“Today - courage has a name, and that name is Ukraine.”
On 14 September 2022, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, made her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. This address comes with the backdrop of war in Ukraine, poignantly symbolised by the presence of the Ukrainian First Lady, Olena Zelenska, in attendance.
In her address, Ms. von der Leyen reiterated Europe’s commitment to Ukraine during their war, and condemned Russia for their role. Aside from the Ukrainian war, the current energy crisis facing Europe was a main topic of discussion, and in response, the Commission President has stated that there will be a windfall tax on energy providers who are “benefitting from war and on the back of consumers”.
Other key areas discussed were measured to address climate change, economic growth, corruption, migration, investment in education and improving Europe’s own rare earth industry. There were also targeted remarks regarding strengthening partnerships with allies, with reference to the potential European Political Community, as well as a call for a new European Convention, a step toward potentially changing the bloc’s founding treaties.
The BIC’s team of analysts have their own individual reactions to the State of the Union below:
Ben Lowings, BIC Political Analyst said:
“This is a State of the Union address that clearly shows the threat that the EU is feeling from external foreign powers; from Russia directly, in its war and effect on energy markets, to China’s grip on the rare materials industry, to the threat from autocracies undermining European democracies from within. The priorities of the Commission are on full display; how can Europe create autonomous solutions to our shared challenges of the cost of living crisis, energy, education and security? The calls for such internal developments have been made for several years, but the successive crises of COVID-19 and now Russia’s invasion have forced the Commission’s hand. Yet, there will be significant negotiations with external partners to come and these require nuance too; for instance, to replace dependency on Russian energy to reliance on US or Norwegian energy is only a short-term solution. On the classic issues of migration, for instance, the contradiction between creating fair, equitable solutions for migrants whilst respecting Europe’s borders will continue to persist without concrete solutions. And too, the Union’s comments on strengthening democracy and preventing interference from foreign autocracies will continue to be undermined whilst internal avoidance of the abuses and democratic backsliding within the Union in countries such as Hungary continues. The EU clearly has the capacity and budgetary resources to be able to enact huge changes on policy, and time will tell whether this new set of measures creates a successful impact.”
Clementine Lienard, BIC Climate Security Analyst stated:
“The address is made in the very particular context of the unprecedented energy crisis Europe is facing. There is a pragmatic recognition that our fossil fuel-based model is not sustainable anymore, not only in terms of environmental footprint, but also regarding its financial costs and the worrying state of dependency to external actors. The EU is now facing the urgent necessity to lower the prices before winter, while also recognizing the need to undertake structural reforms of its energy system. Setting joint storage and preparing for energetic austerity measures will not be enough. The changing of “paradigm” announced by President Von der Leyen means investing at high scale in renewable energies - wind, sun, green hydrogen - regulating the energy market and ending subvention to fossil fuel companies. To achieve this energy transition, accessing metals, for instance, will be crucial, as per the President’s announcement of a ‘European Critical Raw Materials Act’, or with the development of a new task force to examine how to cap the price of gas. It remains to be seen if the EU will finally walk the walk with the so-called “comprehensive reform” of the bloc’s electricity market.
On climate change, with the adoption of the Green Deal, the EU has demonstrated strong commitments towards climate action and shall continue pushing for more robust engagements from other nations, particularly at COP27 next November in Egypt. To achieve a global fair and just transition, the solidarity mentioned by the President should also be demonstrated to the Neighborhood, which will be unevenly affected by climate change effects. Climate change is to be a strong part of the EU’s external action, a regretfully absent topic from the State of the Union.”
Fernando Aguiar, BIC Senior Advisor on Conflict and EU Politics said:
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has engulfed Europe in its gravest security crisis in decades. It has prompted, or rather pushed, the EU to take unprecedented decisions on security, defence and even on its own enlargement - controversial topics that Member States have been sweeping under the carpet. VDL’s speech has shown however that the Union can be reactive, flexible and adaptable when there’s political willingness. Amid a war at its doorstep, the EU had to force itself to become a more ambitious, autonomous and geopolitical player. The Commission’s announcement of new directives for energy diversification, including measures to lower gas prices, along with its recent decision to finance for the first time the delivery of lethal weapons to a third country at war could create a momentum towards a bolder EU’s foreign policy: One that goes beyond immediate crisis response, and closer to a long-term, coherent vision for the Union. Moving forward, if the EU is to learn from its mistakes, a preventive approach with a strategic foresight should be prioritised over a reactive, short-sighted one.”