By Kate Abnett and Andrew Gray

STRASBOURG (Reuters) -The European Union’s chief executive, Ursula von der Leyen, sets out her priorities for the year ahead on Wednesday after a bruising summer dominated by a much-criticised trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, will address the European Parliament in Strasbourg with her State of the Union speech – an annual opportunity to set the political agenda of the 27-nation bloc. It is scheduled for 9 a.m. CEST (0700 GMT).

The German former defence minister secured a second five-year term last year and pledged to focus on building up Europe’s defences in the face of growing fears about Russia and on boosting the continent’s economic competitiveness.

She has also championed strong sup

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