Everyone wants a line in the State of the European Union speech – POLITICO

BRUSSELS — Walk through the EU Quarter of Brussels and you’ll see posters plastered on walls and telephone poles asking European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to give animal welfare a starring role in her State of the European Union address.

“Your words matter,” the posters read. “Include animals in your speech.”

As von der Leyen prepares for her big speech on Sept. 16, everyone from the largest lobby groups to cash-strapped NGOs — and even apparently guerrilla campaigners (none of the big animal welfare groups POLITICO spoke to took responsibility for the posters) — are making their pitch for a few precious seconds of the Commission president’s time.