European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her 2026 State of the Union address to set out an ambitious agenda for a Europe that is more competitive, more resilient and better equipped to act in an increasingly challenging geopolitical environment. A central message of the speech was clear: Europe needs to move faster. Competitiveness: Europe needs to move faster Building on the work of Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta, von der Leyen highlighted the progress made on