On 14th September 2022, Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the EC, will give her usual State of the Union speech in front of the European Parliament, in Strasbourg. A few days before the debate, Roberta METSOLA, EP President, answers to citizens' questions on a live discussion to prepare the State of the EU debate. She receives questions on Ukraine, the energy crisis, climate change and the future of Europe. Extracts.

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

president's agenda

state of the European Union 2022 (T)

Facebook live discussion about the State of the EU debate with Roberta METSOLA, EP President: extracts

Title: Facebook live discussion about the State of the EU debate with Roberta METSOLA, EP President: extracts

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, The State of the Union is for now many years highlight in the calendar both of the European Parliament, but also of the whole institutions, except this year it comes with an additional challenge. We've already had two years of pandemic. We now have on top of that war on our continent with the illegal invasion of Russia into Ukraine, the ongoing unnecessary and violent and brutal killings of Ukrainian men, women and children. We also have increase in electricity prices, huge social and economic impact on families, on young people across the European Union. as they feel the pinch of unprecedented prices.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, So, what we are looking forward to is a very, very long, raging debate in a very difficult time between the parliament and the European Commission next week, whereby the parliament will be asking on where the progress has been made on individual legislative proposals, but most importantly, also how we are going to respond to the very big problems we have at our time, which is what the citizens want from us.

Question: How do you see the future of Ukraine in Europe?

Answer from Roberta METSOLA, EP President: We looked away for far too long, even when our Baltic and Eastern Neighbourhood Partners were telling us that there was a very big problem on our on our hands, that for far too long we were dependent on Russian gas, which is also a discussion we are happy we are having now as we move away, as we uncouple our dependence on Russia, as we make sure that we do not continue to pay for this war. And all this is encapsulated in how we look at the future. That is why when we look at the question of what is the future of Ukraine and Europe, I would say that they are intricately tied together. We have the same goals and the same values. And it is for those values that I have the honour of leading a European Parliament that has fought from day one of this war that we will seek to protect until the end of it.

Question: Knowing that the war has been going on for a while now, was its support for Ukraine wavering?

Answer from Roberta METSOLA, EP President: It's our responsibility to help in the reconstruction and rebuilding. How are we going to continue to protect and give refuge to those millions of Ukrainians who have been given shelter and such a wonderful and loving way by European citizens who opened their homes and their hearts to Ukrainians? So I would not say it's wavering, but on top of that, I will take my responsibility and my colleague's responsibility to make it does not waver.

Question: How is the EP going to guarantee that the EU doesn't lose focus on its climate goals considering the global energy crisis?

Answer from Roberta METSOLA, EP President: We are the last generation of politicians that can actually do something about. I need to make sure that my children, the next generations are able to say that our generation has done something about it, has not only introduced legislation, has not only placed ambitious targets, but has met them. We are still very, very far away from meeting them in some countries, more than others. But that is where leadership is needed. This is the time more than ever where leadership and European Union unity has to show, has to be able to say that is a target that we can achieve and that we are going to do everything in our power for every country with its own significant realities to be able to achieve them.

Question: I'm really curious how you and the European Parliament make that you stronger so that we're less dependent on events that happen outside of our borders, like the gas power crisis?

Answer from Roberta METSOLA, EP President: We need to discuss the gaps we have seen over the past two years when we needed to act together on health. We did it, even though it's not, strictly speaking, a competence of the European Union when we needed to act together in order to make sure that we grant as quickly as possible macro financial assistance to Ukraine. We did it when we needed to be faster adopting digital legislation. We did it faster than ever before. So there is the political will today and I would like to harness that political will. And that is why the parliament is pushing for a convention in order to fill those gaps.