In an address to Australia’s parliament, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, says Europe offers stability in an increasingly uncertain world, but that stability is changing. Europe has faced more than four years of conflict in Ukraine since Russian’s invasion, along with the new threat of war in the Middle East. ‘The comfort blanket of yesterday is ripped away. It is confronting,’ she says. On Tuesday, Australia and the European Union struck an agreement that will lead to both sides slashing tariffs and expanding trade across a range of areas
