Standing up for democracy

 The following excerpt comes from an address to the Canadian Parliament by the President of the European Union, Ursula van der Leyden.  There are several points of interest.  This speech comes from a German, which to me gives it added weight. It includes details of Canada's involvement in Ukraine which gives some idea of how things look from the other side of the Atlantic.  But most of all, it's a full-throated defense of democracy by a top policymaker.

Can anyone imagine such a speech being given two years ago?

Here's the beginning of the speech.

Thank you for welcoming me to the heart of Canada, the home of Canadian democracy. They say hard times reveal true friends. And this is what the European Union and Canada are: true friends. The history of our democracies is tied together. So many Canadians have their family roots in Europe. Many of your parents and grandparents fought in Europe during two World Wars. They were sent to faraway places on the other side of the Ocean. Tens of thousands of them lost their lives in the trenches of Belgium, in the heat of Sicily and on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. I am a European of German nationality. It was German Nazism and Fascism that brought death and destruction upon Europe and the world. But Allied Forces brought liberty back to all of us. The united democracies freed us from dictatorship. Thus, we owe our democracy also to you, the people of Canada. And we will be forever grateful for the sacrifice your parents and grandparents made, and for the invaluable gift of freedom.