Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Lorne Cook The Associated Press
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her annual State of the European Union speech on Wednesday in Strasbourg, France. The speech is expected to address key issues such as climate change, AI regulation, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Von der Leyen’s address aims to set out her priorities for the coming year while emphasizing Europe's need to assert its independence amid global challenges. Critics argue that the speech often lacks concrete details and serves more as a political spectacle rather than an informative update for citizens.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will deliver her State of the Union speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. The speech aims to outline her priorities and vision for tackling challenges such as climate change, energy costs, defense investment, trade agreements, and supporting Ukraine financially while imposing sanctions on Russia. Last year, von der Leyen emphasized Europe's need to assert its independence amid global tensions, stating that the bloc is in a fight "for our values and our democracies." She noted that battle lines for a new world order are being drawn now, indicating the EU must secure its position globally amidst increasing international conflicts and trade disputes.
Written for “EU Priorities Speech” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 2 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 10368: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-15
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver a major state of the European Union speech on Wednesday setting out her priorities for the next year and her vision for tackling the challenges faced by the world’s biggest trading bloc.
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Leyen → deliver → bloc
The content of von der Leyen ’s address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, has been kept under wraps.
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content → keep → wraps
Political groups in the assembly have lobbied to get their priorities and pet projects included.
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priorities → lobby → assembly
But the speech is likely to touch on AI, climate change and the fires that have swept Europe this summer, as well as protection for children online, Russia’s war on Ukraine, conflict across the Middle East and international trade tensions.
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that → touch → East
Last year, she warned that Europe must stake out its independence as the continued to impose tariffs on the world and members if the Trump administration criticized the bloc’s migration policies, warning of “civilizational erasure.”
“Europe is in a fight,” von der Leyen said.
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Leyen → warn → fight
“Battle lines for a New World order based on power are being drawn right now,” she said, adding that the EU “must fight for its place in a world in which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe.”
A political spectacle to showcase European ambition
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powers → base → ambition
The event has become an annual ritual modeled on the State of the Union addresses to Congress by U.S. presidents, but it won’t be broadcast widely and few of the European Union’s 450 million citizens across 27 member countries are likely to tune in.
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few → become → countries
It’s a carefully crafted communications exercise in front of often applauding lawmakers that is appreciated most by EU insiders.
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that → ’ → insiders
Von der Leyen tends to conclude with what has become her rallying cry: “Long Live Europe.”
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Europe → tend → ?
They touch on von der Leyen’s hopes and plans for the commission — the EU’s increasingly powerful executive branch – over the coming year but often lack detail.
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They → touch → detail
Critics say the commission’s work is opaque.
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work → say → ?
Eric Maurice, an analyst at the European Policy Centre think-tank, warned against her using it “to placate political groups” or “to raise the Commission President’s profile and extend the Commission’s political and institutional domain.”
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her → warn → domain
“The EU is facing the crumbling of all the premises on which it was built.
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it → face → which
The rules-based order with benevolent free-trade and U.S. friendship and support is disappearing,” Maurice said.
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Maurice → base → friendship
The commission proposes laws used across the 27 countries and watches to ensure that those already in place are not being broken.
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those → propose → place
It negotiates trade on behalf of all its members and is Europe’s top antitrust investigator.
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It → negotiate → members
At its helm stands the 67-year-old former German defense minister, who has become a prominent figure at summits with leaders around the world, despite being a political appointee who hasn’t been elected to Europe’s top post.
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who → stand → post
Von der Leyen is hard to ignore.
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Leyen → ignore → ?
She has accumulated influence over 7 years in office by securing vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, managing the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion and support to Ukraine through the war.
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She → accumulate → war
She also seems to have the begrudging respect of Trump.
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She → seem → Trump
She, her chief of cabinet, and her trade commissioners have labored to limit the damage caused by Trump’s tariff war to the European economy.
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She → labor → economy
But the Trump administration has also been riled by the commission’s crackdown on Big Tech companies, many of them in the United States, over their perceived flouting of Europe’s data regulations.
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administration → rile → regulations
Ahead of the speech, the commission has set up a website dedicated to its leader and the event and has been distributing brochures laying out their achievements over the last 12 months.
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commission → set → months
The list is considerable, and includes sealing new trade agreements, boosting economic competitiveness, cutting energy costs, spurring defense investment, providing billions of euros in support to Ukraine and slapping sanctions on hundreds of Russian officials and organizations.
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list → include → officials
The Aporia
