Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told students at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, "Europe is a truly great gift. But there is no guarantee that Europe will continue to advance. The European Union is not something to be taken for granted, and it cannot be taken for granted. It must be strengthened anew every day. And Europe is not just a vast economic area. Europe is a champion of freedom and human rights, a guarantor of security and peace, and built on the rule of law." According to a statement issued in Brussels, von der Leyen added, "Today, I would like to talk to you, students, about science and the future. Here at RWTH Aachen University, you can use your ideas to change the course of the world, in matters big and small. And great progress often starts with small things. As small as a flower stem, for example. That's how small the world's smallest heart pump is. It was developed and produced here in Aachen by Thorsten Seyes, a former engineering student at RWTH, founder and inventor, and now an entrepreneur. It's only right that he won this year's Aachen Engineering Prize. His heart pump is only a few millimeters wide, a flexible tube with a tiny motor and tiny fans. It pumps blood through the body of a person having a heart attack. It's now used on around 50,000 patients a year. In the 1990s, you would have needed a luggage trolley with a controller, a battery, and tubing the thickness of your thumb.
The railways, which—with their incredible speed—have indirectly shrunk continental Germany 100 times over…and the telegraphs, which can connect someone in the UK to India in minutes. These are groundbreaking developments that people would have considered crazy 50 or 60 years ago, but which have changed history.
In today's world of politics, hoping for miracles is unwise. Miracles don't fall from the sky. We have better. We have the power of our minds, our curiosity, and our ambition. Because it is humans who make progress happen. It is achieved through hard work and determination—often in the face of doubt and setbacks. But there are conditions for this progress: academic freedom and openness, cooperation and trust. These are also the pillars on which a free Europe was built after the darkest years. Values ​​that enliven our democracy and keep it alive.
But these values ​​cannot be taken for granted. Who would have imagined a year ago that in one of the world's most innovative democracies, vaccine funding could be cut with the stroke of a pen? That a highly successful, technologically advanced country would have its programs cut simply because their description contained words like "female," "climate," or "diversity"? No one would have believed it. But this is the reality today.
All of this is not just a warning. It is a call to all of us, and it is also a great opportunity for Europe. From this stems a duty for us here in Europe: to give free science a home. Science here should be vibrant, alive, and controversial. It should be creative and collaborative. Europe has so much to offer—so much we can be proud of. It is home to more than two million researchers, a quarter of the global total. This continent has produced more than 500 Nobel laureates. We are leaders in clean technologies, health, economics, and the social sciences, and excel in the fields of space, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. At Horizon Europe, we have the world's largest international research program, with a budget of over €93 billion. We have good infrastructure, the rule of law, and cross-border exchange.
Here in Aachen alone, at this prestigious, elite university, around a third of our students come from abroad. We can be proud of all this. But we must also do more. You, more than anyone, know this. Excellent fundamental research is being conducted here—from artificial intelligence to quantum computing. You, too, are implementing this research. Startups are thriving in Aachen: the city is an attractive destination for founders. And for that reason, you, too, know how long it takes and how many obstacles stand in the way of market maturity and business success. You know how difficult it is to secure the necessary capital. You know how important it is that academic freedom also means space for science.  We are now launching the "Choose Europe" initiative. We are removing unnecessary regulatory barriers. This is what the new European Innovation Act will achieve. We will make it easier for startups and young companies to access venture capital. We are launching a seven-year "Super Grant" initiative, with a double budget to guarantee long-term freedom of scientific research, including for those already working in Europe. Europe must become a magnet that attracts the best, so that they can shape the future of science in Europe. Europe chooses science. And I want to do everything I can so that you choose Europe. I want you to enjoy the best conditions in Europe so that your scientific success translates into economic success. It is one thing to ensure Europe's economic strength today through science. It is another thing to ensure that Europe will remain strong in the future through science. Just look at the natural world, which has taught us almost everything we know about science. The natural world in Europe is unparalleled. In Northern Europe, we have the Wadden Sea, a World Natural Heritage Site. The Baltic Sea gives us the largest expanse of brackish sea water in the world. To the south lie the European plains, with their vast expanses of wilderness. Europe is rich in forests. All these seas and forests benefit us. They absorb carbon dioxide, provide us with timber and other products, and purify the air and water. Losing these natural areas would not only deprive millions of people of their sense of belonging to their homeland, but also their livelihoods. That's why we must strive, through science and despite all resistance, to protect the climate and conserve nature. Because those who come after us will never forgive us—and rightly so—if we fail in this task. That's why, for me, protecting nature is not just a climate issue, it's also a matter of intergenerational justice.