Key events
It’s also worth noting that this year’s SOTU will see a special guests in attendance: Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney.
He will listen to von der Leyen’s speech as Canada seeks closer ties with the EU – particularly on defence, digital regulation and trade – amid growing tensions with and outright repeated threats from US president Donald Trump.
Carney will also address the European parliament on Thursday.
Watch von der Leyen’s SOTU live – video
The speech is expected to start in the next 10-15 minutes, so you can watch as the European Parliament’s Hemicycle in Strasbourg is filling up ahead of the speech.
Here’s our live stream for today:
Morning opening: The state of the European Union
Jakub Krupa
The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is about to speak at the European parliament to discuss “the state of the Union” in her annual speech about the EU’s place in the ever more complicated world.
Her speech in Strasbourg comes as the list of challenges facing the bloc grows ever longer – not least an increasingly aggressive Russia following incidents involving Denmark, Lithuania, and Poland this week. Security is set to be a key theme.
We are also likely to hear about Europe’s competitiveness and its standing in a global race dominated by superpowers like China and the US, as well as the rise of nationalism and populism across the continent and beyond.
Expect updates on other major priorities, too: digital regulation (with a sharp focus on online safety), migration (following the Ceuta crisis in late July), and climate and energy in the wake of another record-breaking summer.
Plenty to cover. I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Wednesday, 16 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/sep/16/european-union-ursula-von-der-leyen-eu-europe-latest-news-updates
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