State of the Union 2026

In this world, Europe has chosen to forge its own path. And a stronger, independent Europe is now emerging.

In her State of the Union speech on 16 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shared the key priorities and flagship projects for the year to come, building on the progress the EU has made in recent years.

In her speech, President Ursula von der Leyen outlined the main priorities and flagship initiatives for the year to come.

President von der Leyen sent a Letter of Intent to Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, and the Taoiseach Micheál Martin of Ireland, who holds the Presidency of the Council. In it, she detailed the actions the Commission intended to take in the following year by means of legislation and other initiatives.

Strengthening Europe’s ability to act in a changing world has been the focus of our efforts in the past year. The European Commission has worked to boost competitiveness, reduce strategic dependencies, strengthen defence, support Ukraine, expand global partnerships and protect democracy and citizens. These efforts aim to build a more independent, secure and prosperous Europe. We are showing that when we are tested, Europe responds together.

Explore what we have achieved over the past year, the commitments we delivered on and how we turned them into concrete action.