Portrait of Ursula von der Leyen
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Ursula von der Leyen on Narendra Modi

Strategic Partner (strong)

TL;DR

Ursula von der Leyen views Prime Minister Modi as a key strategic partner in advancing a resilient multipolar global order.

Key Points

  • She described the Free Trade Agreement concluded with India in January 2026 as the "mother of all deals."

  • The President led the European Union College of Commissioners on a landmark visit to India on February 27-28, 2025.

  • Both leaders committed to deepening cooperation in areas including semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, clean energy, and defense security.

Summary

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has demonstrated a strong, positive posture toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly in advancing the India-EU Strategic Partnership. This alignment was crystallized during her landmark visit in February 2025, which included the first-ever visit of the College of Commissioners outside the European continent. During this visit, she and the Prime Minister jointly announced the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement, which she heralded as the "mother of all deals," underscoring a deep commitment to enhancing economic relations and establishing a free trade zone covering two billion people.

This partnership is predicated on shared values, identifying both leaders as being like-minded in their commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and a rules-based international order. Her engagement has been substantive, focusing on concrete cooperation in areas like de-risking supply chains, critical technologies, green transition, and defense. The leaders affirmed the necessity of their partnership to address global challenges, foster stability, and promote mutual prosperity, with the relationship being elevated to a higher level following two decades of cooperation.

Key Quotes

"Europe and India are making history today. We have concluded the mother of all deals. We have created a free trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit. This is only the beginning. We will grow our strategic relationship to be even stronger"

"we did it"

...the mother of all deals

Frequently Asked Questions

Ursula von der Leyen considers Prime Minister Narendra Modi a strong strategic partner with whom the European Union aims to significantly deepen its relationship. Her position is characterized by a focus on concrete cooperation in trade, technology, and global stability matters. This positive engagement has been formalized through high-level joint statements and major agreements.

The February 2025 visit by the European Commission College of Commissioners, led by Ursula von der Leyen, was historic and resulted in a Leaders' Statement affirming the elevation of the EU-India Strategic Partnership. Key outcomes included committing to conclude a Free Trade Agreement within the year and deepening cooperation in critical sectors like technology and defense. She later celebrated a deal with him, stating, "we did it."

She describes the relationship as a necessary alliance in the current global context, necessary to foster a resilient multipolar world order. She has highlighted shared values such as democracy and the rule of law as foundational to their trust. The focus is on moving beyond historical ties to jointly address global challenges and promote mutual prosperity.