(Strasbourg) President Trump takes office in Washington, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, changes her tones. In Strasbourg, she talks to the floor about some of her ideas about EU economy, and she does that as she worriedly looks to the other side of the Atlantic. She starts by mentioning the “new era of harsh geostrategic competition, with continent-sized powers engaging with each other based mostly on interests”. Her thoughts go to the US President’s inaugural address, the tariffs, “America First”. “The rules are changing” – she states – “but our values do not change. But to defend them, some things must change, we have work to do here at home. If we want to protect our interests and uphold our values, we must also be economically strong”. Then, she describes the pillars of the EU-27’s economy: manufacturing base, a single market of 450 million citizens and consumers, work, a “sound social infrastructure” along with a widespread welfare system. Then, she says again: “tough negotiations await us, and the global race begins with us, in Europe”. “Next week, we will present our new Competitiveness Compass, which turns the excellent Draghi report into action – she points out – It will be the North Star of this new Commission and drive our work for the next five years”. The Compass will have three goals: first, closing the innovation gap between the European system and its competitors; second, a joint roadmap for decarbonisation and competitiveness; and, third, strengthening economic resilience and security.