Ursula von der Leyen

We've run the numbers on the Commission president's third annual set-piece address to the European Parliament.

Compared with last year's speech, von der Leyen had little time for other policy areas such as health and tech, while the terms around the issues of economy, energy and fossil resources featured prominently. The word "war" alone was mentioned 16 times. With Ukraine to the fore, the tone of the speech was darker than in previous years.

European Union Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen has announced she will visit Kyiv later Wednesday to show the bloc's support for Ukraine as it fights ...

Von der Leyen announced Wednesday that the bloc will provide 100 million euros to build up schools destroyed during the invasion. The EU has already committed billions in aid to Ukraine since the Feb. As Ukraine is pushing Russian troops back in the east with a lightning fast counteroffensive, von der Leyen took heart.

The European Union is building a dam of containment to face an uncertain winter. The horizon, marked by the war in Ukraine and the incipient energy crisis, ...

And in this sense, she has announced a battery of measures, many of them along the lines of what is being proposed in Spain, to tackle the energy crisis that will leave us with a cold winter for many households". "The six priorities that the 'von der Leyen Commission' set itself when it arrived in 2019 are still on its political agenda, despite the pandemic crises, the war in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis". "The European Union has responded to the war in defence of European values and democracy, which is why the President's emphasis on enlargement policy also stands out. "I want to make it clear, the sanctions are here to stay," Von der Leyen said in her speech. The horizon, marked by the war in Ukraine and the incipient energy crisis, is forcing the Commission to weave a common front to circumvent the multiple threats on the horizon. Von der Leyen appeared at the European Parliament in Strasbourg early Wednesday morning on a date marked in red on the calendar.

BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Wednesday proposed emergency measures to tackle the energy crisis, including a windfall tax on some energy companies ...

One measure that was floated by the commission in recent weeks — a price cap on Russian gas — proved divisive among member states and was not included in Wednesday’s proposal. In a [visit to Brussels last week](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/09/blinken-eu-russia-ukraine-winter/?itid=lk_inline_manual_19), Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will not “leave our European friends out in the cold.” In the short term, however, prices remain high and national governments are paying hundreds of billions to try to keep people afloat. “This is a war on our energy, a war on our economy, a war on our values and a war on our future.” Since February, the European Union has taken steps to wean itself off Russian energy in the name of limiting Russian revenue and loosening the Kremlin’s grip on Europe. gas imports, for instance, not the 40 percent it was at the beginning of the year. [watching the situation closely](https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/09/11/europe-energy-crisis-white-house/?itid=lk_inline_manual_19). “This is the time for us to show resolve, not appeasement.” She said Russia is “actively manipulating” the bloc’s energy market to the point that it is no longer functioning, but Europe was fighting back. Although von der Leyen’s speech barely mentioned the food crisis, there is a growing fear that Europe’s economic woes could deepen social and economic pain elsewhere. should tax the profits of non-gas power producers when they sell above a certain price point and requires fossil fuel companies to pay a “solidarity contribution” from their 2022 earnings. “I want to make it very clear, the sanctions are here to stay,” she said.

The European Commission president spoke about the Ukraine war, energy reform, fight against corruption and the reform of common fiscal rules.

"Rules that are fit for the challenges of this decade." "This watershed moment in global politics calls for a rethink of our foreign policy agenda," she said. This is why we will do a deep and comprehensive reform of the electricity market." The bloc has struggled to address democratic backsliding in several member states, most notably Poland and Hungary. "We all saw the dry rivers, the burning forests, the impact of the extreme heat. And under the surface, the situation is far starker." "Today, courage has a name, and that name is Ukraine," von der Leyen said, adding she will travel to Kyiv later in the day. "We've all seen to what extent the Green Deal is important. "Profits must be shared and channelled to those who need it the most." The Commission has warned the cap could push shippers to sell their gas somewhere else and endanger the EU's security of supply ahead of the winter. "The Russian military is taking chips from dishwashers and refrigerators to fix their military hardware, because there are no semiconductors anymore," she said. "This is time for resolve and not appeasement."

During her state of the union speech, the European Commission's President vowed to fight on against Russia and announced new measures to bring down energy ...

“I believe the moment has arrived for a European Convention” that would decide on revisions to the texts, she said. “This is about autocracy against democracy,” von der Leyen added, framing her speech as the EU standing up for the principles it was founded on exactly 70 years ago as the European Coal and Steel Community. A brief section at the end of the speech again highlighted her administration’s commitment to the rule of law, a reference to an ongoing conflict with Hungary and Poland over what Brussels perceives as those countries’ undermining of democratic institutions. Von der Leyen offered a clear rebuke to those within the bloc who argue that sanctions on Russia should be eased, most prominently Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, but also politicians such as Matteo Salvini in Italy. The EU is now taking steps that some eastern states have long advocated, such as building new terminals for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and investing more in renewable energy generation. This is the time for us to show resolve, not appeasement,” she said. [last state of the union speech](https://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2021/09/eu-vaccine-success-underpins-ursula-von-der-leyens-optimistic-state-of-the-union), in 2021, was dominated by a single topic: the coronavirus pandemic and the vaccine rollout. Von der Leyen offered a mea culpa of sorts when she said that the voices of eastern member states – which have long taken a more hawkish line on Russia than their western neighbours – had not been listened to, and thus the bloc had failed to take measures to limit Russia’s leverage over the continent. One of the most significant announcements was a plan to decouple the price of electricity from the price of gas. “Her stewardship on the energy issue was masterful and inspiring. In time, current proposals on expansion – including Ukraine as the fifth most-populous member state – will result in an EU more inclined to be sceptical about Russia. The Baltics and Poland have been vindicated in their consistent hawkishness towards Moscow, while the EU has pledged accession to Ukraine, Moldova and, eventually, Georgia, plus countries of the western Balkans.

Europe's solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakeable,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament today.

This website is managed by the EU-funded Regional Communication Programme for the Eastern Neighbourhood ('EU NEIGHBOURS east’), which complements and supports the communication of the Delegations of the European Union in the Eastern partner countries, and works under the guidance of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, and the European External Action Service. She said the EU would allocate up to €100 million for this purpose, “because the future of Ukraine begins in its schools”. The President especially stressed that “the sanctions are here to stay” “The Russian military is taking chips from dishwashers and refrigerators to fix their military hardware, because they ran out of semiconductors. And that name is Ukraine,” said Ursula von der Leyen. “Europe’s solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakeable,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament today.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen laid out plans to combat the energy crisis and the ongoing response to Russia in her annual State of the ...

A faster recognition of their qualifications would have to be implemented, von der Leyen emphasized. "In these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record revenues benefiting from war and on the back of our consumers" The proposed legislation would help in the identification of these areas. She said it was crucial that the EU rid itself of the dependency on Russian oil and gas. Both trade agreements and further legislation were needed to make these more secure for the bloc in future. "Today, China controls the global processing industry. Von der Leyen praised the rapid response of the European Union to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "Our union is not complete without you," she added. Von der Leyen highlighted that the "Next Generation EU" plan signified a "relief for the European economy" and a "constant stream of investment" into sustainable energies such as solar plants and wind parks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is holding the annual "State of the European Union" speech to address challenges such as the looming energy crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "You are part of our family, you are the future of our union," von der Leyen said. Amid praise for the EU's rapid response to the Ukraine crisis, von der Leyen stressed that the EU's support for Ukraine will remain "unshakeable".

The Commission chief told Euronews that the EU's energy crisis plans will help member states to protect citizens.

Von der Leyen also argued that a "big reform of the electricity market is the next step to come" to decouple the price of gas from the price of electricity in the EU. "A maximum price would not solve the fundamental problem, which is that there is too little gas in Europe." She told Euronews that with these measures, the EU "now is giving member states the financial firepower to financially support the vulnerable households and vulnerable businesses."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the European Union must show "resolve, not appeasement" as it deal with Russia over its war with ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of other CSTO members discussed the situation on September 13, urging a quick cessation of hostilities. The United Nations is now trying to broker a resumption of those ammonia exports. [Live Briefing](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-crisis-crosshairs-live-briefing/31668477.html) gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. It also said on September 14 that Putin had discussed getting Ukrainian grain to countries most in need in a telephone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The same day, media reports said a former top manager at Russian gas giant Novatek, Sergei Protosenya, his wife, and daughter had been found dead in a rented villa in the town of Lloret de Mar near Barcelona. The reported detentions may be linked to mass protests in Karakalpakstan in early July after changes initiated by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev were proposed to the Uzbek Constitution. The two were part of a group of Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainian troops. Reported ransomware payments in the United States reached over $590 million in 2021, compared to a total of $416 million in 2020, the Treasury Department said. In 2014, the opposition movement Group 24 was labeled as terrorist and extremist and banned. The sanctions were announced by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which said the three accused hackers are thought to be in Iran. "The Chinese government pays a significant attention to relations with Kazakhstan. Europe's solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakeable," she said, adding that she would pay a surprise visit to Kyiv later in the day.

Von der Leyen wants to rip up electricity markets and raise cash from power firms to help consumers.

The electricity market is “not fit for purpose anymore,” she said. It’s a war on our future,” she said. It’s a war on our values. It is a war on our economy. “It is a war on our energy. The bloc is facing not just a security threat from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but a broader war, she said.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen announced a visit to Kyiv later Wednesday to show the bloc's support for Ukraine as it ...

Von der Leyen announced Wednesday that the bloc will provide 100 million euros to build up schools destroyed during the invasion. The EU has already committed billions in aid to Ukraine since the Feb. As Ukraine is pushing Russian troops back in the east with a lightning fast counteroffensive, von der Leyen took heart.

Honourable Members,. My fellow Europeans,. Never before has this Parliament debated the State of our Union with war raging on European soil. We all remember ...

And we now need the political will to match. This is why we will do a deep and comprehensive reform of the electricity market. We should strive to expand this core of democracies. And we should mobilise our collective power to shape global goods. And we are still paying for this today. Our friends in the Baltics have worked hard to end their dependency on Russia. Because the future of Ukraine begins in its schools. I remember a moment in the early weeks of the invasion. And we will need all of this strength. And that is why we will provide 100 million euros. Haunted by the sounds of sirens and the sheer brutality of war. You have given courage to the whole nation.

Ukraine is now a EU candidate,” wrote von der Leyn. She added that she would discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys ...

This website is managed by the EU-funded Regional Communication Programme for the Eastern Neighbourhood ('EU NEIGHBOURS east’), which complements and supports the communication of the Delegations of the European Union in the Eastern partner countries, and works under the guidance of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, and the European External Action Service. It is part of the larger Neighbourhood Communication Programme (2020-2024) for the EU's Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood, which also includes 'EU NEIGHBOURS south’ project that runs the [Disclaimer](/disclaimer/) and [Protection of personal data](/protection-of-data/).

This year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's speech covered a number of crucial and pressing issues: Russia, the war in Ukraine, ...

To our friends in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and to the opposition in Belarus. Many in Central and Eastern Europe have for years warned their Western European counterparts about the grave dangers of Putin's Russia, only to be dismissed as hysterics and Russophobes. While that might smart, there is a new, renewed interest in EU enlargement that likely wouldn't have happened without the war in Ukraine. So I want the people of the Western Balkans, of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia to know: You are part of our family, your future is in our union, and our union is not complete without you," von der Leyen said to roaring acclaim from the European Parliament, the EU institution most wedded to the idea of an enlarged EU. "The path toward strong democracies and the path toward our union are one and the same. This year might be different, though, as the annual state-of-the-EU speech, given by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, covered a number of crucial and pressing issues: Russia, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and the long winter ahead.

She is due to meet Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Denys Shmyhal, the country's prime minister. The meeting was expected to focus on how to unite ...

The meeting was expected to focus on how to unite Ukraine and Europe to progress the country's accession to the European Union. France's president Emmanuel Macron has said it could take Ukraine "several decades" to join the bloc. She is due to meet Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Denys Shmyhal, the country's prime minister.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday morning. She had announced her visit on Wednesday ...

"Some units retreated in relatively good order and under control, while others fled in apparent panic." "The way in which Russian forces have withdrawn in the last week has varied," the update on Twitter said. "At the site of the missile attack on Kryvyi Rih, everything is being done to eliminate the consequences of this yet another Russian vile act," he said.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new initiative on mental health, to be presented in 2023, in her State of the European Union (SOTEU) ...

They highlighted that young people, women and those with pre-existing physical health conditions were more likely to develop symptoms of mental disorders. [voted in favour](https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/meps-call-for-boost-of-education-culture-to-aid-decline-in-childrens-mental-health/) of a non-binding report calling for increased spending on education and culture in order to combat the decline in the mental health of children and young people. So far, EU-level initiatives on mental health are limited. [warned](https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide) that the mental health impacts of lockdowns impacted different societal groups in different ways. In the 9th proposal of the CoFoE, “a broader understanding of health”, the first measure asks to “improve understanding of mental health issues and ways of addressing them.” [conclusions](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/media/20220509RES29121/20220509RES29121.pdf) of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), which ended in May.