At Connecting Europe Days 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted how stronger transport links, cross-border connectivity and the completion of missing infrastructure connections are essential to Europe’s future.
At the opening of Connecting Europe Days 2026, on 29 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reflected on a simple but powerful idea: Europe’s integration has always been shaped not only by political decisions, but also by the connections built between people, cities and countries.
She recalled how the reconstruction of the railway bridge between Strasbourg and Kehl helped reconnect France and Germany after the Second World War. Decades later, the modernisation of the railway between Vienna and Bratislava strengthened links across a continent once divided by the Iron Curtain.
Today, Europe faces a different challenge: completing the connections needed for the future.
A recurring theme throughout the speech was the need to remove bottlenecks, close missing links and make transport networks work seamlessly across borders. Whether through the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), investment in infrastructure, innovation or resilience, the objective remains the same: a more connected Europe.
For the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), this vision strongly resonates with our daily work. Interoperability, harmonisation and ERTMS help transform national railway systems into a connected European network, making cross-border rail transport simpler, more efficient and more attractive.
The connections we build today will shape how Europe moves tomorrow.
Watch the speech and read the full transcript of President Ursula von der Leyen’s address