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In this special live episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks with Bruegel Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Deputy Director Simone Tagliapietra and Non-resident Fellow Elina Ribakova about the 2026 State of the Union speech, delivered 16 September in Strasbourg by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Energy, China, defence, the single market – what were her priorities and can she convince the European Union to take action? What about her proposal to look into “associate” EU membership for Canada? Did Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 17 September speech move things forward?  What does the EU need to do and where will the necessary investment come from? How will big member states like France and Germany shape the debate? As the war in Ukraine continues, how will the EU manage its economic and security commitments? International alliances and political resilience will be more critical than ever in navigating these challenges.Related research:</div><ul>
<li>Christie, R., García Bercero, I., Kirkegaard, J.K., Luck, P. (2026) '<a href="https://www.bruegel.org/podcast/what-us-canada-trade-war-means-europe">What the US-Canada trade war means for Europe</a>', Podcast, Bruegel</li>
<li>García-Herrero, A., Ribakova, E., Risinger, L. (2026) '<a href="https://www.bruegel.org/external-publication/china-russia-asymmetric-partnership-implications-europe">The China‑Russia asymmetric partnership: Implications for Europe</a>', Policy Article, Kiel Institute for the World Economy </li>
<li>Ribakova, E., Risinger, L. (2026) '<a href="https://www.bruegel.org/opinion-piece/europes-untapped-arsenal">Europe’s Untapped Arsenal</a>', Opinion piece, Foreign Affairs</li>
<li>Steinbach, A., Wolff, G.B. & Zettelmeyer, J. (2025) '<a href="https://www.bruegel.org/external-publication/governance-and-funding-european-rearmament">The Governance and Funding of European Rearmament</a>', Intereconomics, 60(4), ZBW – Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft</li>
<li>Tagliapietra, S., Wolff, G. B. (2026) '<a href="https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/europes-climate-resilience-moment-has-arrived">Europe’s climate-resilience moment has arrived</a>', First glance, Bruegel</li>
<li>Tagliapietra, S. (2025) '<a href="https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/europes-fight-should-start-doing-away-hesitation">Europe’s fight should start by doing away with hesitation</a>', First glance, Bruegel</li>
<li>Zettelmeyer, J. (2026) '<a href="https://www.bruegel.org/newsletter/europes-challenges-what-new">Europe’s challenges: what is new?</a>', Newsletter feature, 31 August, Bruegel</li>
</ul><div>
Live version of the podcast: <a href="https://www.bruegel.org/event/sound-economics-live-state-european-union-2026">The Sound of Economics Live: The State of the European Union 2026</a>
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