7 things Ursula von der Leyen will say in her State of the Union speech

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Climate adaptation is expected to be the main theme of Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union address on Wednesday, according to more than a dozen European officials speaking anonymously to POLITICO
• The focus follows a summer of drying rivers and burned forests across Europe

🔭 The context: The Commission is preparing a resilience package for late October, expected to include a common climate scenario setting out conditions member states must prepare for, plus regular risk assessments
• This comes as the Commission defends its 2040 emissions target against pressure from industry and national capitals to limit the cost of the transition

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra says the aim is to mainstream resilience throughout European and national policymaking, so it factors into infrastructure investment and legislation at every stage rather than sitting in a separate portfolio
• Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen argues more is needed on both mitigation and adaptation, a framing that signals adaptation gaining ground while the 2040 mitigation target is contested

⏭️ What's next: Water resilience and the circular economy may also feature
• Officials say China will not be prominent, with no new trade probe expected, though von der Leyen is likely to stress diversification and may reference the Commission's mooted diversification tool

💬 One quote: The Commission wants climate planning "mainstreamed" throughout European and national policymaking — Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth

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