Von der Leyen Urges EU Unity, Canada Partnership in Annual Address
Ursula von der Leyen called for EU solidarity and a closer partnership with Canada in her annual State of the Union address, while vowing to tackle the bloc's trade imbalance with China.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her annual address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday to call for greater unity among member states and a deeper partnership with Canada, as the bloc confronts what she described as an "openly hostile world".
Setting out the EU's priorities for the year ahead, von der Leyen said solidarity was the only viable path forward. "Our path is clear. Building an independent Europe that has the power to act," she told lawmakers.
The 27-nation bloc faces multiple pressures: the war in Ukraine on its borders, stiff competition from the United States and an increasingly assertive China, and domestic headwinds including the rising popularity of eurosceptic far-right parties. Recent regional elections in Germany have weakened Chancellor Friedrich Merz, while opinion polls place Marine Le Pen as the strongest contender in next year's French presidential vote.
"The state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been. The state of our Union can also feel as precarious as it has ever been," von der Leyen said.
Canada partnership
Von der Leyen stressed the need to safeguard European independence in energy, raw materials and clean technologies, and said strong partners such as Canada would be essential. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the session and received a warm welcome from lawmakers.
"We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible," von der Leyen said, proposing that Canada become the first associate member of the EU. She embraced Carney after making the remark, and he received a standing ovation from the chamber.
China trade deficit
On trade, von der Leyen said the EU would use every available tool to reduce its "unsustainable" goods trade deficit with China, which stood at €1 billion ($1.15 billion) a day last year. She said the imbalance had reached a tipping point. "Let me be clear: we will use all the tools at our disposal to rebalance our relationship. Words are good. But deeds are better," she said.
Climate adaptation
Von der Leyen also said the bloc must maintain its ambitious climate mitigation goals while stepping up adaptation efforts, drawing on lessons from the past three months, when Europe was hit by unprecedented heatwaves and wildfires.