Analysis
The European Commission’s official transcript of the State of the Union on 15 September 2021 contains the sentence: “This is Europe’s moment. Our generation’s task is to renew the pledge of Europe’s unity and to give real meaning to Europe’s strategic sovereignty.” Video recordings of the speech also show her delivering these exact words, confirming the quote’s authenticity.
Background
The State of the Union address is an annual speech by the President of the European Commission to the European Parliament, outlining priorities for the coming year. In 2021, von der Leyen emphasized EU strategic autonomy in response to geopolitical challenges such as the COVID‑19 pandemic and tensions with China and the United States.
Verdict summary
Ursula von der Leyen indeed said these words in her 2021 State of the Union address to the European Parliament.