Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, was not a happy man when he arrived in Strasbourg in early July to speak at the European Parliament.
The legislature was in plenary session, but only a few dozen of its 751 MEPs had bothered to show up for his appearance with Malta’s prime minister. “The parliament is not serious,” Mr Juncker fumed.It will be a different story on Wednesday when he delivers his third State of the Union address as commission president. The assembly chamber should be full. Mr Juncker is expected to spell out a relatively bright vision of the EU’s future.
It will contrast with the darker, pessimistic tones of his speeches in 2015 and 2016.One topic on which Mr Juncker will say little — nothing at all, some EU officials say — is Brexit.