State of the Union: Did von der Leyen make good on last year's promises?

Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to present an eagerly anticipated State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Her speech will address a wide range of topics, including defence readiness and new policies aimed at setting the agenda for the upcoming legislative cycle. However, critics question whether she will be able to fulfill all of the promises made in her previous address.

In the 2022 State of the Union speech, von der Leyen introduced several ambitious proposals. One such proposal was a reparations loan to Ukraine, which aimed to utilize the immobilized assets of the Russian Central Bank, valued at €210 billion, to provide financial support to Ukraine. However, this idea faced fierce opposition from Belgium, which hosts a significant portion of the Russian assets. Despite the pushback, von der Leyen managed to secure a €90 billion loan as an alternative solution.

The speech also saw von der Leyen advance drone cooperation and innovation with Ukraine, signing an EU-Ukraine drone deal and witnessing the unblocking of Ukraine's accession process. However, her proposal for a "drone wall" along the Eastern flank of NATO territory did not materialize, despite her initial enthusiasm. Instead, the Commission shifted its focus to drone and anti-drone technology as a top priority in its defense roadmap.

Another controversial aspect of the speech was von der Leyen's proposal to partially suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement in response to Israel's war on Gaza. While some member states, such as Spain and Ireland, pushed for action, others like Germany and Austria opposed the move. The proposal remains unresolved, with a coalition of EU countries seeking von der Leyen to draft a legal proposal to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements.