“Do we have the stomach for this fight?”
President von der Leyen asked this question during the 2025 State of the Union address. But as faith-based humanitarians, we find ourselves asking something different:
Do we have the courage to choose peace, even when the world demands power?
Each September, the European Commission’s State of the Union address sets the tone for the political year ahead. In 2025, the speech struck a distinctly martial tone. More than 20 references to “fighting” were woven throughout—from war to poverty, democracy to digital competition—this assertive rhetoric positions Europe as embattled, emboldened, and determined to defend its independence.
In many ways, this tone reflects the reality of the moment: escalating wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising geopolitical instability, and internal political polarisation. But it also signals a shift in the European project—a redefinition of resilience not as community strength or relational integrity, but as security, autonomy, and hard power.
Once again, we find ourselves asking the question:
What kind of Europe are we building, when our core vocabulary is drawn from the language of conflict?
What We Welcome
To give credit where it is due, the 2025 address did include important acknowledgements of humanitarian realities. President von der Leyen’s clear condemnation of the crisis in Gaza—particularly the use of famine as a weapon and the continued expansion of illegal settlements—was a rare and significant shift in tone. Proposed sanctions, a Gaza reconstruction fund, and the creation of a Palestine Donor Group suggest a willingness, at least in this case, to act in line with humanitarian principles.
This matters. Public recognition of suffering—and the political courage to act on it—is never guaranteed. Gaza is one of many global humanitarian catastrophes that deserve sustained attention.
Other promising proposals included:
- Support for child protection and trauma recovery in Ukraine
- A commitment to media freedom and online child safety
- Investment in affordable housing and poverty reduction across Europe
These show that compassion, equity, and inclusion are still present within the EU’s strategic horizon—if not always foregrounded.
What Concerns Us
Yet these bright spots exist within a broader narrative that privileges power over peace. The repetition of the word “fight”, and the use of militarised language to frame even social and economic challenges, risks reducing complex human needs to matters of strategy and control.
More worryingly, much of the world was simply absent.
Fragile states beyond Europe—Sudan, the Sahel, Syria, Yemen—were not mentioned.
Protracted displacement and long-term underfunded humanitarian needs were overlooked.
Peacebuilding, reconciliation, and non-military pathways to justice were absent.
This narrowing of focus is not just political; it is structural. It reflects an enduring logic in which Europe’s engagement with the wider world is shaped by proximity, visibility, and political relevance—not by shared humanity. The Global South, in this vision, becomes an object of policy, not a partner in shaping the future.
Decolonising development means recognising this pattern—and challenging it.
A Question of Language
Language matters. When resilience is defined only in economic or military terms, we erase the deeper forms of strength found in communities, families, and faith groups. When solidarity is spoken of only as a strategy, we forget that it is first and foremost a moral calling.
As a Christian network, we are guided by a different vision. Inspired by the words of Jeremiah to “seek the peace and welfare of the city,” our peace is not simply the absence of war. It is the presence of justice. Of right relationships. Of restored dignity.
Our tradition speaks of loving neighbours, welcoming strangers, and bearing witness to the suffering of others—not when it is politically convenient, but when it is right.
A Call to Reframe
Imagine an EU that funds trauma healing with the same urgency it funds border control.
That supports local peacebuilders in the Sahel as robustly as it supports digital start-ups.
That speaks not only of sovereignty and strategy, but of solidarity and stewardship.
That, too, would be a strong Europe—one whose moral leadership matches its political ambitions.
Let us not simply respond to the call to fight.
Let us respond to the call to build peace, justice, and a future where all can flourish.
