Once again this year, in the final State of the Union address of the current mandate, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will outline the past year’s achievements and the important issues facing Europeans. She will present the priorities and concrete initiatives for addressing these issues in the year to come, for instance by proposing new EU laws or policies.

Last year, some of the important topics the President spoke about were Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, tackling climate change and the energy crisis, as well as transforming our economy by accelerating the green and digital transitions.

This address makes great topical content for classroom discussions about the European Union and its future and can serve as an important part of a broader lesson on Europe. You can find information to introduce this subject to students here and watch the speech from 9am CET on 13 September at this link, where you can also find useful information and communication material

An illustrative brochure, which will highlight the main political accomplishments with impact on the citizens’ daily lives, will be available online in all EU languages.