Speech by President von der Leyen in the European Parliament plenary debate on the Commission Work Programme 2026

Thank you, Madam President, dear Roberta,

Honourable Members,

‘Our Europe must be an independent Europe.' These words have resonated in the Parliament before. They were pronounced by the great Simone Veil, in her first speech in the first plenary of the first elected European Parliament. That was almost 50 years ago. Today these words are more true than ever. And we simply cannot afford to wait another 50 years to turn them into reality, because the world of today is unforgiving. The outcome of Russia's war will shape Europe's security order for decades to come. There is hope that the war in Gaza can finally come to an end. Our regional and global order is being redrawn. And Europe must fight for its place in a world where some major powers are either ambivalent or hostile to us. The same is true about the global economy. A global AI race has begun. The clean industrial race is faster and fiercer than ever before. And the impact is felt on our factory floors, in our family budgets, in the way we work and live. It is a world of constant change. Europe must rise to the moment. We must do more for our own defence and security. We must take control over the sensitive technologies and energy sources that will power our economies. And we must take responsibility for the kind of society we want to live in. This is the choice we all face. We can either be shaped by the events or claim the freedom and the power to determine our own destiny. And we know what we want to be: We want to be the masters of our own destiny.

Honourable Members,

This is why the entire Commission Work Programme for the year ahead will be focused on Europe's independence moment. It delivers on the Political Guidelines you have voted on, updated for today's new realities. I will not touch upon every single initiative, but I would like to address the main priorities. Starting with competitiveness and jobs. Europe's independence will depend on its ability to compete in a changing global economy. But I want to be frank, the challenges we face today are even greater than a year ago; with the exponential growth of artificial intelligence; with the rising use of export controls; and with global uncertainty – straining public finances and private investment alike. So we must stay the course on implementing the Draghi report. But it has to be a Draghi plus that we have to fulfil now.

Let me make three points on this. First, speed is of the essence. Companies across Europe demand that we make business easier for them. Harmonisation cannot wait. We need to complete the Single Market. This is why we are setting clear political deadlines to unleash the potential of the Single Market by 2028. We have a full programme of upcoming initiatives. Let me mention some of them: From the ambitious 28th regime, to completing the Savings and Investments Union, to a new fleet of simplification omnibuses. The sense of urgency on our side could not be greater. Our companies and workers cannot wait. We have to deliver on their needs. And we have to do it fast.

Second, we must double down on reducing our dependencies. Just last week, the association of our aerospace and defence industries issued a stark warning. A new wave of Chinese export controls could disrupt production and increase costs. I take this warning very seriously. So on the one hand, we have to and will keep diversifying our supply chains – with new trade deals and new partnerships. And on the other, we will place new emphasis on recycling raw materials from scrap or other materials with our Circular Economy Act. Because circularity and recycling goes to the core of European independence. Beyond raw materials, Europe must be in control of the critical technologies that will shape the economy of tomorrow. In the year ahead, we will propose new initiatives on batteries, on cloud services and AI, on quantum, on advanced materials, and much more. These sectors are central to our economic security. But also to keeping and creating good jobs right here in Europe. Strategic industries like these deserve all our support. This is why we will introduce a ‘made in Europe' criteria for sensitive products in public procurement. We will foster lead markets for clean innovative products. And we will keep protecting our industries from unfair competition. We like competition, but it has to be fair. Like we just did with the steel safeguards, because the industries – and jobs – of the future must be here in Europe.

My third point has to do with affordability. How can Europe be competitive if people working full time cannot make a living? If they cannot afford to live where the good jobs are, because they do not find housing? Or if business revenues are eroded by unaffordable energy prices? Affordability is a main subject of this Commission Work Programme for 2026. With our work on affordable energy, the Affordable Housing Plan, the Small Affordable Electric Cars Initiative, but also most importantly the Quality Jobs Act and the Skills and Fair Labour Mobility Package. Across all sectors, my point is the same: Our economy must work for people and business alike. And if we modernise the business, the industry, and the workplace, we also have to modernise the labour market and the working conditions. Europe must deliver for all of its people. For instance, it must deliver for our farmers and fishers. They work so hard for the quality food we eat, but they are often forced to sell below production cost. This is completely unacceptable. We have discussed it before, and now we are tackling this in the Work Programme for 2026. Because their hard work must pay off.

Honourable Members,

A new international order will emerge in this decade. When we talk about Europe's independence, we talk about our ability to shape this new order. Starting of course from our immediate neighbourhood. This is true in the Middle East, where Europe must play a role in rebuilding Gaza, in relaunching the two-state solution, as well as in encouraging the birth of a new Syria. But of course, this is also true on our continent. The war in Ukraine needs to end with a just and lasting peace. So we will continue to step up the pressure on Russia, to support Ukraine's resistance in every way we can. And I want to be clear on this one. Even if the war stops, Putin's war economy and imperial delusions will not go away. We must be ready for the threats that Europe may face today and tomorrow. From the Eastern Flank to our Southern border, from drones to hybrid warfare, but also terrorism to the security consequences of climate change. That means we must continue to strengthen our defence and deterrence. This is the heart of our Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030. It sets clear milestones towards a clear goal, its Readiness Roadmap. So Europe's defence must be mainly developed in Europe. We are also very clear on the content of European capabilities that have to be procured together. For decades, we have talked about building a Europe of defence. Now it is time to make it happen.

Honourable Members,

At the heart of our independence is a strong democracy, that can provide solutions to people's legitimate concerns. Nowhere is this more evident than in the context of migration. Yes, the number of irregular arrivals continues to decline. That is good, our policies are working. But there is a sense of frustration among Europeans. The accumulated pressure over the years has put a strain on Member States' resources. I want to be very clear that our rules are also very clear: Legal migration is welcome, and we will need more of it. But illegal migration is not, and we cannot tolerate the smugglers and traffickers working against our rules. And there is a feeling that our rules are not always enforced. So we must all do something against this. First, we must ensure that the Pact on Migration and Asylum is fully implemented. It balances fairness, responsibility and solidarity among all 27 Member States. The Pact has been agreed by all 27 Member States, by all of us. And now we must all follow the rules. The Work Programme also includes new action – from a stronger Frontex to the digitalisation of returns, to sanctions against smugglers and traffickers. But we also need to agree quickly on the Common European System for Returns. Let me again give you a figure – I think this is telling: Out of those migrants who have a negative asylum decision, 80% do not leave but stay in Europe. This cannot be. Everyone must abide by our rules – and they must be enforced. That is a principle in a democracy that is working.

Our democracy must also deliver for those who suffer the impacts of climate change. We must protect people and nature from devastating wildfires. We must preserve our precious water, that is the most vital of all natural resources. And we must deploy the best science to protect our Ocean. Because our children and grandchildren would never forgive us if we do not rise to the challenge right here and right now.

Our democracy must also deliver on our children's safety. Social media is changing the way children grow up on an unimaginable scale. It is completely rewiring childhood. True – social media has many benefits for connecting people, without any question. But it is often designed to create addiction and dependence, specifically in vulnerable children and teenagers. There is now growing scientific evidence about the enormous harm of a ‘screen-based' childhood that is replacing the play-based childhood. We should take action. Some Member States are leading the way in setting a digital minimum age. We are now setting up a panel of experts that will soon deliver its recommendations. And then we will act on this in the coming year. I really hope for your support. Because we should be absolutely clear that it should be parents who raise their children, not algorithms. This has to be a rule for all of us.

Honourable members,

Last month, I told you that Europe is in a fight. And this is first and foremost a fight for our values. Some say we should give up on our deepest beliefs to keep pace with a changing world. I fundamentally disagree. As the world gets more troubled, we must hold even tighter to the ideas, the freedoms, the rights that have made us who we are. We must find new ways to incarnate our age-old values. New ways to uphold the rule of law. To protect independent media from being captured or dismantled. New ways to fight corruption in our democracies. And to shield democracy from foreign interference. This is also what an independent Europe means. Our values are enshrined in the marble of our constitutions and declarations. They are the living heritage of our turbulent yet tenacious history. And we will not let any foreign autocrat tell us what to believe in. This is our choice.

Europe's independence moment is the moment to come together, above and beyond our legitimate differences, of course. And this is my final message to you today. I will always be open to finding common solutions. I will always be ready to listen and to engage. But we must all be able and ready to find common ground. And most importantly: Take action for Europe.

Thank you. And long live Europe.