On Wednesday, 10 September 2025 at 9:00 am, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will deliver the traditional State of the European Union Speech SOTEU, broadcast live with simultaneous translation in all 24 official languages of the European Union.

On this occasion, Europe Direct Venezia Veneto of the Municipality of Venice is organising a public screening of the SOTEU 2025, followed by a debate with citizens.

The public event is organised in cooperation with the Venetian sections of the European Federalist Youth (GFE) and the European Federalist Movement (MFE).

The event will be held at Europe Direct Venezia Veneto, Municipality of Venice in Via Spalti 28, Mestre - Venice from 8:45 am to 12:00 pm. The entrance is free of charge upon reservation and subject to availability.

How to reserve your seat: 
- Call the free number 800 496200 (free also from mobile phones) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 am to 13:00 pm.

- Send an email to infoeuropa@comune.venezia.it (please specify your name, phone number, and number of participants).

For those unable to attend in person at the Europe Direct Venezia Veneto office, it will be possible to connect online via the following link.

The State of the European Union (SOTEU) is the annual address delivered by the President of the European Commission to the European Parliament. It reviews the achievements of the past year and outlines the priorities for the year ahead. The SOTEU is a central moment in the European institutional calendar: it opens the debate between citizens, institutions, and civil society on the future of the EU.

“TOWARDS #SOTEU2025 (State of the European Union): What it is and why it matters”

For the SOTEU 2025, Europe Direct Venezia Veneto of the Municipality of Venice aims to strengthen the Italian Europe Direct network, joining the live broadcast of the address together with the territorial offices of: Europe Direct Siena, Europe Direct Trapani Sicilia, Europe Direct Chieti, Europe Direct Province of Verona, Europe Direct Venezia Veneto, Europe Direct Emilia-Romagna, Europe Direct Molise.This initiative will take place simultaneously online and in person at the selected venues, and will involve local representatives, citizens, young people, TED and BELC councillors, NGOs, journalists and local media.

Following President von der Leyen’s address, professors from the Universities of Siena, Trapani and Chieti will provide their insights and reflections on the themes of the State of the Union.

The debate, open to all citizens and with special attention to communicators and journalists, aims to highlight: the importance of the SOTEU, its role in the EU’s institutional and political context, its place in the European political calendar and above all, the opportunity to bring the voice of local territories into the wider European debate.