12 takeaways from von der Leyen’s State of the Union

Ursula von der Leyen used her State of the Union speech to unveil a raft of proposals aimed at making Europe better prepared for a world of threats — from sweltering summers to hybrid warfare, migrant crises and even TikTok. What the Commission president chose to talk about in Strasbourg — and, just as importantly, what she left unsaid — will help define the rest of her term and the political legacy she leaves behind. The biggest surprise came when von der Leyen said she wanted to open the door for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member.