Strasbourg, France, 16 September 2026 – “The state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been. The state of our Union can also feel as precarious as it has ever been”. Ursula von der Leyen today delivered her second State of the Union address to the European Parliament, outlining the key priorities and initiatives for the coming years. In it, she unveiled a wide-ranging policy agenda with emphasis on greater European independence, resilience, and the ability to act. Spanning competitiveness, climate, defence, child safety, and international partnerships, she also warned that the Union faces “exceptional” challenges alongside record strength.
Economy and Competitiveness
Von der Leyen began her address by highlighting that the Commission’s number one priority rests on kickstarting Europe’s economy, ensuring fiscal sustainability while protecting investment. She identified the Single Market, lower administrative burdens and affordable energy as key areas for strengthening Europe’s competitiveness. Through the “One Europe, One Market” roadmap, the Commission plans to accelerate the completion of the Single Market. Addressing Europe’s economic dependencies, she highlighted the EU’s trade deficit with China and its reliance on China for critical raw materials. The Commission therefore plans to strengthen Europe’s economic security by establishing a European Corporation for Critical Raw Materials.
Climate Resilience
Von der Leyen continued emphasising the dependence of Europe’s economy on the management of climate change, for which climate resilience and preparedness are crucial. Citing a summer in which 660,000 hectares were burnt and more than 35,000 heat-related deaths were recorded, she announced a European Heatwave Plan, Climate Insurance Alliance, European Firefighter Fleet, and a resilience framework identifying the 100 most vulnerable EU territories. A European Water Initiative will also address water scarcity affecting farming, energy and supply chains.
Artificial Intelligence
Warning that frontier AI models pose escalating hacking and security risks, Von der Leyen announced greater cooperation with Canada, the UK, and other partners on AI safety and evaluation. Additionally, a series of industrial AI initiatives in health, transport, agri-food, manufacturing, and defence were confirmed, to be detailed in November.
Peace, Security, and Defence
Von der Leyen highlighted the growing security threats facing Europe, pointing to Russia’s war against Ukraine and recent incidents involving drones and cyberattacks across European territory. She announced that the Commission will propose a new European Security Strategy, alongside a common European response framework to threats that fall below the threshold of armed aggression.
To strengthen European coordination, Von der Leyen proposed an Emergency Security Protocol, modelled on NATO’s Article 4, which would allow Member States facing serious security threats to trigger a coordinated European response.
Protection of Children Online
Von der Leyen further addressed concerns surrounding children’s use of social media and online platforms, noting serious risks including bullying, loss of sleep, anxiety, and self-harm. She announced the proposed “EU Kids Act” which would prohibit the use of social media for children under 13, and require platforms to implement safe design for users aged 15 to 18. The Commission would also require platforms to demonstrate that their services are safe for minors.
European Partnerships
Looking towards Europe’s international partnerships, Von der Leyen highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation with like-minded partners in areas such as trade, defence, and technology. She notably proposed opening the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the EU.
What About Human Rights?
Despite the breadth of the address, the term “human rights” itself was notably absent. Rights language surfaced only in specific contexts: commitment to women’s rights, the Palestinian people’s right to safety and dignity, and, more implicitly, migrants’ rights within the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Several pressing issues in the European human rights space went unmentioned, including shrinking civic space and growing threats to freedom of assembly and expression across Member States. The migration discussion emphasised border control, deterrence, and swift return of migrants over Member States’ protection obligations. Similarly, the rule of law was framed primarily through the lens of funding conditionality rather than as a human rights concern in its own right.
As the Commission moves to implement initiatives such as the EU Kids Act and the Emergency Response Framework, human rights considerations must be given the same weight as competitiveness, security, and border management in the months ahead.
In case of questions or comments, you can contact eu@ghrd.org.