10 September 2025 – Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her 2025 State of the Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The speech was full of contradictions and empty phrases straight out of her PR department. CBAM and Safeguard Successor: Gerber Group Fights for SME Competitiveness.
State of the Union 2025 – A Speech Full of Contradictions
Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her 2025 State of the Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The speech was full of contradictions and empty phrases straight out of her PR department.
Example: EU steel industry to become independent from imports
For instance, on the one hand she called for a strong and import-independent steel industry, yet she failed to mention that the industry imports more than 75% of its iron ore needs from non-EU countries – and can therefore never become independent from imports.
She also stated that the greatest challenge facing European citizens and businesses are the high energy costs, allegedly caused by dependence on “dirty” fossil fuels from Russia. At the same time, however, she signed a trade deal with the United States that includes imports of fossil and nuclear energy carriers worth USD 750 billion.
No Solutions for the Future of the EU Economy
Her address once again demonstrated that apart from nice words drafted by the Commission’s PR department, she had little substance to offer. No real solutions for the severely weakened competitiveness of European companies. No solutions for the fragmented European energy market. Instead, she praised the EU-US Trade Deal as the best possible solution – while domestic businesses strongly disagree with this conclusion.
Von der Leyen: I am a declared opponent of tariffs (not)
The final straw came when Ms. von der Leyen portrayed herself as an opponent of tariffs, referring to them as taxes. Just moments earlier, however, she had announced a successor to the EU Safeguard measure on steel and indirectly described the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as a necessity. Both are taxes she is more than willing to impose – while at the same time claiming to be vehemently opposed to tariffs.
Because, Ms. von der Leyen, these tariffs are also paid by European companies and ultimately by the domestic consumer, who can no longer afford a house or a car, or even the cost of living, because everything has become too expensive – or because their company has gone bankrupt due to a lack of competitiveness.
Conclusion from the 2025 State of the Union:
Ms. von der Leyen is the wrong person at the top of the European Union – together with the EU Green Deal and the EU-US Trade Deal, she has made it abundantly clear that she cannot lead the EU out of its economic crisis, but rather is driving it even faster and deeper into it.
CBAM and Safeguard Successor: Gerber Group Fights for SMEs
This week again, the Gerber Group is active in the European Parliament to speak with Members of Parliament about the real problems faced by small and medium-sized enterprises – and how they can be solved. Once again in focus: the complete failure of the Commission regarding the still missing but absolutely essential calculation basis for the costs of CBAM certificates starting 1 January 2026. And also the continuously well-received proposal for a Steel Carbon Shield, which would provide real relief for SMEs – not only regarding tariff and CBAM free allowances, but also in terms of bureaucratic burden.
Thorsten Gerber, CEO of the Gerber Group, commented today: “Even though the Commission keeps claiming that CBAM certificates for 2026 would only need to be purchased from 2027 onwards, we need the calculation basis for this today – not only by mid-2026.” He further stated: “With its ignorance, the Commission is making it clear that CBAM revenues are more important to it than the economic survival of the more than 18,000 companies affected by CBAM in Europe. This is certainly not what a level playing field looks like, Ms. von der Leyen!”
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