"Europe is engaged in a struggle. A struggle for a whole continent living in peace, for a free and independent Europe". These were the words with which European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen began her State of the Union address this morning in Strasbourg, the fifth of her career. The topics covered included war, defense, tariffs, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, energy, housing, food, healthcare, media, and migration. "It's time for Europe to stand up for itself. The main goal is to have the freedom and power to write our own destiny. We know we can do that", the President stated.

Specifically, referring to the war in Ukraine, von der Leyen emphasized the need to leverage Europe's industrial strength against Russian attacks through a "strong and credible" defense posture. "We can help turn Ukrainian ingenuity into an advantage on the battlefield and lead to joint industrialization" she stated. Indeed, Europe will establish a Drone Alliance with Ukraine and, to support it, will advance 6 billion Euro from the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans (Era), a financial mechanism developed by the G7 and the Eu to support the invaded country. The EU will therefore not directly supply the aircraft, but will provide the Ukrainian industry with the resources needed to produce them internally, thus boosting the state's economy (see AVIONEWS). "Before the war, Ukraine had no drones. Today, Ukraine's use of drones accounts for over two-thirds of Russian equipment losses. This is not just an advantage on the battlefield. It is a reminder of the power of human ingenuity in our open societies", von der Leyen added.

The president also emphasized the need to "invest in real-time space surveillance", "answer the call of our Baltic friends, and build a wall of drones". She also promised the creation of a European Defense Semester and the presentation at the next European Council of a clear roadmap for the launch of new joint defense projects, with targets set for 2030. In this context, the "Readiness 2030" plan, which mobilizes up to 800 billion Euro, in addition to the 150 billion Euro Safe program, is crucial. Von der Leyen announced that 19 countries have already submitted applications and that the program is already full. Again on the topic of defense, she highlighted the need for Europe-wide development of artificial intelligence. Against Russia, the president reiterated the need to achieve independence from fossil fuels supplied by Moscow through "locally produced clean energy", renewable sources, and even nuclear power.

Regarding the war in Gaza, von der Leyen stated: "First, the Commission will do everything in its power on its own. We will suspend our bilateral support to Israel. We will stop all payments in the affected sectors, without compromising our cooperation with Israeli civil society or Yad Vashem. Second, we will present two new proposals to the Council. We will propose sanctions against extremist ministers and violent settlers. We will also propose the partial suspension of the Association Agreement on trade issues. Reaching a majority will be difficult, and I am aware of that". She added that a Palestine Donor Group will be established next month to support the reconstruction of Gaza.

On the industrial front, the president expressed her willingness to launch a 1.8 billion Euro package to support battery production, "essential for clean technologies, particularly electric vehicles". She also touched on Eu-Us relations. "Our trade relationship with the United States is our most important. The goods we export to the Us each year exceed 500 billion Euro" she stated. "We have reached an agreement that allows us to maintain market access for our industries. The agreement guarantees crucial stability in our relationship with the United States during a time of grave global insecurity" he said, referring to the strengthening ties between China, Russia, and North Korea (see AVIONEWS). Von der Leyen supported "the need to increase diversification and partnerships. At a time when the global trading system is crumbling, we ensure global rules by concluding bilateral agreements, such as those with Mexico or Mercosur. Or we negotiate a historic agreement with India, which will be finalized by the end of this year. We also intend to build a coalition of like-minded countries to reform the global trading system, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership".

Finally, the president addressed the migration issue: "We must quickly reach an agreement on the common return system. We must also ensure that the Pact on Migration and Asylum is fully implemented as soon as it enters into force". "We must strengthen cooperation with airlines", she specified, "especially along the most problematic routes, such as those to Belarus".

Attached is von der Leyen's full speech, and below there is the video: