President Ursula von der Leyen Attacked Antisemitism

On December 11, 2023, during the lighting of the Euro-Chanukah, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen quoted the traditional saying:

“The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle.”

This European ceremonial lighting marked the start of the Jewish celebration of the lights. Addressing the horrors of antisemitism, von der Leyen redefined the controversial concept of diversity. Drawing unity from diversity, she stood in the long tradition of speakers who find truth in the rhetorical trope of paradox.

Von der Leyen began her brief speech by extending the Jewish tradition to all peoples:

“Chanukah is of course an ancient Jewish tradition. But I believe it speaks to all human beings.” [italics added]

Von der Leyen’s simple statement contradicts our usual concept of diversity. For we most often say that we must find a way to create unity despite diversity. She insisted, instead, that diversity creates unity.

A paradox reveals hidden truths behind a seeming contradiction. Diversity and unity would seem to undermine one another. Yet, von der Leyen insisted that religious diversity created unity in European political affairs, that it pulled Europeans together. Thus, antisemitism becomes, in contrast, a cruel force that tears Europeans away from one another.

Having stated that basic value, von der Leyen remarked about the horrifying rise of antisemitism in Europe:

“An old evil is resurfacing in Europe. Swastikas have been painted on the homes of Jews. Synagogues have been vandalised. Jewish children have been locked in their schools because the streets are not safe for them.”

Earlier Post: Donald Trump's Awkward Speech about Antisemitism

Von der Leyen reminded her audience that the festival represented Jewish freedom of religion against persecution. This argument led her to speak for a public policy, she advocated protecting all places of worship, beginning with synagogues. She also advocated policies that suppressed hate speech on the Internet. Like many ceremonial speakers before her, she used values to support a political program.

Finally, von der Leyen returned to her opening paradox, to find “unity in diversity:”

“Europe stands for ‘united in diversity’. For centuries, European Jews have shaped our common heritage. Think of Marc Chagall and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Rahel Hirsch and Hannah Arendt. And you still do shape our common heritage. This is why we will create a new award to celebrate Jewish cultural heritage. Because Jewish culture is a blessing to Europe, and we should all know more about it.”

Opposition to diversity, in general, and antisemitism, in particular, does not just strike at Europe. For, in the United States of America, the very concept of unity has openly created anger and discord. Von der Leyen did not merely say that we should accept diversity. She said that diversity created unity. She said that the fact that we have different religions and beliefs creates strength, not division. It was antisemitism, she insisted, not diversity, that drove people apart.

This thought led von der Leyen to look toward a hopeful future in which we would return to an “age-old value:”

“We must bring new energy to our age-old value of unity in diversity. This is also the spirit of Chanukah. It is not only a celebration of the past but a time to renew our hopes for the future with the confidence that ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning’.”

Her quotation was from Psalm 30 in the Hebrew Scriptures. At no time did von der Leyen deny the growing horrors of antisemitism. Instead, she looked for hope by returning to ancient values.

As a United States citizen, I found myself struck by the calm, morally assured vision that von der Leyen brought to the growing religious and political conflicts that seek to disrupt the modern world. She redefined how we think about diversity. She gave a rhetorical lesson that the entire world can heed. Are we listening?

Earlier Post: Ursula von der Leyen Warned Us of the Totalitarian Winds

Earlier Post: The Solution to Climate Change Is in the Cities: President Ursula von der Leyen's Speech at the European Energy Award

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Theoretical note: A trope (such as “paradox”) is a linguistic device that changes the way we use or think about a word or phrase. This article gives a quick rundown of tropes. 

by William D. Harpine

Copyright © 2023 William D. Harpine

Ursula von der Leyen Warned Us of the Totalitarian Winds

Ursula von der Leyen

Sometimes even the tritest metaphor brings great power to a public speech. Metaphors express our values. So, we might ask, how are the winds of history blowing? What about the attacks that totalitarian regimes launch against seemingly stable democracies? On October 19, 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC. She warned the assemblage that freedom was under worldwide attack. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of violence between Hamas and Israel especially alarmed her. Winds, she said? No, she insisted, the attack on freedom was at “gale force:”

“The winds are not just blowing today. Today, they are at gale force. Our democracies are under sustained and systemic attack by those who abhor freedom because it threatens their rule. For more than 600 days now, our friends in Ukraine have been fighting and dying for their freedom against Russian aggression. And now, Israel has suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history, and the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust.” [italics supplied]

Von der Leyen pointed out the common barbarity of Hamas and Russia in their terrible wars:

“Russia and Hamas are alike. As President Zelenskyy has said their ‘essence is the same”. Both have deliberately sought out innocent civilians, including babies and children, to kill and take hostage.”

Continuing her argument, von der Leyen insisted that the winds of evil can be stopped. The defeat of representative government is not written in stone. As she reminded the Institute, the democratic nations defeated fascist forces around the world during World War II:

“We have not forgotten that in World War II, democracy won over fascism and autocracy. This triumph set the foundation of our peace order. And this is not only about the past, but it will also define our future.”

So, von der Leyen was right. We must learn from the past. We look to the past to understand the future. We rely on our basic values. So often, people think that authoritarian and fascist governments are stronger than the world’s democracies and constitutional republics. History emphatically refutes that view. She reminded her conservative audience that the historical lesson rings true today.

In the United States Congress, support for the Ukrainians is under emphatic attack from major Republican leaders, while a few Democrats have expressed reluctance about supporting Israel in its fight against Hamas. Surely, while she never mentioned names, von der Leyen timed her speech well.

Why Do Republicans Praise Vladimir Putin in Their Speeches?

The foreign policy implications of current world conflicts are complex, and I have no foreign policy expertise. Still, can we remember von der Leyen’s metaphor, that “gale force” winds are attacking the world order that has brought us prosperity and which has kept us free from World War for decades. She stated to all of us that history is on the side of freedom. She reminded us that vicious, murderous regimes bring their countries to bad ends.

The Hudson Institute is a conservative think tank that is sometimes associated with the neocon movement. Von der Leyen, a voice for European conservativism, called for unity, not discord, between Europe and the United States and the struggle for freedom. Her simple metaphor of “gale force” winds reminds all of us that we face horrible challenges.

European President Ursula von der Leyen Called for European Unity during the Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Peace, justice, and prosperity must always be supported by wisdom. The speech received little attention in the United States, despite the influential audience to which she addressed it. The American press is more interested in Biden’s gaffes or Donald Trump’s temper tantrums. Von der Leyen ignored the squabbling details of American and European politics, relying instead on moral values drawn from history.

Indeed, calm, reasoned, and thoughtful rhetoric should never go out of date. As we face terrifying winds, let us acknowledge them, at the same time that we remember the blessings of living in free countries.

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P.S. Von der Leyen, a conservative German leader, faced up to her nation's Nazi past in this speech. I'd love to hear more American conservatives rise above our own past. What do you think? 

by William D.Harpine

© Copyright 2023, William D. Harpine

Image: European Union, via Wikimedia Commons

European President Ursula von der Leyen Called for European Unity during the Russia-Ukraine Crisis

One of public speaking’s most important purposes is to create unity, to bring people together. That is why European Union President Ursula von der Leyen called for unity against the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Von der Leyen, President of the European Union, spoke on February 16, 2022 to the European Parliament Plenary. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has been threatening to attack Ukraine and annex some of its provinces. In response, von der Leyen’s theme was that Europe needs to be unified against the Russian threat. Indeed, she felt that unity, not armed resistance, was the solution.

Von der Leyen laid out policies strikingly similar to those that United States President Joe Biden has advocated. She promised that the European Union would respond to Russian aggression by imposing economic sanctions, restricting technology, and increasing energy independence. Most important, she promised solidarity. She expressed a view that united action could help preserve peace. Armed conflict among nuclear powers seems unthinkable.

International Cooperation 

That, no doubt, is why von der Leyen pleaded that the purpose of international cooperation is, ultimately, so that nations may stay at peace with one another:

“The very reason why our Union was created is to put an end to all European wars. So it is particularly painful for me to address you today, as we face the largest build-up of troops on European soil since the darkest days of the Cold War.”

In vivid language, she placed blame for the crisis squarely where it belongs, on the Russian government:

“The people of Ukraine are bravely trying to get on with their lives. But many of them keep emergency bags by their front doors, with basic clothes and important documents, in case they have to rush away from home. Others have stockpiled food cans to prepare for the worst. Some have even set up shelters in their basements. These are not stories from the 1940s. This is Europe in 2022. And this is happening because of a deliberate policy of the Russian leadership.”

For her proposed solution, she described the high level of international cooperation – of unity:

“President Macron [of France] and Chancellor Scholz [of Germany] have travelled to Kyiv and Moscow. Several others are also speaking to both sides. I am constantly exchanging with all of them, as well as with President Biden, Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Johnson. The Transatlantic Community has for a long time not been so united.”

Will Economic And Political Unity Be Enough?

Von der Leyen also described Europe’s efforts to gain at least temporary energy independence. Since few European countries have commercially useful oil supplies, they need to import almost all of their oil. In normal times, much of Europe’s oil comes from Russia. Therefore, von der Leyen described a joint European plan to stockpile oil reserves, ensuring adequate supplies from non-Russian sources.

Nearing her speech’s end, von der Leyen offered a message of hope. On the one hand, Russia could, she suggested, precipitate a terrible war. On the other hand, Russia can cooperate with other nations, bringing peace and prosperity to everyone. Here message of hope came with a stark choice:

“This is a crisis that has been created by Moscow. We have not chosen confrontation, but we are prepared for it. We now have two distinct futures ahead of us. In one, the Kremlin decides to wage war against Ukraine, with massive human costs – something we thought we had left behind after the tragedies of the twentieth century. Moscow's relations with us would be severely damaged. Tough sanctions would kick in, with dire consequences on the Russian economy and its prospect of modernisation. But another future is possible. A future in which Russia and Europe cooperate on their shared interests. A future where free countries work together in peace.”

And she added that, “Europe will be united, on the side of Ukraine, on the side of peace, on the side of Europe's people.”

I often reflect that we, the people of the world, and particularly the United States, have filled ourselves with overconfidence. Although we have had very few years of true peace, we have, for decades, avoided another world war. Many people seem oblivious to the danger – having forgotten that the history of the 20th century was, for the most part, a history of unimaginable brutality and mass-produced suffering. During World Wars I and II, entire towns ceased to exist and disease, starvation, massacres, and, of course, military combat, killed people by the millions. Peace continues only if human beings show some modicum of goodwill and common sense. History gives me little reason to be confident about either. Wisdom is, after all, not a universal human trait.

The President of the European Union does not really have a lot of political power. She does, however, have the power of rhetoric. When she speaks, people listen. Are we listening enough? Von der Leyen appealed for unity. We need prominent speakers to talk about that kind of thing more and more often.

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Earlier Post:  President Ursula von der Leyen's Speech at the European Energy Award
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Political Note: Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France all have thermonuclear arsenals. No one wants to use them. Nevertheless, a return to the nuclear brinksmanship of the 1960s could easily become a terrifying prospect. The horrors of 20th century wars were unspeakable. World War III could end human civilization. Children today have active shooter drills. In my childhood, we had nuclear attack drills and took lessons about how to improvise a bomb shelter in 20 minutes. Not that either would do any good.

The political issue in Ukraine is by no means clear-cut, as Ukraine itself is not unified against the Russian threat. Solving that problem, however, is far beyond the expertise of a retired public speaking professor like me. My maternal grandparents were born in occupied areas of Ukraine in the early 1900s. I certainly hope that their homeland can yet avoid disaster. Ukraine has suffered so very much for so many centuries. 

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Note to My Fellow Americans: Here in the United States, we are hearing a lot about what President Biden plans to do about Russia. In contrast, Von der Leyden reminds us that the free nations of the world are in this together.

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Research Note: My former professor, Charles Urban Larson, wrote that persuaders can use a unifying style or a pragmatic style. The pragmatic style can lead to conflict. The unifying style gives us a chance to work together. 

The Solution to Climate Change Is in the Cities: President Ursula von der Leyen's Speech at the European Energy Award

Climate Change, US National Park Service

The world’s oceans are rising, island nations are flooding, and increasingly violent storms whip across the planet. Conspiracy theorists, including at least one United States Senator, ridicule global warming as a hoax. Still, more responsible public leaders are working more quietly to put the brakes on climate change.

Senator Mike Lee Tries to Make Fun of the Green New Deal but Only Makes Fun of Himself

President Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, spoke virtually at the European Energy Award. Von der Leyen’s speech gave a brilliant insight: the solution to climate change lies in our cities. She changed the focus from what we should do to where we should do it.  Why didn’t we think of that earlier? Although von der Leyen talked about Europe, everything she said applies to the United States of America.

 

Von der Leyen Talked about Energy in European Cities

So, where do we fight against global warming? Von der Leyen said the fight is in the cities:

“The transition to an economy that is fully in harmony with our planet begins in each one of our cities. It begins with empowering people to choose public transport or bikes instead of private cars. It begins with smart systems for waste management. And with solid strategies to change the way we heat or cool our homes. Climate action is a responsibility that we all share.” [Italics added]

That’s also an important lesson for us in the United States: climate change policy – needs to start with cities. That’s where the most energy is used, and that’s where the solutions can best begin. Continuing, President von der Leyen pointed out what a large proportion of Europeans live in urban areas:

“Cities play a crucial role in this transition. 75 per cent of Europeans live in cities, and this is where 80 per cent of climate legislation is implemented. This is why it was so important to me to join you today.” [Italics added]

Those same lessons, however, apply to the United States as much as to Europe.


Yes, Most Americans Also Live in Cities

When President von der Leyen said that 75% of Europeans live in cities, my first reaction was, “Wow! That’s a lot!” The reader can imagine my surprise when I looked up the figures, learning that the United States, despite its wide prairies, massive deserts, and endless mountain ranges, is even more urbanized than Europe. And most energy use is urban. In the United States of America, we like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists, a nation of rugged cattle wranglers, pioneer families, and small farmers, tied to the land and inspired by the Waltons of television fame. In real life, however, the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan estimates that 83% of people in the United States live in cities. That is a huge increase from the 64% who lived in urban areas in 1950.

Consider, for example, my home state of Texas. We have sprawling cattle ranches and oil fields. But Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas are among the nation’s 10 largest cities. (Austin ranks 11th!)


Can American Cities Help with Climate Change?

Can American cities make the same changes that von der Leyen sought in Europe? The challenges are great. Not only do we Americans love our automobiles, but few of our communities are set up for convenient bicycle or public transportation. For example, I live in Corpus Christi, a pleasant medium-sized city, but my neighborhood, like much of the city’s residential areas, looks like a typical suburban enclave. I live about 1½ miles from the nearest small supermarket, and there are no sidewalks most of the way. I need to walk about a mile just to get to a bus stop. Arriving at the bus stop, I would find that the bus runs only a few times a day. The nearest major shopping area, which features a Walmart and a large supermarket, is a 20-minute drive. Walk to Walmart? Not a chance. I’d need to cross a bridge with, you guessed it, no sidewalk and no bike lane. Rail transit? None. If I want to leave my neighborhood, I need to drive. This may largely be political: the United States’ political system underrepresents cities.

Of course, people who live in the countryside don’t want city voters to overwhelm them. William Jennings Bryan pointed out in his 1896 “Cross of Gold” speech in 1896 that the American economy depended on farms. We still need farms, ranches, mines, and outdoor recreation. At the same time, however, neither the economy nor political realities are bringing sustainable energy to the cities.

William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold”

So, yes, let’s think about where to work on climate change. If most people live in cities – and we do – can’t cities find ways to use less energy? Of course they can. Can our political and economic system adjust to an urban nation? An urban world?


Can We Work Together?

President von der Leyen said that we need to work together in that urban world. Can we get better energy policies? Von der Leyen sounded optimistic:

“In recent months, I saw so many positive efforts in cities across Europe. I hopped on a new hydrogen-fueled bus in Riga, Latvia. I learned about energy efficient social housing in Luxembourg. And I saw the plans to create new car-free areas in Malta. This transition is an opportunity to make our cities climate neutral and more livable.”

Yet, she cautioned that all of us need to take responsibility to deal with climate change. We need to live in the world the way it is today, not the way it was in the past. The science fiction movies of my youth often showed magnificent, futuristic cities with nearly-instant mass transit, livable spaces, and ultra-modern services. Guess what? That future could be now.

Can we, as President von der Leyen said, “make our cities climate neutral and more livable?” She concluded:

“The responsibility for climate action doesn’t just belong to world leaders. It is a choice for every community and every individual. The road to climate neutrality runs through our cities and regions.

“Thank you for your efforts. They are indispensable.”    

Indispensable indeed. What can ordinary people do? One thing, of course, is to vote for politicians who take climate change seriously. Public transportation, bike trails, and pedestrian-friendly city planning all require national and local government commitment. Homeowners who can afford it can install wind or solar power. A simple step is to combine driving trips to use less gasoline, and thus emit less carbon. The government of urban King County, Washington notes that recycling helps to reduce carbon emissions: “If you throw away even half the paper you use in a year instead of recycling it, you increase your climate pollution by the same amount as driving 526 miles.” Near my home, the Port of Corpus Christi is developing facilities to generate hydrogen fuel from renewable electricity sources. We need more of that kind of thing. When hydrogen burns, the only exhaust gas is pure steam.

 

Conclusion

President von der Leyen focused our attention on the vital but neglected side of climate change: green energy policies are, first and foremost, urban policies. Her point could apply to the United States even more exactly than to Europe. Her speech focused our attention, not so much on what to do, but where to do it. When we change the question that skillfully, we can often find better answers. So, can we do more in our cities to fight climate change?

True to form, the press paid little, if any, attention to the content of von der Leyen’s speech, preferring to focus on her wasteful use of private jets. No, she should not have flown on private jets, but her speech made powerful points. The press did not inform the public about those points. How can speakers better command press attention? Feel free to comment below.

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Earlier posts: 

Charles Michel’s Speech to the World Health Summit

Biden’s Speech at the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center: Working Together for Climate Progress

Harrison Ford’s Climate Change Speech