Name: Debate on the State of the European Union 2026 (with International Sign Language)
Uploaded: 2026-09-16T07:08:56+00:00
Duration: 16861 s

00:04 - 02:56

Speaker 1

Dear colleagues, could I ask you to please take your seats? So good morning. President von der Leyen, dear colleagues, allow me to welcome Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney. Thank you for being with us. They haven't heard you giving your speech yet, so we look forward in fact to hearing you here tomorrow.

Today is a moment, dear friends and colleagues, to look honestly at where Europe stands, to decide what kind of Europe we want, and to find the courage to build it. Our Union has always moved forward because people were willing to take a leap where the moment demanded it and turned uncertainty into possibility. People expect a Union that does more to protect them, more to support them, and more to fight their corner. They want answers on security, on competitiveness, on affordable homes, on quality jobs, on climate, on borders. They want us to stand up for a Europe of values, where we are an unapologetic light in the world, where you can afford to pay your bills, scale your startup, live in freedom, love who you wish to love, and be who you wish to be.

Where journalists are free to write and where justice and the rule of law are the hallmarks of our way. They want a continent better able to defend itself, standing with Ukraine and keeping them secure online and offline. And they want a Europe that stands proudly on its own two feet, that stays open and trades with the world without ever being naive about it. So colleagues, let this morning's debate and the next couple of days be one about where we stand, ambitious about where we are going, and focused on results. So dear President von der Leyen, the floor is yours, dear Ursula.

02:56 - 06:30

Speaker 2

Thank you very much, President Metsola, dear Roberta, Prime Minister Carney, dear Mark, honorable members. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This is how Charles Dickens describes Europe in the days of the French Revolution. And it is also a fair description of the world we live in. The speed of change is incredible, the challenges exceptional.

So if I look at Europe today, I would say 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. These two statements may seem incompatible, but they are both true. And they reflect these exceptional times. This complex age of on one hand great possibilities and on the other hand great perils, which all countries are seeking to navigate.

In this world, Europe has chosen to forge its own path. This is the work we've done over the last years. And a stronger, more independent Europe is now emerging. That is a Europe that is securing its prosperity. One that is breaking free from the toxic dependency on Russian fossil fuels.

That is a Europe that has become the greatest trading power on the planet. That is transforming its industrial policy while upholding its social model. That is a Europe better able to defend itself than ever before. One that has radically overhauled its approach to securing our homelands. That has increased defense spending by almost 80% in the last five years alone.

This is a Europe that stands up for each other. As we are doing by standing with Ukraine as it fights for its future and for our freedom. Or when we stood up for Greenland when it was threatened. Or when drones, hybrid attacks or disinformation target our democracies. All of this proves one thing.

Europe is there for Europeans. And that in the cold fragility of today's world, only Europe can provide true sovereignty for Europeans and therefore, honorable members, this is a Europe we can be so proud of. And at the same time, we all know the threats that we are facing. As old assumptions and relationships have frayed, we are now dealing with an openly hostile world. A territorial war of aggression is raging on our continent.

Others have erupted nearby. A fight for industrial capacities is shaping global competition. And a battle of narratives is seeking to weaken confidence in Europe, to paralyze our democracies. But people's worries are not only linked to these big global threats. The effect of the many crises is present for many European families, not least on the cost of living and housing.