Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, attends the European Council meeting held in Brussels on the 26th October 2023. The situation in the Middle East, Ukraine, the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, the economic situation or migration are among the topics on the Council's agenda. This news item shows extracts from President's arrival, doorstep and press conference.

Brussels

meeting

press conference

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

meeting of the European Council

president's agenda

European Council meeting 26-27 October 2023 (T)

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, at the European Council meeting (26/10): arrival and doorstep, extracts from the press conference

Arrival of Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, to the European Council (3 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, This European Council, it takes place with a backdrop of war and geopolitical instability and the unity and coherence of the European Union will be tested more than ever before for this a European Parliament, and this is what I will say in my remarks to the heads of State and government is very clear.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, First of all, Hamas must be stopped. There must be an unconditional release of all hostages while at the same time they are not mutually exclusive. We have to allow for humanitarian aid to alleviate the toughest of consequences that we are seeing on innocent civilians in Gaza. That is why in the European Parliament's resolution last week, we called for a humanitarian pause.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, This should not take our attention away from Ukraine, and this is exactly what Putin would want. We need to continue to help Ukraine militarily and financially, and that is one thing that we will continue, even in the context of the reform of our multiannual financial framework and the Ukraine facility that we voted on in the European Parliament last week.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I would make also a broader point on the Multiannual Financial framework. We need a review that takes into account the new reality. When it was adopted, the world was very different and therefore whether it is to help with migration, whether it is to help with natural disasters, but also in order for us to focus on policies that our citizens look forward to or feel the most. In the run up to the European elections, we have no choice.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And similarly, on migration, the clock is ticking. This is a fact on the table that balances migration, asylum and security. We need to work much more on returns. The last few days showed us what loopholes there are. But I am confident because we have no other choice, that we will seek a solution and find a compromise on the table. Thank you.

Cutaways of media during the Council meeting (2 shots)

Cutaways of the roundtable during the European Council meeting (15 shots)

Arrival of Roberta METSOLA, President of the Europan Parliament, to the press conference 

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, So if we can focus on what I think can unite the member states, first of all, in saying it clearly that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, it does not represent the legitimate aspirations or aims of the Palestinian people. In fact, they hinder them, which is why we demand the unconditional release of all more than 200 hostages and that how Israel reacts matters.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to ravage and we cannot allow our support to waver, not even for one minute, because that is exactly what Putin is hoping for.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We have to make progress on all the components of the migration pact, including on closing the loopholes between a negative asylum decision and a return decision. This we need to make sure that we can deliver both an agreement on migration before the end of our mandate.

Cutaways of the press conference hold by Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament (3 shots)