Highlights from the President’s address included several new climate initiatives to respond to European heatwaves, the announcement of an EU Kids Act to curb social media use among children and the announcement of plans for Canada to become an “associate member” of the EU.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday, 16 September.
The President announced new trade, defence and tech initiatives to increase Europe’s efficiency, independence and speed.
Highlights from the President’s address included several new climate initiatives to respond to European heatwaves, the announcement of an EU Kids Act to curb social media use among children and the announcement of plans for Canada to become an “associate member” of the European Union, the first membership of its kind.
Speed of change was the defining feature of the SOTEU address.
On the positive side, President Von der Leyen was quick to emphasise the major milestones of the EU and provide an optimistic vision of a Europe that has “chosen to forge its own path”. Von der Leyen highlighted Europe’s record low unemployment rates, new and accomplished defence initiatives that have made the EU bloc “better able to defend itself than ever before” and called Europe “the greatest trading power on the planet.
In her discussion of Europe’s trading future, Von der Leyen set the stage for a faster Europe in today’s economy where “speed is of the essence”. The President emphasized that Europe needed to move “much faster” to cut “administrative burden” and pledged that the introduction of the 12 Omnibus packages would cut €17 billion a year in administrative costs. President Von der Leyen also spoke of rising energy prices and associated cost-of-living costs, which she vowed to combat with increased investment in “homegrown renewable energy” of all types including nuclear.
Special attention was paid to the wildfires that “roared from the mountains of Ireland to the islands of Greece and Croatia". Several proposals were made to fight these growing issues on the ground including a Climate Insurance Alliance which would close the gap of catastrophe losses covered by private insurance, as well as a new European Firefighting Fleet in which senior firefighters and emergency responders would lead the work against wildfires across Europe.
The announcement of Canada potentially joining the EU as an “associate member” proved to be popular among the audience in Strasbourg, which met the proposal by Von der Leyen with loud applause. This would be the first membership of its kind and would enable increased co-operation between Europe and Canada, while opening the possibility for other countries to enjoy similar memberships in the future.
Defence was also a major theme in Von der Leyen’s address. The President proclaimed that Europe was dealing with an “openly hostile world” and pledged that “nothing could prevent us” from building an independent Europe that had “the power to act”. She highlighted the threats presented by Russian aggression, including the recent attempted drone attack in Leipzig, Germany, and lauded the Union’s record levels of investment in defence and Ukraine, which were presented as the battleground for European freedom and self-determination.
Von der Leyen proceeded to highlight the travesties of war across the continent, including the “deep suffering” and “unchecked settler violence” in Palestine. The President emphasized Europe’s humanitarian support of Palestine, which included nearly €1 billion in pledges to rebuild Gaza and support a modern Palestinian authority.
Finally, the proposed EU Kids Act drew much attention for its planned ban of social media among children under 13. The Act would also limit social media use of 13-15 year olds and enforce parental supervision in an effort to tackle mental health issues associated with these platforms.
The address was followed by a panel discussion of experts in Europe House, moderated by UCD Professor of EU Constitutional and Economic Law, Gavin Barrett. Speakers of the panel included Bill Emmot, former editor of the Economist, former Secretary-General of the European Commission Catherine Day, the CEO of the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland Brian Hayes and Aisling Maloney, Board Member of the European Youth Forum.
Panel members spoke positively of the address, which Catherine Day referred to as “an accomplished speech”. The discussion revolved around the volume of announcements made, which some speakers referred to as perhaps overwhelming, but made an agreeable impression on them overall.
Speaker Bill Emmot emphasized the importance of enforcement across the board in relation to the various proposals discussed. Emmot also highlighted the need for consensus on how to defend Ukraine beyond the end of this year and mentioned the notable lacuna in Von der Leyen’s address, which was what the planned usage was for the €210 million euro in frozen Russian assets.
Aisling also spoke in favour of the President’s address, complimenting Von der Leyen’s mention of Palestine which she said “was an important issue for young people”. Aisling also spoke positively of the EU kids act but highlighted the importance of investment in ‘offline spaces’ in tandem with the enforcement of the act to protect marginalized youths who see social media as a safe space.
- Publication date
- 16 September 2026
- Author
- Representation in Ireland