Von der Leyen calls for stronger defense and economic autonomy in State of the Union address
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the EU to bolster defense, economic autonomy, and business competitiveness during her State of the Union address.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her sixth State of the Union address in Brussels, urging member states to build a new security architecture and reduce strategic dependencies on global powers like China and the United States. Quoting Charles Dickens, she described Europe as stronger yet "more vulnerable than ever" amid ongoing global conflicts, rising energy costs, and climate extremes.
Von der Leyen emphasized economic competitiveness, asserting that the bloc must ensure it is "easy to do business, easy to invest and easy to scale up." Her speech outlined priorities including defense industry expansion, migration policy reform, critical raw materials management, and climate adaptation, explicitly mentioning recent wildfires in Croatia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the session as a strategic partner.
Sources: HRT Vijesti, Index, Poslovni dnevnik
Sources
Earlier coverage
- Oct 14, 2026, 02:00 AM UTCEU leaders at Split summit focus on defense, energy and regional security
- Oct 12, 2026, 01:30 AM UTCEU leaders address economic resilience and regional security at Split summit
- Oct 11, 2026, 07:00 AM UTCEuropean leaders examine defense, economic strategy, and regional stability
- Oct 8, 2026, 01:30 AM UTCEU leaders address Mediterranean security, energy, and Balkan reforms at Split summit
- Oct 7, 2026, 01:30 AM UTCVon der Leyen outlines EU security and economic priorities at annual address
- Oct 6, 2026, 01:30 AM UTCVon der Leyen calls for stronger European security architecture and economic autonomy
- Oct 5, 2026, 08:30 PM UTCUrsula von der Leyen calls for European independence and security reforms in State of the Union address
- Oct 4, 2026, 06:30 AM UTCEU chief calls for economic independence and security overhaul in speech
- Oct 4, 2026, 01:30 AM UTCUrsula von der Leyen calls for stronger European security and economic independence
- Oct 3, 2026, 08:00 PM UTCVon der Leyen outlines priorities for EU security and economic resilience