Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing for the State of the Union 2026 — one of the most important moments in the EU’s democratic calendar.
In a new multilingual video, von der Leyen asks Europeans a simple but symbolic question: How do you say “State of the Union” in your EU language?
The State of the Union speech, also known as SOTEU, will take place on 16 September 2026, from 09:00 to 11:50 CEST, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and will be web streamed.
Every year, the President of the European Commission addresses the European Parliament to reflect on the past year, outline the EU’s priorities and announce new initiatives. The speech is followed by a debate with Members of the European Parliament, reinforcing democratic accountability.
This year, von der Leyen is expected to share her vision and major initiatives for the year ahead, building on the EU’s achievements so far.
After her 2025 message that Europe must seize its “independence moment”, SOTEU 2026 is set to become a defining speech about Europe’s future, unity, security, competitiveness and power to shape its own destiny.
From Strasbourg to every EU language, the message is clear: Europe speaks with many voices — but faces one common future.
#eudebates #SOTEU2026 #VonDerLeyen #StateOfTheUnion
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing for the State of the Union 2026 — one of the most important moments in the EU’s democratic calendar.
In a new multilingual video, von der Leyen asks Europeans a simple but symbolic question: How do you say “State of the Union” in your EU language?
The State of the Union speech, also known as SOTEU, will take place on 16 September 2026, from 09:00 to 11:50 CEST, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and will be web streamed.
Every year, the President of the European Commission addresses the European Parliament to reflect on the past year, outline the EU’s priorities and announce new initiatives. The speech is followed by a debate with Members of the European Parliament, reinforcing democratic accountability.
This year, von der Leyen is expected to share her vision and major initiatives for the year ahead, building on the EU’s achievements so far.
After her 2025 message that Europe must seize its “independence moment”, SOTEU 2026 is set to become a defining speech about Europe’s future, unity, security, competitiveness and power to shape its own destiny.
From Strasbourg to every EU language, the message is clear: Europe speaks with many voices — but faces one common future.
#eudebates #SOTEU2026 #VonDerLeyen #StateOfTheUnion
