, to build an
open, fairer and more conscious society?
– What can we do so that our institutions better represent the diversity of our European societies?

“This is why I am here, as President of the European Commission. I want to get to the bottom of these questions.”

This week the European Commission will have a structured debate on racism in the College.  “We will talk about racism, and study its roots,” von der Leyen said.

ver der Leyen,  Former Germany Federal Minister of Defense

In 2013,  von der Leyen was appointed as Germany’s first female defence minister and served until 2019.  She spoke of one example of a small step in the right direction she said she  witnessed when was Defence Minister  in her home country.

“At the time, in the German armed forces, a recruiting system had been in place for decades that always favoured the same. We had some excellent candidates, who would bring valuable assets to our armed forces – sometimes rare assets, like speaking Arabic or Farsi – and yet, somehow, those assets were not valued. Not at all. In a mission abroad, such skills could save comrades’ lives. At that time, the attitude was: ‘Ah, but the system does not allow this. We have never done this before.’ But then, analysis and reflection led the German Armed Forces to change the system. It has now become fairer for these soldiers, better for the German armed forces, better for society!”  – von der Leyen. 

The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.