During the last State of the Union speech of her mandate, Wednesday September 13, Ursula von der Leyen announced the opening of an investigation into Chinese public subsidies for electric automobiles sold in Europe. “Global markets are now flooded with cheap Chinese electric cars, the price of which is kept artificially low by massive government subsidies,” said the President of the European Commission, from the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “Europe is open to competition. Not to a race to the bottom”she warned. Follow our live stream.
The last State of the Union address of his term. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has been delivering the last State of the Union speech of her mandate since 9 a.m. This speech is an opportunity to take stock, at a time when all of Brussels is speculating on its desire or not to be a candidate for his succession, nine months before the next European elections.
A mandate shaken by several crises. Arriving at the head of the executive branch of the European Union at the end of 2019, the Christian Democratic leader had to face two major crises in quick succession: first the Covid-19 pandemic, then the war in Ukraine. In particular, she led the implementation of a gigantic recovery plan, the joint purchase of vaccines, support for Kiev, a strategy to end energy dependence on Russia, etc.
Progress on the European Green Deal. It can also boast of having brought about a large part of the Green Deal, an ambitious plan aimed at slashing the EU’s carbon emissions, which it had made a priority. Even if it is still unfinished, because certain texts are the subject of fierce opposition from his own political family, the European People’s Party (center and right).
Files still pending. Among the issues remaining to be completed, the thorny reform of migration policy still gives rise to difficult discussions, while the increase in asylum requests in Europe is putting countries’ reception capacities under pressure.