Roberta METSOLA, EP President, travels to Florence, in Italy and gives the opening speech on “A Europe Fit for the Next Generation?” at the European University Institute' s State of the Union event.

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

president's agenda

conference on the future of Europe (T)

state of the European Union 2021 (T)

European University Institute, Florence “A Europe Fit for the Next Generation?” - The State of the Union Conference Focuses on the Future: Opening remarks by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, The EUI represents a real public good by contributing to and sharing our European heritage and values between academics and being the link between academia and policy makers. The first thing that I would like to do is gather the legacy left by David Sassoli. He used to say that he was in love with Florence, but David was a fighter for the European Parliament, for us, for Europe. He believed in the power of Europe to forge a new path in this world.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, The question that we have before us today, but before we examine what you should be, I believe we need to better understand what Europe is and more importantly, what people want Europe to be. In my first address as president of the European Parliament, I described myself as part of the generation that sees no old and no new Europe, that we are the first of the Erasmus generation, the last of the Walesa and Havel generation. What I meant was that I am part of the Europe generation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, 18 years ago, on the 1st of May, I was standing in Valletta with what feels like the entire country at midnight, staring across the sea in our grand harbour as we counted the minutes and the seconds until Malta, together with nine other countries, joins the European Union as member states, I still recall the feeling of unbridled possibility, hope and belief in the future, a sort of sense of homecoming, of victory, in the potential of our people, of relief, of joy, feeling shared by millions across Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, With war in Europe today, it is that spirit, that sense of purpose, of enthusiasm, of a clear direction that I want our European project to recapture. People in Ukraine, in Moldova and Georgia and still in the Western Balkans are now looking to Europe with the same sense of belonging and hope. And I want people to believe, as we did and to do that, we need to understand that we are not just an economic bloc. We are not just about free movement or about abolishing roaming charges. For my generation, Europe is, as cliche as this might sound, about the shared dream, about shared values, about our shared future. About coming together towards Europe is the future. It has always been the future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, However, we cannot deny that over the last years, polarisation in our societies has increased. There are still too many people who feel lost, let down and left out at the same time. Many will now look to Europe and to our institutions for leadership. And we need to be able to respond. We need to be able to lead. We must counter the anti-EU narrative that takes hold so easily and so quickly. Mis and disinformation enhanced by bots and fabricated in Russian troll factories. Europe is about the defence of multilateralism, the understanding that we can only face the future together.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, Ladies and gentlemen, leadership requires a capacity to also be self-critical, and we must acknowledge that there exists a gap between what we believed, what people expect and what people is able to deliver at the moment. The events of the last months with Russia's brutal, illegal medieval invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the need for Europe to create the tools and the processes that it needs to lead in this new and uncertain world. There is a pre February 24th reality and the post February 24th reality. The world has changed. We must understand that the weight of the global democratic order now rests more heavily than ever before on Europe's shoulders. And we must be able to carry it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, It is our "whatever-it-takes" moment, a moment that comes once in a generation, a moment where we must understand that Europe is also on the streets of Borcher, in the tunnels of Mariupol, in the cellers of Irpin, on the shores of Snake Island. People being brutalised are looking to us for support, for hope, even for survival. They understand that there is no alternative to Europe and anyone who has lived under the autocracy that marked so many nations in Europe in the last century understands only too well that there is no other way Europe may not be perfect.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, We are far from perfect, but we represent a bastion of liberal democracy, of personal freedoms, of liberty, of thought, of safety and security, where you can be whoever you want to be, a way of life and living that we perhaps have taken for far too long for granted. In Europe, we celebrate differences. It is what enables us to develop and what will enable us to become stronger, what makes us unique, what makes us European. Putin's grave mistake was assuming our differences were a weakness, our defence of fundamental rights, a sign of feebleness, he was wrong in democracies like ours. These are our strengths. These are our foundations for the next steps. They are our legitimacy and they are compass.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, And this is why we have accelerated our moves towards building a new security and defence union, why we must and we will disentangle our dependencies from the Kremlin, why we will end imports of oil, and why we must follow through with our policy of zero gas from Russia, why we will continue with sanctions and aid to Ukraine, why we will and must rebuild Ukraine, why we will care and welcome all those who flee Putin's bombs, missiles and atrocities. And this is why Ukraine will win. And this is why Europe will be ready for the next generation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, Turning to our populations, it has become increasingly clear that European leaders cannot fail to address rising prices and the increasing cost of living that are hitting hard. And for European businesses in a globalised economy shaken up by the consequences of war, the European Union must continue to encourage and support them as they as they diversify away from Russia. But again, we must be honest. We can mitigate the consequences as far as possible. But our way, our European way is worth the cost. It is worth defending and it is worth the price we must pay.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, Europe has shown the world's unprecedented determination, solidarity and unity against the war. Of this, I am proud, it must remain the blueprint for us going forward and we will continue to stand forcefully against autocracy and continue to stand strongly for Ukraine and for our common values of democracy, dignity, justice, equality and the rule of law. We must become closer, but at the same time we must become more open.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, After World War II, cynics mocked Robert Schumann's 1950 Europe declaration, where he deemed it to be a utopian aspiration for peace and prosperity. Yet believed then in what seemed impossible for Europe is the reason why we are here together, today in this Palazzo Vecchio, an emblem of European civilisation, discussing our achievements and the next steps for our common European future, our legacy. What we leave for those who come after us will not only be ornate palaces, but firm foundations for a new European way.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, I trust that the next generation, I am certain, will play their parts for climate action, reap the benefits of a digital economy, consume differently than today. However, we cannot expect them to fix unresolved crises which are ours to address. They need us to take our responsibility seriously. Today, Europe needs leadership today, not tomorrow. Leadership that saw us welcome more than five million people fleeing Ukraine leadership that is also on display here at EUI with people who have worked hard to integrate and facilitates Ukrainian professors from the Conference on the Future of Europe, the results of a pan-European citizen consultation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, The responsibility will be on us, European leaders, to listen and to take recommendations on boards in terms of acting on peoples demands, on policy, changes on defence, health, climate security and more. This is a real opportunity for Europe because if it's not now, then when coming out of a devastating pandemic and since Russia's illegal and brutal assault must stand for the politics of hope. We must confront easy cynicism and stand firm against aggression. And as long as we keep our priorities right, I am convinced that we are fit for the next generation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the EP, Let me end on this note of optimism. The truth is that the European Union has never been stronger. The European Union has never had such a determined sense of direction as it does today. We have never had such a sense of purpose to collectively address war on our continent, a climate emergency, our digital transition and energy concerns. We have never felt such an urge to stand together against threats to peace and prosperity. We have never been more determined to stand up for European fundamental rights of democracy, liberty, solidarity and equality. We know the threats that we face and we know that we must confront them. So let us have confidence in ourselves. Let us believe.