Key points from von der Leyen's speech on the European Union: restrictions on social media, Canada, and the threat posed by Russia

Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026

Der Standard

Von der Leyen’s EU State of the Union speech addresses social media, China trade deficit, Ukraine support, and climate action.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the Union address to EU parliamentarians, calling for a joint fight for the European idea and stating that only Europe can offer true sovereignty to Europeans in today’s cold and fragile world. She also addressed the trade deficit with China, promised increased commitment to Ukraine and climate protection, touched upon social media boundaries, Canada, and threats from Russia.

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