17/09/2025
In her latest State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of freedom, independence, and bold action — but stopped short of confronting the EU’s persistent inability to turn lofty ambitions into meaningful results.
For once, von der Leyen acknowledged what matters most to citizens: the housing crisis squeezing households, the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and Europe’s growing insecurity. But her hands remain tied by national governments, which prefer to block collective action — on sanctions, trade, and foreign policy — and then blame “Brussels” for paralysis.
This dynamic has reached a breaking point – argues our founder, Professor Alberto Alemanno, in a new column for Project Syndicate. Two motions of censure are brewing within the European Parliament, one from the far-right and another from the left. While unlikely to pass, they highlight growing frustration with an EU that seems powerless to act.
Von der Leyen has the tools to change course, but she must be willing to spend political capital to confront member states that obstruct progress.
Europe’s credibility, autonomy, and citizens’ trust are at stake. If von der Leyen continues to champion European independence without taking decisive steps to achieve it, she risks leaving the EU as a symbol of unfulfilled promise.
Read the full analysis of Professor Alberto Alemanno on Project Syndicate here: Von der Leyen’s Breaking Point