Plenary session
16 September 2026
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PLENARY European Parliament
Follow its sittings00:03 - 02:48
Speaker 1
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.
02:48 - 03:28
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.