Strasbourg, Sept. 16 -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday called on Europe to "fight back" against forces including "ultra-nationalists, anti-Europeans, Russian interference and disinformation", warning that attempts to divide the bloc were undermining confidence in Europe and its democracies.

Addressing the European Parliament in her 2026 State of the Union address, von der Leyen said forces were seeking to "weaponise" concerns including wars, global competition and disruptive technology to "drive a wedge between us".

"A battle of narratives is seeking to weaken confidence in Europe, to paralyse our democracies," she said. "We see this in the rise of the extreme, the decline of nuance, even in the way that...