On 16 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented her priorities for the period ahead in the European Parliament, devoting a significant part of her speech to European values and democracy. The speech was marked by a warning that European democracies are facing increasingly complex pressures, ranging from disinformation to polarization and declining trust in institutions.
In the part of her speech devoted to European values and fundamental rights, von der Leyen stressed the need to protect women's rights, emphasizing that Europe must not move backwards when it comes to gender equality and women's rights. She also placed particular emphasis on the protection of children and announced measures aimed at making the internet and social media safer and protecting children from violence and harmful content.
Von der Leyen spoke in particular about changes in the public sphere brought about by new technologies and the rapid spread of information. She warned that citizens' genuine concerns can be exploited to deepen social divisions and that disinformation, propaganda and deepfake content can affect democratic processes. As one response, she announced further strengthening of the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, together with stronger cooperation among Member States and other stakeholders. She stressed that, for a democratic society, it is essential that citizens have access to reliable and independent information and the opportunity to discuss freely, form their views and participate in decision-making.
An important part of the speech also addressed the rule of law and fundamental rights. Speaking about the fight against corruption, von der Leyen stressed the importance of monitoring the rule of law situation in the Member States. Particularly significant was her announcement that respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights should play an even stronger role in the use of funds under the EU's next long-term budget. This further links the issue of European values with concrete funding mechanisms, and such a development is particularly important for civil society, as independent institutions, transparency, the fight against corruption and the protection of fundamental rights are key elements of an environment in which organizations can operate freely.
The 2026 State of the Union address, alongside other political priorities of the European Commission, thus raised a number of issues relevant to civil society: how to ensure respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights, how to enable citizens to genuinely participate in democratic processes, and how to ensure space for different social actors to contribute to shaping Europe's future. For civil society organizations, the message that democratic resilience is not solely a matter for institutions is particularly important, as it also depends on citizens, the quality of public debate, access to reliable information, the freedom of social actors to operate, and the opportunity for different voices to participate in shaping public policies. In this context, the announcements made in this year's address provide an opportunity for further discussion on how European policies can contribute to strengthening civic space.
