By Thea Pieridou
Head of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus
The debate on the State of the European Union 2026 (SOTEU: State of the Union Address) is an important institutional event for the European Parliament and one of the most significant political events of the year. Its aim is to strengthen democratic accountability by giving citizens the opportunity to learn first-hand about the EU’s priorities and what it plans to do in the year ahead.
The debate will open with a brief statement by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. Immediately afterwards, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will take the floor, followed by contributions from the leaders of the political groups, the Council Presidency and Members of the European Parliament. Ursula von der Leyen will present the European Commission’s key policy priorities and vision for the coming year. The speech strengthens political dialogue between the European Commission and the European Parliament and serves as a reference point for the EU’s future legislative and policy initiatives.
This year’s State of the European Union debate will take place on Wednesday, 16 September, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, starting at 10:00 a.m. Cyprus time. The speech and debate will be broadcast live on the Parliament’s website, with interpretation available in all 24 official EU languages.
As negotiations with the Member States on the EU’s long-term budget for the 2028–2034 period now move into substantive discussions, the debate is expected to focus mainly on two questions: where EU money should be directed as a priority in the future and where new revenue for the budget could be secured. The fluid geopolitical environment and the need for investment in defence and security are also expected to be discussed, given that Russia continues its war against Ukraine on the EU’s eastern borders. Another issue is the energy crisis and the war between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
For the European Parliament, SOTEU is particularly important in terms of democratic accountability and parliamentary scrutiny. The debate that follows the speech allows Members of the European Parliament to assess the European Commission’s priorities, express their political positions, and bring the expectations and concerns of European citizens to the heart of the European debate.
