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10:13 a.m. : “Long live Europe, thank you” : it is with these words that Ursula von der Leyen has just concluded her speech which lasted almost an hour. Beyond the expected announcements on energy, the President of the European Commission also returned to the EU’s commitment to Ukraine. In three languages, English, French and German and with a combative tone, the European official gave a rather polished speech, but spent time defending democracy and “European values”. What did you think of it?
09:59 : “Our action in favor of Ukrainian refugees must not be an exception”recalls Ursula von der Leyen, who explains “having seen the best of Europe” with the arrival of European refugees in the EU. The President of the European Commission also wishes to relaunch discussions around a legislative project on immigration and asylum.
10:00 a.m. : Ursula von der Leyen pays tribute to David Sassoli, former President of the European Parliament. The Italian died aged 65 on January 11 this year from pneumonia contracted last year.
09:54 : The President of the Commission has just spent a long time talking about the defense of democracy, mentioning the protection of the rule of law in the EU. However, she did not mention Poland or Hungary by name. The two countries are in the sights of Brussels, on the question of the independence of justice for Warsaw, and of the freedom of the press and the fraudulent use of European funds for Budapest.
10:03 : “You are the future of our Union and our union is not complete without you”, just launched Ursula von der Leyen to Moldova, Ukraine and other EU candidate countries. The question of the integration of new member countries is thorny and divides the Twenty-Seven. Several countries, including France, would prefer that the functioning of the Union be modified before a possible enlargement.
09:47 : The announcement of the creation of a European hydrogen bank, made in perfect French, was applauded for a long time by the deputies. This energy is often presented by politicians as an alternative to hydrocarbons, but as this article reminds us, it is not so easy to produce it.
09:49 : Ursula von der Leyen takes several minutes to talk about the market economy, the single market and future aid for SMEs. Nothing could be more normal, because if the function of President of the Commission requires a certain political centrality, Ursula von der Leyen comes from the German CDU, a conservative center-right party.
09:42 : The announcement of a reform of the European electricity market was also eagerly awaited. For now, energy prices are coupled to the most expensive energy (and therefore gas at the moment). The idea, a decoupling of the prices of nuclear power and renewables from that of gas, is however not validated by all the Member States. The Scandinavian countries, unlike France, are strongly opposed to reform. The talks are going to be tough.
09:45 : After discussing the manifestations of the climate crisis this summer, Ursula von der Leyen announces that the EU’s firefighting fleet (separate from that of the member states) will be doubled by next year, with the purchase of ten light amphibious aircraft and three helicopters.
09:33 : Speaking of the energy crisis, Ursula von der Leyen recalls “significance” of the European Green Deal. This agreement between the Twenty-Seven aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
09:45 : The electricity market will be reformed “in depth”, suggests Ursula von der Leyen, who wants to come back to the order of merit rule, which means that the price of the KWh is set by the most expensive source of production. It also wants to limit price variability within the same day.
09:33 : This was the most anticipated announcement of the day. Do not look for the word “tax” or “tax” in Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal on the “capping” of super-profits, it was necessary to convince all the European countries of the merits of the proposal, including the France.
09:45 : Ursula von der Leyen also announces the creation of a “task force” to think about ways to reduce the price of gas.
09:44 : The President of the European Commission proposes to cap “revenues of companies that produce electricity at low cost”and an “crisis contribution” fossil fuel producers. It hopes to release 140 billion euros. “It is difficult to accept that some benefit from the war and make mega-profits on the backs of the citizens”she judges.
09:44 : She calls on the European Union to follow the example of Europeans who are adapting to the lack of energy, citing in particular ceramic factory workers in Italy “who have decided to work early in the morning to benefit from lower prices”.
09:44 : Ursula von der Leyen begins to address the energy crisis. She believes that the gas market “does not work anymore” and that Russia “manipulates” to punish Europe for its support for Ukraine: “They would rather burn their gas than send it to Europe.”
09:22 : Ursula von der Leyen has just announced that she will be going to kyiv in the afternoon. This is the third visit by the President of the European Commission to Ukraine since the start of the war.
09:19 : The head of the European executive welcomed the impact of European sanctions on the Russian economy. Six months after the Versailles summit, Vladimir Putin nevertheless prided himself on having limited the impact of the measures taken against his country. But according to our analysis, this observation is far from being realistic.
09:15 : While Ursula von der Leyen pays tribute to Ukrainian men and women, it is interesting to note that the EU is preparing a new financial aid of 5 billion euros for Kyiv. But the Twenty-Seven are struggling to agree on a new package of sanctions, in particular because of Hungary, accused of playing Moscow’s game.
09:44 : “Today, courage has a name, it is the name of Ukraine”, launches Ursula von der Leyen. She accuses Russia of leading “a war against our values” : “I am convinced that with the necessary courage and the necessary solidarity, Putin will fail, and Ukraine and Europe will prevail”.
09:12 : European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen begins her State of the EU address. She said to herself “proud” European reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She wears a highly symbolic outfit, in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The Ukrainian President’s wife, Olena Zelenska, is in attendance.
09:04 : The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will speak in a few minutes, in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, as part of her annual address on the state of the Union. It should unveil strong measures to counter the surge in energy prices, but also address the issue of the war in Ukraine. It is possible to follow the speech live, and in French, directly here or on channel 27 of your television.