EU Commission President: Leyen or suffer

Ursula von der Leyen's position demonstrates how powerful and united the European Union is. And things aren't looking good right now, neither for the Commission President nor for the EU.

In fact, there are fires burning in far too many places.

Poland's government has decided to control its border with Germany . This is a direct response to the border controls introduced by the German government. This threatens freedom of travel, a central achievement of the EU. What is particularly bitter about this is that two staunch Europeans are escalating the situation: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Both believe they can contain the far-right forces in their countries by taking a tough stance at the border. Other member states are likely to follow suit soon. The Schengen Area is currently crumbling due to this domestic political calculation.