In her speech, President Metsola said:
En ce moment crucial de relance, de réforme et de réimagination de l’Europe, les valeurs de paix, de justice, de liberté et de dignité humaine resteront fermement ancrées au fondement de tout ce que nous avons construit et de tout ce que nous continuerons de faire. C’est ce qui nous distingue en tant qu’Européens
Pour tracer une voie véritablement équitable et juste, des efforts bien plus importants doivent être déployés pour transformer ces valeurs en avantages concrets pour nos peuples. Qu’il s’agisse de la transition verte ou de la transition numérique, notre travail consiste à veiller à ce que nos politiques soient suffisamment ambitieuses pour relever les défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés. Cela signifie qu’ils doivent travailler pour les gens.
We are at an inflection point that will determine the path we are to take. There are no easy solutions, but they are decisions that we must take. Europe must meet this moment.
My fear is that if we get this wrong, if we ignore when people are telling us that they are worried, we will see a re-rise of the extremes.
My appeal to you today is to join me in this critical moment of reimagining and reforming our Europe. To reject the temptation of easy cynicism that takes over so quickly. Have your say on how you want our Europe to look like.
On Israel:
The reality on the ground is horrific, tragic and desperate.
I visited the sites of the atrocities and met with grieving survivors. I expressed Europe’s solidarity, urged for the release of hostages and reiterated our rejection of terrorism.
I underlined that how Israel responds matters, how Hamas is stopped matters, and that we must work together to mitigate the humanitarian consequences to innocent people in Gaza.
Europe stands against hate. We stand against terrorism. It is absolutely condemnable. Hamas must be stopped. Full stop.
It is also entirely correct to voice our concerns and desperation at the unfolding crisis in Gaza, that has seen too many innocent lives lost.
Standing proudly and strongly against terror and doing everything possible to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are not mutually exclusive. That’s why we insist on respect for international law. Why we do everything we can to protect innocent lives.
On the EU´s role in the world:
We must reinforce our role in the world by becoming stronger and more united on the global stage.
To do this we need to work on building-up a global democratic alliance of trusted partners and friends.
That entails a continued commitment to stand firmly alongside Ukraine. With the situation in the Middle East dominating the headlines, Putin is expecting our political, humanitarian and military support to waiver. We cannot allow fatigue to set-in. This remains as much about Ukraine’s security as it is about ours.
Security, defence and migration should be high on our reform agenda. Work must start immediately to build a real security and defence Union. One that complements NATO without competing with it. Member States must continue with efforts to increase defence spending.
If we want to ensure the longevity of our project and the security of our way of life, we simply need the resources to back it up. The current geopolitical climate is proof of that.
On migration:
After a decade of deadlock, we are now at a point where we can charter a way forward.
More work needs to be done to close loopholes between a negative asylum decision and a return decision especially after what we have seen a few days ago in the heart of Brussels.
We are closer than ever. So let me assure you of the European Parliament’s unwavering commitment to finalise this legislative package by the end of our mandate.
