STRASBOURG, September 16 — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her annual state of the European Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, setting out her priorities for the coming year and her vision for tackling the challenges facing the bloc. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attends as a special guest, a presence that signals the trade and security dimensions likely to shape the address.
According to the Associated Press, the speech is expected to touch on artificial intelligence, climate change and the wildfires that swept Europe during the summer of 2026, online protection for children, Russia’s war on Ukraine, conflict across the Middle East, and international trade tensions.
A ritual built for insiders
The event has become an annual fixture modeled on the State of the Union addresses U.S. presidents deliver to Congress. But it is not broadcast widely, and few of the EU’s 450 million citizens across its 27 member countries are likely to watch. It is a carefully crafted communications exercise staged before often applauding lawmakers, and it is appreciated most by EU insiders.
Von der Leyen typically concludes with her rallying cry, “Long Live Europe.” The themes are routinely aspirational, reflecting her hopes and plans for the European Commission, the EU’s increasingly powerful executive branch, over the coming year, but they often lack detail. Critics say the commission’s work is opaque.
Eric Maurice, an analyst at the European Policy Centre think-tank, warned against her using the speech in a way that could be seen as overpromising.
The 2025 benchmark
In her 2025 address, von der Leyen said Europe must stake out its independence as the United States continued to impose tariffs on nations and the Trump administration criticized the bloc’s migration policies, warning of “civilizational erasure.” “Europe is in a fight,” von der Leyen said at the time.
“A fight for our values and our democracies.” She added: “Battle lines for a New World order based on power are being drawn right now,” and said the EU “must fight for its place in a world in which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe.” This year’s address comes as the EU navigates trade tensions, security challenges, and rapid technological change, with AI policy among the bloc’s most closely watched files.
The AP story was posted on September 15, 2026, and updated on September 16, with Lorne Cook contributing from Brussels. What to watch next is whether von der Leyen converts the aspirational themes into concrete commitments on AI regulation, climate response and trade posture — or whether, as in past years, the detail is left for the commission’s work in the months ahead.
