13 September 2023

2023 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen

When I stood in front of you in 2019 with my programme for a green, digital and geopolitical Europe I know that some had doubts. And that was before the world turned upside down with a global pandemic and a brutal war on European soil.

INTRODUCTION – DELIVER TODAY, PREPARE FOR TOMORROW

Honourable Members,

In just under 300 days, Europeans will take to the polls in our unique and remarkable democracy.

As with any election, it will be a time for people to reflect on the State of our Union and the work done by those that represent them.

But it will also be a time to decide on what kind of future and what kind of Europe they want.

Among them will be millions of first-time voters, the youngest of whom were born in 2008.

As they stand in that polling booth, they will think about what matters to them.

They will think about the war that rages at our borders.

Or the impact of destructive climate change.

About how artificial intelligence will influence their lives.

Or of their chances of getting a house or a job in the years ahead.

Our Union today reflects the vision of those who dreamt of a better future after World War II. 

A future in which a Union of nations, democracies and people would work together to share peace and prosperity.

They believed that Europe was the answer to the call of history.

When I speak to the new generation of young people, I see that same vision for a better future.

That same burning desire to build something better.

That same belief that in a world of uncertainty, Europe once again must answer the call of history.

And that is what we must do together. 

 

Honourable Members,

This starts with earning the trust of Europeans to deal with their aspirations and anxieties.

And in the next 300 days we must finish the job that they entrusted us with.

I want to thank this House for its leading role in delivering on one of the most ambitious transformations this Union has ever embarked on.

When I stood in front of you in 2019 with my programme for a green, digital and geopolitical Europe I know that some had doubts.

And that was before the world turned upside down with a global pandemic and a brutal war on European soil. 

But look at where Europe is today.

We have seen the birth of a geopolitical Union – supporting Ukraine, standing up to Russia's aggression, responding to an assertive China and investing in partnerships.

We now have a European Green Deal as the centrepiece of our economy and unmatched in ambition. 

We have set the path for the digital transition and become global pioneers in online rights.

We have the historic NextGenerationEU – combining 800 billion euros of investment and reform – and creating decent jobs for today and tomorrow.   

We have set the building blocks for a Health Union, helping to vaccinate an entire continent – and large parts of the world. 

We have started making ourselves more independent in critical sectors, like energy, chips or raw materials.

I would also like to thank you for the ground-breaking and pioneering work we did on gender equality.

As a woman, this means a lot to me.

We have concluded files that many thought would be blocked forever, like the Women on Boards Directive and the historic accession of the EU to the Istanbul Convention.

With the Directive on pay transparency we have cast into law the basic principle that equal work deserves equal pay.

There is not a single argument why – for the same type of work – a woman should be paid less than a man.

But our work is far from over and we must continue pushing for progress together.

I know this house supports our proposal on combating violence against women.

Here too, I would like that we cast into law another basic principle: No, means no.

There can be no true equality without freedom from violence.

 

And thanks to this Parliament, to Member States and to my team of Commissioners, we have delivered over 90% of the Political Guidelines I presented in 2019.

Together, we have shown that when Europe is bold, it gets things done.

And our work is far from over - so let's stand together.

Let's deliver today and prepare for tomorrow.

 

EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL

Honourable Members,

Four years ago, the European Green Deal was our answer to the call of history.

And this summer – the hottest ever on record in Europe – was a stark reminder of that. 

Greece and Spain were struck by ravaging wildfires – and were hit again only a few weeks later by devastating floods.

And we saw the chaos and carnage of extreme weather – from Slovenia to Bulgaria and right across our Union.

This is the reality of a boiling planet.

The European Green Deal was born out of this necessity to protect our planet.

But it was also designed as an opportunity to preserve our future prosperity.

We started this mandate by setting a long-term perspective with the climate law and the 2050 target.

We shifted the climate agenda to being an economic one.

This has given a clear sense of direction for investment and innovation.

And we have already seen this growth strategy delivering in the short-term. 

Europe's industry is showing every day that it is ready to power this transition.

Proving that modernisation and decarbonisation can go hand in hand.

In the last five years, the number of clean steel factories in the EU has grown from zero to 38.

We are now attracting more investment in clean hydrogen than the US and China combined.

And tomorrow I will be in Denmark with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to see that innovation first hand.

We will mark the launch of the first container ship, powered by clean methanol made with solar energy....

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