What von der Leyen’s words reveal about the mood in the EU
POLITICO analyses how the messages in State of the Union speeches have changed over time.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has declared that Europe is at a "tipping point" in her recent State of the Union address. She emphasized that the EU has reached a watershed moment across multiple fronts, including trade with China, climate change, and artificial intelligence. Despite claiming that the bloc is "the strongest it has ever been," von der Leyen recognized that Europe could also "feel as precarious as it has ever been."
The Commission President's speech highlighted several key themes, such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, threats to defense and security, soaring energy prices, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Additionally, von der Leyen referenced the extreme heat waves experienced this summer and the strain on the EU's external borders, particularly in relation to the influx of migrants into Ceuta, a Spanish territory.
The EU faced a "summer of truth" amid Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities, the migrant surge in Ceuta, and devastating wildfires and droughts that affected much of the continent. Von der Leyen stressed that there cannot be a repeat of this summer, signaling her determination to address the pressing challenges the bloc currently faces.
Comparing this year's State of the Union speech with those of previous years reveals significant changes in the major threads of the annual address. In 2015, during former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's term, the focus was on the Greek debt crisis and the surge in refugee arrivals. By 2020, under von der Leyen's first term, the emphasis shifted to the Green Deal. Currently, the EU's attention is primarily centered on Russia, Ukraine, energy, security, and defense.
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