Archive

State of the Union

  • Introducing: Mette Analysis | September 2020

    September 4, 2020

    A warm welcome to the inaugural Mette Analysis. As European policymakers return from the summer break, our General Manager, Mette Grolleman, looks ahead at the challenges which the EU faces for the remainder of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. The resignation of the Irish European commissioner Phil Hogan ,also know as 'Big Phil', may have a significant impact on the way the EU conducts negotiations in the future.   Furthermore, there are concerns regarding the...

  • State of the Union 2018: Juncker’s focus on the EU’s global role

    September 17, 2018

    While Juncker did not announce many new legislative proposals in his State of the Union speech, he instead focused on the importance of the EU as a global player, which was a central theme to his speech.   As an official welcome back to work, and kick starting his final year as President of the Commission, Juncker took stock of achievements and provided a forward looking view for the next year in the annual State...

  • 16 Months to Deliver and Build the Future of Europe: A Few Take Aways from President Juncker’s 2017 State of the Union Speech

    September 15, 2017

    During what is seen as a defining moment for European Commission President Junkers legacy, the ‘State of the Union’ speech on September 13, Juncker delivered a speech that was passionate and very personal and as expected very pro-European. Reflecting on the change of circumstances from the last speech like this in 2016 where there was a sense of existential risk for the EU following Brexit, and the upcoming elections in France and elsewhere, he sought...

  • Playing #SOTEU – FleishmanHillard 2016 edition

    September 13, 2016

    Remember,  how last year we played a little game to follow Dr Juncker’s sensitive operations on patient Europe. The patient barely made through all the critical surgery, and it feels the last twelve months have been a painful and endless convalescence, with life threatening relapses. As President Juncker will take the floor in front of Members of the European Parliament to deliver his second speech on the State Of the European Union (the now famous...