State of the Union Address 2022 by Ursula Von Der Leyen

On September 14, 2022, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, delivered her third State of the Union Address (SOTEU) before the members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, providing an overview of the achievements of the past year and presenting the political priorities for the coming year, alongside her honorary guest, Olena Zelenska, wife of Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine.
In the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen expressed her vision for the European Union to stay the course, prepare for the future, remain strong together, and defend democracy.
She outlined a proposal for an urgent intervention to address high energy prices, suggested designating 2023 as the European Year of Skills, and advocated for the European Green Deal, NextGenerationEU, as well as a deep and comprehensive reform of the electricity market and, specifically, hydrogen that could be a game-changer for Europe. In this context, she also announced the creation of a new European Hydrogen Bank and, among other things, the restoration of damaged Ukrainian schools.