President and Federal President met in Vienna on September 14, 2026, for the 'Hofburg im Dialog' event. Both leaders issued a joint call for the rapid expansion of the European Union's .
Lagarde warned that a lack of financing threatens Europe's technological sovereignty in AI. She noted that 1.4 trillion euros in European savings flow abroad annually, with Eurozone households holding 440 billion euros in United States technology companies.
Van der Bellen emphasized that private investments are crucial as public finances remain tight. Lagarde estimated that data centers and chips require 600 billion euros over ten years to prevent dependence on foreign providers and build local capacities.