In Strasbourg, the President of the European Commission illustrated the timetable for the new year, speaking of a "stronger" Europe, but which is also facing unprecedented challenges. On AI he anticipated that there will be a debate with "the main laboratories". While a European plan against heat waves is on the way to tackle the climate crisis. And a "new ad hoc tool to deal with the migrant emergency" will also arrive, after what happened in Ceuta
It is a Europe to "be proud of" that described by the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her speech on the state of the Union, from Strasbourg. "The speed of change is incredible. The challenges are exceptional. So, if I look at Europe today, my view is this: the state of our Union is stronger than ever. The state of our Union may also seem more precarious than ever. These two statements may seem incompatible. But they are both true. And they reflect these exceptional times. This complex era, of great possibilities and great dangers, that all countries are trying to face. In this world, Europe has chosen to chart its own path," he added.
Von der Leyen: "A stronger Europe is emerging"
Von der Leyen then underlined that "a stronger and more independent Europe is emerging. This is a Europe that is consolidating its prosperity. A Europe that is freeing itself from its toxic dependence on Russian fossil fuels. That has become the greatest trading power on the planet. That is transforming its industrial policy while maintaining our unique social model. This is a Europe more capable than ever of defending itself. A Europe that has radically revised its approach to the security of our territories. That has increased defense spending on almost 80% in the last five years alone."
"They want to break up the EU, we must fight"
The President of the Commission also addressed the issue of threats to the EU: "Do we want a strong and independent Europe that defends its values in the world? Or do we let our democracies be undermined by the representatives and puppets of the authoritarians? Whether it is ultra-nationalists or anti-Europeans, whether it is Russian interference or disinformation, the names may be different, but their objective is the same. They despise our values and want to shatter our European unity. So not let's limit ourselves to opposing all this, but let's fight together for our idea of Europe".
A European plan against heat waves is on the way
Then a focus on climate change: "This was the summer of truth, almost no part of our continent was spared" from the heat, recalled the president of the Commission. "The impact is devastating", he added, "and all this is just the appetizer, because Europe is warming at double the speed of the rest of the world. Europe must therefore stay on course towards achieving the climate objectives it has set itself". "We will present a new resilience framework next month", anticipated von der Leyen, "which will identify 100 of the most vulnerable territories in Europe and we will identify methods to manage them". And the new features also include "a European plan against heat waves", because "better early warning systems and better health preparation" are needed.
“I will invite the AI bosses for discussion on how to handle the challenge”
Artificial Intelligence was also a central theme of von der Leyen's speech: "I am convinced that AI can benefit humanity, if used well. But we need to balance the opportunities on the one hand and the risks on the other." The President of the Commission cited fears linked to hackers and models capable of self-improvement, in the wake of the debate that has broken out on the matter in recent days. Von der Leyen then cited the European AI Act as "a crucial element" that "puts Europe in a position to guide global efforts on how to address this issue. We will therefore intensify our engagement together with partners who share our vision, such as Canada and the United Kingdom". “We want to collaborate on model evaluation, verification, early warning, AI safety and much more: I will invite leading cutting-edge laboratories to a discussion on how we can support ongoing efforts to keep pace with innovations,” he teased.
"Ceuta is Europe, a new tool on the migrant emergency is coming"
And there was a passage on what happened in Ceuta at the end of July. "All our external borders are European borders. I would therefore like to address the Spanish people directly: the Ceuta border is a European border. Because Ceuta is Spain. Ceuta is Europe. And Europe will be at your side", said Ursula von der Leyen. "The events of this summer", he underlined, "demonstrate that our tools must evolve. That is why we will propose a new European Emergency Response Instrument".
"Canada will be the first associate member of the EU"
While moving on to the topic of economic partnerships, the Commission President recalled that the EU must "urgently rethink" its agreements. For this reason, he announced, "I would like to collaborate with you to open the doors for Canada to become the first associate member of the EU". The announcement was made directly addressing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, present today in Strasbourg: "We will voluntarily join forces. We will move from Ceta to an 'Alliance for the Future' to create a common space of prosperity and economic security".
"Painful to see the 27 EU members without a majority on Israel"
Then also take a look at the ongoing conflicts. "The profound suffering in Gaza and the uncontrolled settler violence in the West Bank have deeply affected Europeans. The Israeli government's decision to continue with the illegal E1 settlement project is unacceptable. Last year I urged Europe to act, proposing a series of measures. It is painful for many Europeans that member states have failed to reach the majorities needed for a united response. Some member states have already taken steps to do so. Others are considering doing so," von der Leyen told the State of the Union.
