European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has given her first State of the Union address. The annual speech in the European Parliament is an opportunity for the Commission President to take stock and discuss her priorities over the coming months.
So, what is the current state of the EU? The coronavirus pandemic was the defining theme of President von der Leyen’s speech: the Commission is planning a stronger EU health union that is better prepared for cross-border crises, as well as international cooperation in the development of a vaccine.
However, the pandemic is not the only challenge facing the EU. Climate change is also an urgent concern, and the Commission President called for more ambitious climate targets in her speech. She argued for a reduction in emissions of at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. President von der Leyen said she is aware that this will go “too far for some and not far enough for others”. The Environment Committee of the European Parliament recently voted in favour of an even more ambitious EU climate target of a 60 percent reduction of emissions, while some Member States want to put the brakes on climate protection in light of the pandemic.
Other topics raised included digitalisation, foreign policy, and the rule of law in the EU. However, in order to turn words into actions, the Member States and the European Parliament must also reach agreement. Will President von der Leyen be able to implement her agenda?
What is the state of the European Union? Will it meet the challenges of responding to the pandemic, transitioning to a green economy, boosting digitalisation, as well as promoting a coherent foreign policy internationally and rule of law internally? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
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The state is – “still under USAn military occupation”
Hung state under bureaucracy and cowards.
An utopia
EU leaders making good laws, but they can’t make peoples, to keep them.
I talking about eastern leaders. I think better to fill up the law enforcement authorities peoples, who learnt it at eastern side of EU.
Outside!!!
why doesn’t the lady join her homeland in this prestigious community-state?
A failure
The State of the union is a tangle of burocracy, taxes and Oligarcs rulling.
She is a great personality, and she has done what I expect from a great “leader”. It will be impossible to realize everuthing, but she has my support! Well done!
Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen should resign after her “historic” speech against Poland, where she also broke EU law on majority voting on major EU issues
stop pretending that the problem and the consequences of corrupt politicians in member states of the european union and in the european parliament that enjoy total impunity have no consequences for member states, european citizens, once and for all to fight this cancer with jurisprudence of our society
Not serving it’s purpose at all.
I find the state of the EU good. It is being pushed and pulled from all sides and it has showed determination from all the memberstates. No one finds it more attractive to be alone.
Just to refresh the memory, GB choose to jump off the wagon when it hit a bump on the road. In my opinion, the decision was taken in a closed circle, where the EU is seen as a rival. Hereafter it was carried out with the help of all modern equipment. I think that they were sure the EU would fall apart after that bump on the road. And in this future without EU, GB was promised a huge role as a new leader for a lot of European countries.
Another refreshment of memory. Can anyone remember the EURO crisis? I can for sure – it was somewhere after the big financial crisis in 2008. Suddenly the entire anglo saxon press attacked the EURO and told the world that is was done, it would perish. The big credit rating agencies went along and started downrating anything they could find on the continent. It went on for a long time. but they did not succeed in it.
There are so many outside the EU that want it to go away. But here it is still. That is why I find the state of the EU good. It could be better. But it is not bad. After alle these tests and many more, we are determined to stay together. It makes us strong.
This leads me to a final conclusion: In someway I begin to see the EU more as a “labour union” or “industrial union” as a federation. I hope for the latter.