European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the annual State of the Union speech, as her administration looks back on four years in office ahead of the European elections next year.
Every year in mid-September, the president of the European Commission addresses a full house of the European Parliament and offers a preview of the legislative initiatives envisioned for the following 12 months.
The occasion marks the official start of the EU’s working year and coincides with the first plenary session after the summer break.
As the speech will be the last one before the next parliament elections, von der Leyen is expected to seize the opportunity to showcase the political accomplishments achieved over the past year.
Financial and military support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, the prosecution of war crimes, the economy, climate action, digital regulation, industrial policy and hard-fought advances in migration reform are set to feature high in the address, which tends to be all-encompassing and last between 45 minutes and one hour.
A reflection on enlargement and the bloc’s ability to welcome new member states is also on the cards.