Straight to the content

State of the Union Address 2025

© European Union
In her latest State of the Union address on 10 September 2025 before the European Parliament, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reviewed the first months of her second term in office and presented an ambitious agenda for Europe’s future. She outlined key priorities and flagship initiatives for the coming year, focusing on competitiveness, security and defence, social justice, quality of life, democratic values, and Europe’s global standing. The central themes that emerged included Europe’s geopolitical independence, technological sovereignty, and a willingness to pursue institutional reform – with clear incentives for research and innovation.

12 September 2025

Von der Leyen emphasised the importance of research as “one of the most valuable global assets” and referred to the announced “Choose Europe” package of over 500 million euros, which is aimed at attracting and retaining top talent in Europe. Additionally, it is recommended that significant investments be made in digitalisation and clean technology to enhance Europe’s independence. The Commission is complementing these measures with a planned Competitiveness Fund and a doubling of funds for the research and innovation programme “Horizon Europe”.

By reducing bureaucratic obstacles and introducing a new roadmap for the Single Market 2028, the Commission aims to advance the completion of the Single Market. For the first time, this roadmap is set to include a fifth fundamental freedom – knowledge and innovation. In doing so, von der Leyen draws on a key recommendation from former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s report on the future of the Single Market (2024). Letta called for a new freedom for research, innovation, and education, to dismantle disciplinary and artificial borders, improve legal frameworks for cross-border cooperation, and sustainably strengthen the EU’s innovative capacity.

The 70-page brochure reviewing the first months of the 2024–2029 European Commission details the Commission’s initiatives in education, skills, and competencies – including references to the Union of Skills, the STEM education strategy plan, the Choose Europe initiative, and the planned establishment of a European Competence Centre for Research Security and Crisis Preparedness. However, in her State of the Union address, these topics received no explicit mention, aside from a brief reference to the planned media resilience programme. This contrasts with the importance attributed to education and skills in the 2024–2029 political guidelines of the European Commission, where they are named as central factors for the future.

Further information

To the speech

To brochure

Contact

Location pin on map display
copyright OpenStreetMap contributors