Nicolas SCHMIT

FEPS President

The State of the Union is a very special exercise for the president of the European Commission. Its main purpose is to show that the Commission has a clear vision to tackle the numerous challenges and perils the Union is facing, and that, despite the complex environment, there is an experienced pilot at the helm. Indeed, this year’s statement takes place at an exceptionally difficult time, as President Ursula von der Leyen has said from the outset. Her description and diagnosis of the geopolitical and internal challenges and transformation are accurate enough. But what about her answers and political solutions?

Von der Leyen likes to use a certain degree of pathos to appeal to emotions. That is why she invites some special guests to materialise these emotions. One may doubt if pathos is the best way to respond to people’s fears and expectations and to gain trust.

Today, many Europeans are preoccupied with the cost of living, as the European Parliament Eurobarometer Spring 2026 Survey has shown. A growing number of Europeans have difficulties to pay their bills. Therefore, affordability has become a major issue for them. But the EC president’s statements on this remain rather vague, as are her statements on employment. The core of this Commission’s economic policy remains simplification and the reduction of administrative burden. She claims that the 12 omnibus proposals would reduce the economy’s costs by 12 billion a year, a figure that remains largely unproven.

We all agree on the necessity of completing the internal market, as already called for by various reports over the last 15 years, from Mario Monti’s A new strategy for the single market in 2010 to Enrico Letta’s Much more than a market in 2024. Emphasising Europe’s red tape and overregulation also aligns with the narrative adopted by anti-European parties. It is also true that member states have their own responsibility, although the idea of a pact against ‘gold plating’ – the practice of over-implementing European rules at the national level – may be questionable.

The statement omits major proposals in the Draghi Report, such as a significant increase in investment and reforms to Europe’s institutional functioning. Not a single word about the negotiation of the MFF package, heavily criticised, except for the necessity of new own resources.

On climate change, while von der Leyen remains committed to climate targets in the public eye, the vision of the Green Deal is increasingly forgotten, with very little evidence of a coherent pathway towards climate neutrality. This confirms that the conservatives allied to the extreme right have effectively watered down the ambitious climate policy of the previous Commission. The focus on climate resilience, with new proposals such as a Climate Insurance Alliance and a European Heatwave Plan, is certainly welcome, but feels too little too late.

We already knew that Social Policy is not a priority for Von der Leyen II. The main announcement is the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the European Pillar of Social Rights, an initiative put forward by European Council President António Costa, the organiser of the 2021 Porto Summit. No indication of what the proposals by the Commission will be to deliver on the 20 Pillars’ principles. The Quality Jobs Act and the Care Deal were mentioned without any clear commitment, and poverty reduction has disappeared from the agenda.

On Artificial Intelligence, the State of the Union speech goes in the right direction. It acknowledges the risks and opportunities in many areas. It is clear that Europe has to stay in the race, but without weakening its AI Act security regulations. The proposal for protecting children must be supported.

The highlight of this year’s speech was the presence of Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney. Since his Davos speech, he has become an illustrious advocate for rebuilding a just, rules-based international order. He has distinguished himself as the anti-Trump leader defending our democratic values. He has done it eloquently and consistently again in his speech before the European Parliament on Thursday, 17 September. The idea of closer cooperation between Canada and the European Union is entirely appropriate, as there are many areas where such cooperation can be advanced. To call this an ‘associate membership’ may be questionable, as the treaty explicitly provides in its article 217 agreements creating an ‘association’ based on reciprocity. In his speech, Carney has proposed numerous activities that such an agreement could cover. Now, it depends largely on member states, and how far they are ready to go.

On the other geopolitical issues, the remarks on the Middle East are absolutely disappointing. Not a single word on the conflict with Iran, which has disastrous consequences for Europe and its citizens. Obviously, one should not provoke Washington, and transatlantic relations remain under heavy tension despite the ‘golf course trade agreement’. On the Israel-Palestine conflict – with the destruction of Gaza after the crimes of 7 October, and with Israel’s unacceptable policies in the occupied territories – it is not enough merely to regret Europe’s inability to ‘build necessary majorities’. Instead of attending US President Donald Trump’s absurd Board of Peace, the Commission should be much bolder and fight for freezing the association agreement with Israel.

On security and defence, some of the proposals are useful, although the Union had adopted a security strategy already in 2003, updated in 2008. There was nothing new, as the planned Security Council certainly still needs more precision.

On one of the most divisive topics, immigration, the approach is mainly focused on ‘security’ and the protection of our borders, while the creation of legal pathways is entirely neglected. Following the events in Ceuta, the proposal of a European Emergency Response Framework might be useful. The EU member states have failed to show solidarity to Spain for merely political reasons.

The idea of a ‘Mediterranean Youth Skills and Jobs initiative’ in order to give young people meaningful prospects is a very valuable one. As the Luxembourgish minister of labour, employment and social and solidarity economy, I had already proposed a closer cooperation with the three Maghreb countries during my country’s EU council presidency in 2015. It was not accepted by the Commission at the time.

Finally, the speech refers several times to our values and the protection of our democracy, which is threatened from both the outside and the inside. If this is a key concern, including for the attribution of EU funds, how is it possible that the president’s party, the EPP, enters into alliances with the far right, including parties like the German AfD, and calls this ‘new majorities’? This represents a weakening of our democracy, it undermines the European Union and questions our fundamental values. It shows that political opportunism prevails over clear commitments to our values.

President von der Leyen deliberately ignored this important aspect, sacrificing political coherence and clarity.

Photo credits: © European Union 2026 – Source : EP