PARIS: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her annual State of the Union address on Wednesday at a Eur...
PARIS: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her annual State of the Union address on Wednesday at a European Parliament session in Strasbourg.
The main points of her speech are already known based on partial releases of European Commission documents published ahead of the address, which the Commission regards as one of the key political events in Brussels in September. They have also been reported by several European media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, Politico, and the Financial Times, citing sources.
The principal elements of her speech are clear in advance: calls to stand firm against Russia, support for Ukraine, and an accelerated pace of EU militarization, with particular emphasis on digital technologies and AI-based systems. Von der Leyen will also voice support for continuing the green transition; however, sources indicate this topic will receive less attention than in previous years, as it no longer represents the Commission’s core ideological agenda.
Separately, von der Leyen will address relations with the United States in detail, defending a trade deal under which the EU agreed to pay unilateral tariffs of 15%. The address will also include calls for Atlantic unity against the so-called "China-Russia alliance," which the Commission President refers to as a coalition of autocracies.
She is also expected to reiterate calls to strengthen sanctions against Russia, specifically urging the swift adoption of the 19th sanctions package, preferably in coordination with the United States.
-News Feed
COMMENTS