Europe live: the State of the European Union 2025
On September 10th, Ursula von der Leyen, has given her annual speech on the state of the Union in front of the European Parliament. This speech marks the first since her reelection and the fifth since her first election as President of the European Commission back in 2019. To mark the occasion, the Representation of European Commission organised an event at Europa Experience in collaboration with the media outlet Toute l’Europe.
Europa Experience, where you dive into the European Union
Experts, students and high schoolers met up physically and virtually to discuss the state of the European Union (SOTEU) speech given by Ursula von der Leyen. The morning was divided into four sequences. First, opening words were given by Mr. Christophe Préault, CEO of the media “Toute l’Europe”, Ms Laila Wold, manager of Europa Experience, and Ms Jessica Larsson, Head of the European Commission Representation in France. Secondly, a live viewing of the SOTEU speech was organised, live from the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The two other parts of the event – a close up on Denmark, and expert roundtables – are described below.
Major priorities and flagship projects
- Competitiveness:
- Single Market Roadmap to 2028
- Industrial Accelerator Act
- Denfence and security:
- Eastern Flank Watch initiative
- Roadmap for European Defence Readiness and European Defence Semester
- European social fairness:
- Strategy for Outermost Regions and Agenda for Cities
- European Anti-poverty Strategy
- Quality of life:
- European Climate Adaptation Plan
- Ocean Act
- Democracy and our values:
- European democracy shield
- Anti-corruption strategy
- A global Europe:
- Pact for the Mediterranean
- EU-India Strategic Agenda
København in Focus
Her Excellency Ms Hanne Fugl Eskjær, Danish Ambassador to France, offered her interpretation of the speech in light of Denmark’s priorities and ambitions, providing a national perspective on the European issues raised. Denmark has held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union since July 2025, a responsibility it will continue to exercise until December 2025. Her Excellency Ms Hanne Fugl Eskjær emphasised the importance of Danish support for Ukraine. Denmark plans to relocate the production of drones for the Ukrainian army to its territory in order to increase manufacturing capacity, secure stocks and transfer certain infrastructure out of Ukraine. This initiative aims to strengthen and protect Ukrainian armaments while consolidating the European defence project.
“This must be Europe’s Independence Moment. I believe this is our Union’s mission. To be able to take care of our own defence and security. To take control over the technologies and energies that will fuel our economies. To decide what kind of society and democracy we want to live in. To be open to the world and choose partnerships with allies – old and new. Ultimately, it is about having the freedom and the power to determine our own destiny. And we know we can do it. Because together we have shown what is possible when we have the same ambition, unity and urgency.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
Through the eyes of the experts: three roundtables to decipher the key announcements
To conclude this event, three round tables were held in order to understand better and help decipher the key statements and announcements made throughout the speech.
- A strong and safe Europe:
Ms Célia Belin, Director of the ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations) office.
- A prosper and competitive Europe:
Elvire Fabry, senior researcher in trade geopolitics at the Jacques Delors Institute, spoke alongside Francesco Saraceno, deputy director of the French Economic Observatory (OFCE, Sciences Po).
- A free and democratic Europe:
Marc Antoine Brillant, Head of the Vigilance and Protection Service against Foreign Digital Interference, VIGINUM, spoke alongside Arnault Barichella, Associate Research Fellow, Cybersecurity, Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence at the Jacques Delors Institute.
Testimonial from an Académie Notre Europe alumna
“This was the first time I followed Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address so closely. Europa Experience is a great place for immersion and discussion, allowing you to watch the speech live and hear about the key announcements and initiatives presented there. This event combined the solemnity of the speech with more dynamic and analytical discussions. The round tables provided both an outside perspective, enriched by the expertise of the speakers, and immediate reactions to the statements, thus offering insights into both the content of the speech and the context in which it was delivered.”