“Europe must be loyal to its citizens”, David Sassoli’s latest speech to the heads of state and government of the European Union
The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, who died overnight, had delivered his last speech to the European Council on 16 December last, before the heads of state and government of the European Union. “Europe must be fair to its citizens”, was the title.
Below is the full text:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take advantage of this speech to share my impressions and those of Parliament regarding the challenges that await us at the end of our mandate, now that we are halfway along the road but with a long way to go. The pandemic is not. retreat, the exit from the tunnel continues to move away and we are delaying to see the progress the Union needs, the European project of hope that all our fellow Europeans are waiting for.
Of course we have ambitious projects for our Europe, have been on the table since the beginning of the legislature, and we are stubbornly pursuing them, changing things, finding a consensus among us, in short, advancing and overcoming our differences. Of course, the Green Deal, the digital transition, a stronger and more democratic Europe, a greater social justice, are strong and indispensable projects that Europe is carrying out, and we must succeed out of loyalty to our fellow citizens.
But Europe also and above all needs a new project of hope, a project that unites us, a project that can embody our Union, our values and our civilization, a project that is obvious to all Europeans and that allows us to unite. I think that this project can be built around three strong axes, a triple desire for Europe that is unanimously shared by all Europeans: that of a Europe that innovates, a Europe that protects and a Europe that is a beacon. .
A Europe that first of all innovates. The innovation we are talking about is not just technological innovation, which is also very necessary for our economy. What we need is innovation in all sectors, a renewed sense of creativity, for our institutions, for our policies, for our ways of acting and also for our lifestyles, since and ‘what the ecological transition requires. The Conference on the Future of Europe must help us find possible paths of innovation to recreate the sense of a project in which all Europeans can recognize themselves.
As you know, the Conference is currently in full swing; the time will soon come to draw the first conclusions. I say it forcefully: we will not be able to shirk our responsibilities when the time comes to pass from words to deeds, from wishes to projects, from ideas to their concrete translation. We will have to innovate in all sectors! In the institutional field, of course. Our Union is imperfect, it is always in flux.
Parliament has long since presented a concrete proposal to render our most democratic institutions, stronger and more innovative, through the right of legislative initiative. We will have to innovate at the level of our legislation. Our Union must be the first to establish rules in areas that the whole world looks at today, in particular the regulation of new sectors of the economy that are currently legislative jungles. We did this for the protection of personal data, and now the world is following our example. We will do it, and the time has come, for digital markets, to prevent the web giants from legislating instead of citizens.
We will also have to innovate at the level of our funding. Even where it comes to financing our policies and our actions we must not be afraid of change, we must not tremble in the face of innovations. I would like to reiterate once again that Parliament and the citizens of Europe are looking forward to the publication of the own resources package, which should allow the Union to complete its financial envelope in a sustainable way and to repay the debt incurred in common.
It is a question of credibility and respect of the given word. And these innovations do not even exempt us from adapting our financial framework to the challenges of our century, by realistically reforming the Stability and Growth Pact. We can no longer enclose our future and that of our children in the 3% rule.
Secondly, a Europe that protects. We must restore the idea that Europe protects us, Europe protects its borders, its citizens, acts for their security, for the common good and for the sovereignty of each of its member states. We did this with our common vaccine policy: we were able to demonstrate resolutely that Europe is capable of facing the most serious crises in order to protect European citizens.
We must therefore continue our commitment to a Europe of health and strengthen our healthcare architecture worldwide to offer greater prevention, greater protection and greater crisis preparedness. I applaud the decision of the World Health Assembly to start negotiations on a binding instrument for fighting pandemics.
Protect European citizens it means having better preparedness to react to future crises, be they health, natural, commercial, diplomatic or military. In the first place, it means strengthening our common defense and security policy so that we can intervene together more quickly and with greater impact when our interests are threatened. I know that this issue will be one of the fundamental aspects of the next French Presidency and this is a good thing.
Protect Europeans it also means knowing how to strengthen the integration of our migration and external border management policies with determination. In my speeches I have often raised the issue of migration and asylum: it is no secret that migration has become a key issue in the EU’s external relations and in our foreign policy agenda.
Parliament is already working on improving the Commission’s proposals relating to the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, on the basis of a new pact of solidarity and responsibility. The Council will do its part and it is now a question of finding an urgent agreement, otherwise populism and short-term solutions will prevail in this dossier. Recent events on the Belarusian border have clearly demonstrated the need for resolute and united action in this crucial sector.
Protect European citizens it means working to ensure that each of them can live in dignity from their work, with a decent and fair minimum wage. And once more we invite you to find an ambitious compromise on the matter. I also applaud the Commission’s proposal on digital platform workers, which should lead us to restore social protection for millions of European workers. Protecting European citizens also means restoring balance in unbalanced trade relations, when countries threaten us with investments or coercive measures.
Protect European citizens finally, it means being able to find effective technical and economic answers in the event of an energy crisis. No European citizen should be abandoned to energy poverty, even when an international crisis disturbs world markets: it is also in such critical moments that the Union must find bold solutions to guarantee the security of all Europeans. And finally, a Europe that is a lighthouse thanks to its democratic model.
For several years now we have been hearing about resilience: Europe must become resilient to economic shocks, conflicts on its borders, ecological crisis, social crises, etc. It is obvious that we must overcome these crises and face these challenges: but is resilience really the only purpose of our action? Focusing on resilience already means to some extent declaring oneself defeated, defining oneself as victims and vulnerable.
More than resilience, Europe must therefore rediscover the pride of its democratic model. We must firmly desire that this model of democracy, freedom and prosperity spread, that it attracts, that it makes us dream and not only our own European citizens, but also beyond our borders. Making our democratic model shine means demonstrating its success, demonstrating its effectiveness in its public policies and the ability to obtain tangible results thanks to an iron determination.
I hope the next May 9, the date on which Europe Day is celebrated, may be the occasion for a common, strong and unified demonstration, which testifies to our common commitment to the European project and to the values and civilization it transmits “.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you will have understood, my speech today is not limited to current issues of the moment. I thought it important to take advantage of this speech to draw everyone’s attention to the shortcomings of the project. “Innovate, protect, disseminate” here are the 3 proposals that I propose to guide the renewal of our European project.
Dear Emmanuel, during my visit to Paris last Thursday, I took note of the motto chosen by France for its presidency of the Council of the Union: “Relaunch, power, belonging”. I note that this is a choice entirely consistent with the one I was talking about: – because we cannot relaunch without innovating, – because the power we want for our Union must serve to affirm our vision of the world and therefore protect citizens Europeans; – because European citizens will feel they belong to Europe only if its political model sets an example and attracts.
I am therefore delighted that these different visions of the future meet. It is now up to us to translate these visions into concrete actions, so that Europe maintains its rank and its promises in the service of all European citizens. Thanks and good job!
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