Updated 09:33 | Published at 09:20
The EU Commission is flagging for measures against China’s state support for electric cars, announced Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her annual speech on the situation in the Union.
Equality and wind power are other heavy topics in the EU base’s speech.
Words about equality and women’s rights come early in today’s speech and lead to a first round of applause from the members of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
– A no means a no, states von der Leyen.
The next round of applause comes when, shortly afterwards, she promises continued support for the European industry, despite hard times.
– They can trust that, says the EU base.
Electric cars
Concrete examples are delivered soon after: partly a wind power package with even faster permit processes, partly a promise to initiate a review of Chinese state aid to the country’s production of electric cars.
The speech on the situation in the EU is given annually by the Commission President in September. This year’s speech is the last in the current term before the EU elections held at the beginning of June 2024.
As expected, von der Leyen talks a lot about what has been achieved in recent years, when the EU has fought against a series of crises in the form of the corona pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
– But we have seen the birth of a geopolitical union, boasts von der Leyen in Strasbourg.
The last number?
Curiosity ahead of this year’s speech has been largely about whether von der Leyen will reveal anything about his own future. She has not yet said whether she is willing to run for a continuation in her post after the EU elections next year. At the same time, speculation has been heard that US President Joe Biden in particular wants her to take over as the next Secretary General of NATO after Jens Stoltenberg instead.
From the Swedish side, von der Leyen has mostly received good criticism during his time as chairman. However, not everyone is impressed.
– We can say without exaggeration that we hope it will be her last State of the Union speech. And we do not hope that she goes on to become NATO’s Secretary General, said EU Member of Parliament Charlie Weimers (SD) at a press conference yesterday.