Brussels is at it again. In her State of the Union 2025 address, Ursula von der Leyen delivered what was billed as a defining moment for the European Union, NATO, and “democracy in Europe.
In this episode of Interference from Brussels Signal, Justin Stares and Alexandra Philips cut through the spin to expose what’s really going on behind the rhetoric. The problem, they argue, is that the Commission president continues to mistake propaganda for policy.
Her insistence on linking every challenge — from migration to climate change — to centralised EU control betrays a reflexive belief in bureaucracy over democracy.
One of the hallmarks of Brussels: a self-reinforcing elite structure that uses moments of crisis to expand its competences while ignoring the costs to ordinary Europeans.
When von der Leyen talks of resilience, European security, and EU defence, it sounds less like leadership and more like a military speech scripted for effect. What she doesn’t mention? Europe’s record of dragging its feet on real threats, from sanctions on Russia to migration crises.
The result: a continent more vulnerable than ever, while Brussels congratulates itself with another round of applause in Strasbourg. Justin and Alex remind us that this isn’t just about today’s speech.
Von der Leyen carries political baggage: her disastrous run as Germany’s defence minister, the notorious Pfizer text scandal, and the Covid-era threats to send troops to seize vaccine shipments.
Yet here she is again, presenting herself as Europe’s guardian of health, security, and truth. Agricultural policy, too, comes under scrutiny. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), long a symbol of Brussels’ overreach, has tied farmers in knots with absurd regulations while simultaneously greenlighting trade deals that flood European markets with cheap, low-standard imports. For von der Leyen to now claim solidarity with farmers is, as Alex puts it, “almost laughable.” And then there’s Russia. With drones crossing into Poland and Putin testing NATO’s patience, the stakes for international relations couldn’t be higher.
Yet while Poland pushes for action, Brussels stalls. The United States warns Europe isn’t pulling its weight, and they’re right. Instead of building a credible EU defence, Brussels focuses on regulating online speech and silencing dissent. In the name of resilience, von der Leyen’s Commission is building the tools of censorship.
For Justin and Alex, the EU has become an Orwellian project. This episode argues that the real “state of the Union” is one of decline.
