‘The best of times, the worst of times’: Von der Leyen’s vision for Europe

World Defenceeconomyenergyeuropeeuropean parliamentmigrationsecurityUrsula Von der Leyen ‘The best of times, the worst of times’: Von der Leyen’s vision for Europe European Parliament Session In Strasbourg Relevant News ‘The best of times, the worst of times’: Von der Leyen’s vision for Europe 16 September 2026 EU opens door for Canada to become its first associate member, von der Leyen says 16 September 2026 Overnight pharmacies on Wednesday, September 16 16 September 2026 Theodosis Pipis 16 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The mood took a joking start as European Parliament President Roberta Metsola joked about the standing ovation that welcomed guest of honour, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “They haven’t even heard your speech yet,” she said. Carney’s presence also underlined the EU’s growing partnership with Canada, with von der Leyen describing the two sides as sharing the same values and announcing plans to deepen cooperation on defence, trade, energy, technology and economic security. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen then began her annual State of the Union speech with the iconic opening line of Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” “It is also a fair description of the world we live in today. The speed of change is incredible. The challenges exceptional. So if I look at Europe today, my take is this. The state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been. The state of our Union can also feel as precarious as it has ever been,” she continued. The State of the Union (SOTEU) is the European Union’s annual political address, delivered each September by the President of the European Commission before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, a tradition which began in 2010. The speech provides an opportunity for the Commission President to review the EU’s achievements over the previous year, set out the Union’s main political priorities, and announce initiatives for the year ahead. Von der Leyen began with the fact that in the face of an increasingly hostile security situation, Europe is stepping up to the plate, and has increased its defence spending by 80% over half a decade. “This is a Europe that stands up for each other,” she said, adding that Ukraine and Greenland are also supported in this fight. The speech was used to argue that Europe must become stronger and more independent in an increasingly unstable world. She highlighted the EU’s efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, while also calling for faster economic growth and a deeper Single Market. The Commission chief pointed to diversification, renewables and reduced dependence on Russian fossil fuels.“We need to double down on our affordable and homegrown clean energy. Be it renewables and nuclear. Or biomethane and others. Technologically neutral. But they must give us independence,” von der Leyen said. Energy prices, dependence on China for critical raw materials and the need to strengthen European industry were central to her economic message. She called on China to speed up the ongoing discussions to rebalance the trade relationship between Brussels and Beijing. “Let me be clear: we will use all tools at our disposal to rebalance our relationship. Words are good. But deeds are better,” von der Leyen said. She recalled that the trade deficit with China is now €1 billion a day. “It has reached a tipping point,” she added. “Some say the second China shock is looming. But it’s already here. It shows in our communities and factories across our Union. It leads to de-industrialisation in the industrial heartlands of Europe. This is unsustainable.” The President has threatened several times in the past to adopt unilateral trade defence measures if dialogue with China did not reach concrete results. European lawmakers have set themselves an October deadline to make progress in the talks. Her message clearly emphasised that Europe must “forge its own path”, reducing strategic dependencies while strengthening its economy, energy security and defence. “The fate of Europe must remain in the hands of Europeans,” she said. Von der Leyen placed economic competitiveness and energy at the heart of her agenda, warning that Europe “cannot remain an industrial powerhouse if its energy prices are structurally too high”. She called for faster progress on the Single Market, more investment and less bureaucracy, while warning that the EU’s trade deficit with China had reached “a tipping point”. She also highlighted artificial intelligence as a defining challenge, arguing that Europe must “stay in the race” while ensuring that technology serves people. “AI needs to empower our doctors. Not to replace them,” she said, outlining plans to expand European AI capacity and its use across industry, healthcare and other sectors. Security and resilience were another major theme. With the war in Ukraine continuing and hybrid attacks, cyberattacks and drone incursions increasing, von der Leyen called for a new European security strategy and proposed what she described as Europe’s own “Article 4” or “Emergency Security Protocol”. She pledged continued support for Ukraine, stronger European defence and tougher enforcement of sanctions against Russia. On democracy and social issues, she called for a stronger common European response, new measures to protect children online and action on housing and jobs. “This is our European way,” she said. Migration was another major focus, with von der Leyen calling for a stronger European approach to managing the bloc’s external borders. She pointed to a 55% reduction in illegal arrivals over the past two years and a further 35% drop this year, while announcing plans for a new “European Emergency Response Framework” for situations involving mass movements of people. She also called for stronger Frontex operations, faster returns and greater cooperation with neighbouring countries to address the root causes of migration, while stressing that Europe must continue to respect fundamental rights. Von der Leyen also warned about the rise of extremist and anti-European forces, linking their growth to social and economic concerns and increasing political divisions. She said these concerns were being “weaponised to drive a wedge between us” and warned of the rise of “anti-democratic, anti-European forces”. She also highlighted the role of disinformation and foreign interference in weakening trust in democratic institutions, arguing that Europe must respond by defending democracy, the rule of law and European unity. The Commission president also mentioned the situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East. She condemned the suffering in Gaza and “unchecked settler violence” in the West Bank, while criticising Israel’s plans to advance the E1 settlement project. She said Europe had provided significant humanitarian support to Palestinians and stressed that Israel has a right to self-defence, while Palestinians have an equal right to live in safety and with dignity. She also reaffirmed Europe’s support for a two-state solution. The speech brought together von der Leyen’s central message: that Europe must become more capable of acting on its own, while remaining united in the face of growing economic, security and political pressures. From defence and energy to migration, technology and democracy, she repeatedly returned to the need for common European solutions. As she closed her address, von der Leyen called on Europeans to “once again take charge of our future”, ending with a simple message of European unity: “Vive l’Europe. Es lebe Europa. Long live Europe.” Read more: EU Parliament set to vote on stronger protection for young people online Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News EU opens door for Canada to become its first associate member, von der Leyen says Overnight pharmacies on Wednesday, September 16 On this day: Operatic soprano Maria Callas died in Paris at 53, in 1977 EU to launch climate insurance scheme after summer of extreme weather Cyprus put on Europe’s ketamine map after 390kg seizure in Limassol Activists and hunters protest outside parliament as police deploy Ajax unit Lebanese in Israeli-occupied south fear bleak future once UN peacekeepers withdraw Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.