EU chief sets out her vision for Europe's future in a key speech watched by Canada's Mark Carney

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday set out her priorities for the European Union in the next year, including closer ties with Canada, protection for children online, climate change and Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was the special guest as von der Leyen spent well over an hour setting out her vision for the world’s largest trading bloc in her State of the European Union speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

The speech also touched on the future of artificial intelligence, several worrying drone incidents on EU territory, conflict across the Middle East and international trade tensions.

Last year, she said Europe must stake out its independence as the U.S. continued to impose tariffs on nations and the Trump administration in the U.S. criticized the bloc’s migration policies, warning of “civilizational erasure.”

“Europe is in a fight,” von der Leyen said. “A fight for our values and our democracies.”

The event has become an annual ritual modeled on the State of the Union addresses to Congress by U.S. presidents, but it was not broadcast widely and few of the European Union’s 450 million citizens across 27 member countries were expected to tune in.

It’s a carefully crafted communications exercise in front of often applauding lawmakers that is appreciated most by EU insiders. Von der Leyen concluded with what has become her rallying cry: “Long Live Europe.”

Routinely, the themes of the address are aspirational. They touch on von der Leyen’s hopes and plans for the commission — the EU’s increasingly powerful executive branch – over the coming year but often lack detail, as was the case on Wednesday. Critics say the commission’s work is opaque.

Ahead of the event, Eric Maurice, an analyst at the European Policy Centre think tank, warned against her using the speech “to placate political groups” or “to raise the Commission President’s profile and extend the Commission’s political and institutional domain.”

“The EU is facing the crumbling of all the premises on which it was built. The rules-based order with benevolent free-trade and U.S. friendship and support is disappearing,” Maurice said.

The commission proposes laws used across the 27 countries and watches to ensure that those already in place are not being broken. It negotiates trade on behalf of all its members and is Europe’s top antitrust investigator.

At its helm stands von der Leyen, the 67-year-old former German defense minister, who has become a prominent figure at summits with leaders around the world, despite being a political appointee who hasn’t been elected to Europe’s top post.

Von der Leyen is hard to ignore. She has accumulated influence over seven years in office by securing vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, managing the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion and rallying support to Ukraine through the war.

She also seems to have the begrudging respect of U.S. President Donald Trump. She, her chief of cabinet, and her trade commissioners have labored to limit the damage caused by Trump’s tariff war to the European economy.

But the Trump administration has also been riled by the commission’s crackdown on Big Tech companies, many of them in the United States, over their perceived flouting of Europe’s data regulations.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participate in a bilateral meetingat the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participate in a bilateral meetingat the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the State of the European Union address by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen,at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the State of the European Union address by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, left, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech at the annual State of the European Union at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Sept 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrives at the International Space Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, Pool)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrives to attend the International Space Summit in Paris Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (Abdul Saboor/Pool Photo via AP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech at the International Space Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, Pool)

French president Emmanuel Macron, left, greets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the International Space Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, Pool)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrives to attend the International Space Summit in Paris Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (Abdul Saboor/Pool Photo via AP)

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Chicago White Sox faded from the postseason with hardly any offense.

After winning the first two games of their best-of-five AL Division Series against Cleveland, Chicago struck out 21 times and managed just three hits in a 2-0 defeat Saturday night that advanced the Guardians to an AL Championship Series matchup against Tampa Bay.

“We wanted it so bad, it hurts,” Chicago catcher Kyle Teel said, shaking his head.

José Ramírez hit a two-run homer off Sean Burke in the fourth inning, and the White Sox became the fourth team in major league history to lose a Division Series after winning the first two games on the road.

Chicago's 21 strikeouts were the most in a nine-inning postseason game and the most in any regular or postseason game since 1900.

Munetaka Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each, and Teel and Chase Meidroth three times apiece.

“My intent was to win this game, win this series and fly to Tampa,” White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami said through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. “It's obviously disappointing. Losing this one, there is a lot to learn from it."

Chicago become the first team to each the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons. The White Sox swept Houston in the wild card round for their first postseason series win since their 2005 World Series championship.

Ramírez homered on a a knuckle-curve from Burke that was 0.74 feet above the ground.

“He made the right pitch in the right spot," Teel said. "It was a ball in the dirt and he just hit it out.”

The pitch Ramírez homered on was the the lowest hit for a home run in a postseason game since MLB Statcast started tracking in 2008.

“Obviously, it came down to one pitch and one mistake I made today,” Baker said. “He's a really good player. He's probably going to be in the Hall of Fame some day. But it's frustrating.”

Chicago outscored Cleveland 7-3 in the first two games and out-hit the Guardians 12-7. Over the final three games, Cleveland had a 20-8 advantage in runs and out-hit the White Sox 27-17.

"We’re all bummed and sad, knowing we probably should have got the job done,” Chicago shortstop Colton Montgomery said. “They dug deep and did what they did. That’s a good baseball team and they scrapped it out.”

Chicago batters struck out a Division Series record 75 times and hit .194 with runners in scoring position, going 1 for 18 in the last two games. The White Sox loaded the bases in the sixth inning before Erik Sabrowski relieved Williams and struck out Murakami.

“The last few games, there were some opportunities,” Meidroth said. “It stings because this is a family, a brotherhood we have here. We wanted to win for each other and for our fans. Man, there is no better place to play than Chicago and we wanted to keep going.”

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Burke reacts after a home run by Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez during the fourth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami walks back to the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox center fielder Brenton Doyle reacts after striking out in the third inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth dives for a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter during the sixth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) and catcher Kyle Teel (8) watch from the dugout during the eighth inning of Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)