The President of the European Council, António Costa, together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will attend the EU-Mercosur signature ceremony in Asunción, Paraguay on 17 January 2026. Ahead of the ceremony, on 16 January, President Costa and President von der Leyen will visit Rio de Janeiro to meet President […]
EU Leaders move forward on Ukraine, defence and competitiveness during European Council summit
President Ursula von der Leyen participated last October 23 in a summit of the European Council that focused on the EU’s support for Ukraine, Europe’s defence readiness for 2030, and on how to boost the continent’s economy while upholding the EU’s climate goals. The President presented the initiatives that the Commission has been working on over […]
State of the Union (SOTEU) address 2025
On 10 September, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will deliver the State of the Union address. The State of the Union address (SOTEU) is the annual speech in which the President of the European Commission sets out her priorities for the Union for the coming year before the European Parliament. […]
EU-US trade deal
On 27 July 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald J. Trump agreed a deal on tariffs and trade. The transatlantic partnership is a key artery of global trade and is the most significant bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world. EU-US trade in goods and services has doubled over the last decade, surpassing €1.6 trillion in 2024, […]
President Von der Leyen will discuss EU-China relations at the 25th Summit in Beijing.
On 24 July, President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, together with High Representative and Vice-President Kaja Kallas, will be in China for the 25th Summit. There, President von der Leyen, together with President Costa, will meet President Xi Jinping and then Premier Li Qiang. As the EU and China […]
The European Parliament rejects the motion of censure against the European Commission
With 175 votes in favour, 360 against and 18 abstentions, the European Parliament on Thursday rejected a motion of censure against the European Commission. The motion was put to a roll-call vote in plenary. It required a two-thirds majority of the votes cast and the backing of a majority of the members of the […]
Statement by President Von der Ley at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development
“Seville, 30 June 2025 Mr. President of the Conference, Secretary-General Guterres, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me start with a key fact: last year, development aid worldwide stood at just over $200 billion. The annual investment gap on the Sustainable Development Goals, as Pedro Sánchez has pointed out, is in the […]
President von der Leyen in Seville for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development
President Ursula von der Leyen will participate in the 4th UN Conference on Financing for Development, which takes place today, 30 June, in Seville. The annual under-investment in the Sustainable Development Goals has been growing, and new approaches are needed to mobilise more financing. Together with its global partners, the European Union aims to lay […]
Statement by President von der Leyen on the announcement of universal tariffs by the US
“President Trump’s announcement of universal tariffs on the whole world, including the EU, is a major blow to the world economy. I deeply regret this choice. Let’s be clear-eyed about the immense consequences. The global economy will massively suffer. Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism. The consequences will be dire for […]