Every September, the President of the European Commission delivers the State of the Union (SOTEU) address to the European Parliament, outlining the EU’s main challenges, priorities and initiatives for the year ahead. Following this year’s address, we spoke with Peter Stano, Head of the European Commission Representation in Slovakia, about what the SOTEU means beyond Brussels — also for a smaller Member State such as Slovakia. We discussed the EU’s competitiveness and the push to reduce bureaucracy, climate resilience and opportunities for Slovak innovators, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, as well as Europe’s changing security environment. We also looked at the EU’s proposed closer partnership with Canada and what it could mean for Slovak businesses and the country more broadly. With the new academic year underway, the latest episode introduces useful Slovak vocabulary related to student life to help you navigate the Slovak university environment.