This commentary analyses the 2025 State of the Union Address (SOTEU), exploring its role as a hybrid ritual that oscillates between transparency and the consolidation of the European Commission’s power. Ursula von der Leyen portrayed the EU as a defender of values and promoted strategic autonomy, emphasising combative language and the centralisation of competences. Yet the speech offered few concrete solutions to citizens’ everyday problems, reinforcing perceptions of the Union as an elite project.

Key Takeaways:

• The 2025 SOTEU presents the EU as a geopolitical actor, emphasising the defence of values and the pursuit of strategic autonomy.
• The Commission President uses this platform to bolster her own role, turning the SOTEU into a tool of presidentialisation and power centralisation.
• The absence of concrete proposals on inflation, housing, or energy highlights a gap between EU discourse and citizens’ needs, potentially fuelling Euroscepticism.

Commentary – Markéta Plesníková

The analysis is in PDF under the link below.