Top EU executive confident Canada can address foreign interference

The EU's top executive expressed confidence that Canada can deal with foreign interference, but warned that democracies around the world need to be vigilant.

"Herein Canada, I'm deeply convinced that the institutions are strongand will deal with the matter,"Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in an exclusive interview airing onCBC News Network'sPower & Politics.

Von der Leyenis wrapping up a two-day visit to Canada, which comes as the federal government grappleswith a controversy over media reports that the Chinese government interfered in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

WATCH | Exlusive interview withEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

EU chief confident Canada can address foreign interference

1 year ago

Duration 11:28

"I'm deeply convinced that the institutions are strong and will deal with the matter," says Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

Von der Leyen toldPower & Politics that the EU is working on fighting foreign interference.

"Foreign interference is absolutely unacceptable. [It is] threatening all democracies. We all have to fight the foreign interference," she told host David Cochrane.

"We know that this is an increasing worryand we really have to get prepared for that and strengthen our own resilience."

The European Parliamentadopted a resolution in 2022 that urged theconfederation to come up with a "whole-of-society and whole-of-government"strategy to counter attempts to influence its member states' elections. The resolution specifically cited the threat from Russia and China and pointed to "many gaps and loopholes in current legislation and policies at EU and national level intended to detect, prevent and counter foreign interference."

When pressed on allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said national security considerations limit what he can say publicly.

Von der Leyen acknowledged that it's difficult to balance security concerns with transparency. Shesaid the public debate about foreign interference has raised the profile of the issue in a positive way.

"There is much more transparency because you see that ...the public debate is fed by the information that, around the globe, we are all gathering on foreign interference," vonder Leyen said.

China has chosen to side with Russia: von der Leyen

Von der Leyen's trip was focused in part on developing energy ties between Canada and Europe. Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year led to a severe energy crunch in the EU after the bloc slapped sanctions on Russia and Moscow responded by cutting natural gas supplies to the EU.

While China hasn't yet supplied weapons to Russia in the ongoing conflict, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkensaid China is sending non-lethal aid.

Von der Leyen said it's clear which side Beijing is on.

"China has chosen the side where it wants to stand, and this is always to be taken into account," she said.

The Chinese government recently released a 12-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, but Taiwan's foreign ministerhas warned that Beijing could be studying the conflict in preparation for an invasion of Taiwan.

Von der Leyen, who is the former German minister of defence,said the sanctions on Russia could play an important role in deterring China.

"China is watching very carefully what we are doing, and I think it's also a message that we do not tolerate [attempts] to change borders by force," she said.