Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – In a colder, more fragile, and hostile world, the European Union "has chosen to chart its own path" and is emerging "stronger and more independent," remaining the only option capable of "guaranteeing true sovereignty to Europeans." From the start of her annual State of the EU address, an x-ray of the bloc's progress and the challenges to focus on going forward, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen exuded a sense of security.
For nearly an hour and a half, he reviewed the most important issues before the European Parliament plenary session, attempting to substantiate his premise: in "exceptional times" of extraordinary uncertainty, the EU is on the right course.
The most disruptive element of the speech was certainly the opening to Canada, a country grappling with many of the same geopolitical turbulences affecting the EU and in the process of drawing closer to the Old Continent: so much so that von der Leyen would like it to become the bloc's first "associate member."
An unprecedented offer, yet to be finalized with the capitals, addressed directly to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, sitting in the front row of the chamber. To the leader who last January spoke of a "rupture" in the world order and called for an alliance of medium-sized powers to resist the bullying of the giants, the Commission president offered an ambitious and wide-ranging alliance spanning technology, defense, energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and the Arctic.
Several months later, the Greenland dossier, an example of the shockwaves from overseas that have affected the EU in the last year, has made its way into the psyche of the EU leadership: with the deterioration of international security and the erratic nature of Donald Trump's United States comes the desire to take more responsibility for its own security.
In this context, the Commission President's second impactful proposal emerged: the creation of a European Security Council, an executive body that has been mooted for years but has taken on new urgency. In parallel, von der Leyen said, it is time for the EU to equip itself with an emergency protocol along the lines of NATO's Article 4, which requires allied states to consult each other whenever, in the opinion of one of them, their security, territorial integrity, or political independence is threatened.
In her speech, the European Commission president was equally combative on the China issue, emphasizing that the trade imbalance with the EU currently amounts to one billion euros a day: "The second China Shock is already here," she warned, and can be seen "in our communities and factories across our Union: it is leading to the deindustrialization of Europe's industrial heartlands. This is unsustainable." Therefore, there is little point in intervening on energy prices, reforms, and investments if the playing field is unbalanced, which is why the EU intends to use "all the tools at our disposal" to rebalance the trade relationship with China. "Words are important. But actions are even more important," she added, implying that ongoing discussions with Beijing are not having the desired effect.
On the Middle East front, von der Leyen thundered against both the Israeli government's decision to move forward with the "unacceptable" illegal E1 settlement project, which would disrupt the territorial continuity of the West Bank, and against EU countries, which last year "failed to reach" a majority agreement to act on the proposals she herself outlined. The Commission President also targeted the fragmentation of EU capitals, between those that have moved to sanction Israel and those that have proven exceptionally reluctant on the issue. "When Europe is divided, it cannot change the course of events," she said, adding that it is the EU's duty to "keep the flame alive" of the two-state solution.
Turning her gaze closer to the EU, von der Leyen promised "maximum support" for Ukraine ahead of a particularly harsh winter and the EU institutions' commitment to increasing pressure on Russia, improving the enforcement of existing sanctions and closing loopholes. And shortly after the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, which rekindled European concerns about the rise of the far right, the Commission president warned against those who exploit the real and legitimate concerns of Europeans "to create divisions among us. Sometimes from the outside, and too often from within." She then went on the offensive: "Whether it's ultranationalists or anti-Europeans, whether it's Russian interference or disinformation, the names may be different, but their goal is the same: they despise our values and want to break our European unity."
There was no shortage of interventions related to the events that shook Europeans this summer: migrants, fires, and artificial intelligence. Von der Leyen spoke explicitly about Ceuta, grappling with the consequences of the massive border breach at the end of July, reiterating that the Spanish exclave "is Europe" and that the EU will stand "alongside" its inhabitants. European instruments "must evolve, particularly for emergency situations," she continued, emphasizing the need for means "to protect our borders at all times, especially in scenarios where mass movements are orchestrated and exploited." A proposal for a new European emergency response framework will then be forthcoming, to be activated under "strictly defined" criteria, within which "it will allow for limited flexibility."
The past summer has also been the "summer of truth" for climate change, von der Leyen observed, recalling the fires that hit several European countries, resulting in the burning of 660.000 hectares of land, approximately 12 million tons of crops lost, and over 35.000 additional deaths during heatwaves. "These have been the hottest summer months ever, but likely the coolest in years to come," she warned, citing climate as one of the two key issues on which Europe's future prosperity and security will depend. "Europe can, must, and will stay on course for its climate goals," she asserted, previewing a new climate resilience framework also aimed at making Europe a leader in the emerging market for adaptation technologies, an initiative to combat water waste, and a Climate Insurance Alliance, given that only a quarter of EU buildings affected by disasters are insured.
The other major challenge raised by the head of the European executive is artificial intelligence. "We must stay in the race. Because this is crucial for our independence," she said, emphasizing the urgency of finding "a balance between the opportunities and risks" posed by AI, not least the specter of self-improving systems and the need to slow down the frontier, which leading CEOs in the sector have agreed on in recent days. The EU intends to team up with countries like Canada and the United Kingdom on security, while on the industrial front, it intends to "massively strengthen" European computing capacity to develop the necessary capabilities. The EU can "bring AI from the screen to the real economy and society," leveraging its competitive advantage, which lies in "world-class industries with top-quality data," which it calls "a precious European treasure."
Remaining on the economic front, von der Leyen affirmed the ongoing efforts to cut red tape and called on EU member states to "do their part: if we are serious about simplification, we also need a pact against gold-plating," that is, over-regulation at the national level with discriminatory effects on products and services from other EU countries. The Commission President also anticipated (again) the presentation of a new banking package focused on simplification and combating fragmentation, and called for the single market overhaul to be completed by the end of 2027, before glossing over the issues of simplification and competitiveness, usually central to the EU executive, in the rest of her speech.
On the energy front, von der Leyen reiterated that we must "decisively focus on our clean, affordable, and home-grown energy" to reduce European energy prices: "Whether it's renewables and nuclear, or biomethane and more. In a technologically neutral way. But they must guarantee our independence," she stated. And the leader of the EU executive has pressed national governments to approve new autonomous revenue streams, necessary to finance the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the EU budget for the seven-year period 2028-2034, which according to the Commission's proposal should be close to €2 trillion. "To be very clear, our budget is about our future. And every modern budget needs new own resources," she said, aware of the resistance this idea encounters in European capitals.
Finally, von der Leyen used her speech to preview the long-awaited EU policy on minors' use of social media, which the European Commission will present tomorrow morning. The European executive will propose banning access to social networks for children under 13, while children under 15 will be prohibited from having personal accounts, following a "gradual and differentiated" approach as recommended by the panel of experts she convened before the summer. Between the ages of 15 and 18, however, the burden of proof will fall on the platforms, she added. "Europe has the power to act. We decide our rules, not the big tech companies," she concluded, also previewing a legislative proposal to combat digital addiction due this fall.
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