Dark political clouds are gathering over Europe. Against this background, the #SOTEU26 paints an EU eager to reach outwards, while still soul-searching on internal policy dimensions. A difficult balancing exercise; but an important one.

My latest ⬇️

www.algebris.com/policy-resea...

Our response to #SOTEU26 highlights four priorities for a resilient Europe: citizen agency, rights that work in practice, technology that strengthens democracy, and meaningful citizen participation in Europe’s future.

Read our full response: ecas.org/a-resilient-...

State of the European Union Speech by our 1st female President. Speaking Peace 🕊 and Solidarity. A historic moment with 🇪🇺 invitation for Canada 🇨🇦 to join the Union. #SOTEU26

I had to create a mindmap 🎨 to remember the day & connect the dots ...

CLAVES 🔎| Las claves del discurso del Estado de la UE 2026: Controlar las redes y la IA, lazos con Canadá y defensa

🔗 efe.com/euro-efe/202...

#SOTEU26

Was braucht 🇪🇺 Europa, um in einer Zeit wachsender Herausforderungen handlungsfähig zu bleiben? Unsere #EBDanalyse zur #SOTEU26 zeigt: Neben politischen Prioritäten braucht es jetzt vor allem institutionelle Reformen.
👉 netzwerk-ebd.de/aktuelles/na...

🇪🇺 Das war es aus dem Europäischen Haus zur #SOTEU26. Danke an alle Panelistinnen und Panelisten, an die Gäste, die den Saal bis auf den letzten Platz gefüllt haben, und an unsere Partner: die Vertretung der @ec.europa.eu, das Verbindungsbüro des @europarl.europa.eu und @table.media.

Unsere #EBDanalyse zur #SOTEU26: Wo von der Leyens Rede überzeugt, wo Fragen offenbleiben und warum europäische Handlungsfähigkeit jetzt auch institutionelle Reformen braucht.

Die vollständige Analyse:
netzwerk-ebd.de/aktuelles/na...

#EBDpräsidentin @praesidentin.netzwerk-ebd.de zur #SOTEU26: Von der Leyen stellt die richtige Frage. Wie kann Europa selbst entscheiden und handeln? Die Antwort darf nicht bei Sicherheitsinstrumenten enden. Eine starke Union braucht dringend institutionelle Reformen. #EBDanalyse #WerteEU

Nun diskutieren S.E. Giedrius Puodžiūnas, Botschafter Litauens in Deutschland, @praesidentin.netzwerk-ebd.de Dr. Anna-Maija Mertens, @herrzacharias.bsky.social Fabian Zacharias @bitkom.org und Isabel Rutkowski KLJB die #SOTEU26. Es moderiert @tillhoppe.bsky.social, @table.media.

Wie bewerten wir die #SOTEU2026? In einer Pressemitteilung zur Rede von @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu fassen wir am Nachmittag die wichtigsten Punkte zusammen ➡️ netzwerk-ebd.de/aktuelles/na... #staytuned #SOTEU26 #EBDanalyse

Commissievoorzitter von der Leyen erkent de klimaatcrisis, maar mist de kans voor echte klimaatactie.

Geen einddatum voor fossiele brandstoffen, geen afroming op overwinsten. Na 35.000 hittedoden verdienen we meer dan mooie woorden.

Mijn reactie op #SOTEU26 👇
www.groen.be/soteu_2026

We zitten midden in een klimaatcrisis. Von der Leyen, waar blijft de actie?

Ursula von der Leyen heeft haar jaarlijkse State of the European Union speech gegeven. Ze zei veel, maar vooral veel niet...

#SOTEU26

Quite a 🇨🇦 career II

Once part of the British Empire - and now potentially overtaking post- #Brexit 🇬🇧 on the road towards 🇪🇺 integration.

If VdL's "first associate member" idea goes anywhere, Ottawa could be testing a new model for London.

History does have a sense of humour. #SOTEU26 #UKEU

Overall: a clear political idea - a Europe able to act for itself - but delivered through a very long list of initiatives.
The biggest unanswered #EBDpolitik question remains:

How do we reform the EU democratically and institutionally so that a larger Europe can actually deliver all this?

#SOTEU26

Democratic resilience cannot only mean fighting disinformation, foreign interference and hybrid threats.

It also needs pluralism, participation and strong organised societal forces.

Democracy is not only something Europe has to defend. It is something Europe has to practise. #SOTEU26 #EBDpolitik

One contradiction in #SOTEU26:

Von der Leyen speaks about defending the "freedoms of our Schengen area" - but says nothing about the internal border controls slowly hollowing those freedoms out. #schrankeimkopf

The Commission is also the guardian of the Treaties. #EBDpolitik #SOTEU

Congress of Europe 2.0

A new "Congress of Europe"? I'm cautious.

We already had the Conference on the Future of Europe. The reform ideas are there.

Europe does not need another poster event if there is no clear reform agenda behind it.

Dialogue yes. Postponing decisions, no. #SOTEU26 #EBDpolitik

On enlargement, much to welcome from an #EBDpolitik perspective: a clear European perspective for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, merit-based accession and values that are "non-negotiable". 🇹🇷 ?

But enlargement capacity also requires reform capacity. That part remains unfinished. #SOTEU26

My first #SOTEU26 takeaway: the political theme was clear - Europe must be able to act for itself.

Security, energy, Al, China, Ukraine, migration, democracy: again and again the question was whether Europe can decide, act and defend its interests independently.

Very close to #EBDpolitik. but...

associated press & science... #SOTEU26 #canadaEU