Presidente de la Fundación FAES, querido José María,
Presidente del Partido Popular, querido Alberto,
Alcalde de Madrid, querido José Luis,
Eurodiputado Zarzalejos, querido Javier,
Distinguidos invitados, Vicepresidente del parlamento europeo, eurodeputados colegas y amigos, siempre es un placer estar de vuelta en la maravillosa ciudad de Madrid, pero poder participar en este prestigioso Campus FAES, hace que mi regreso sea aún más especial.
Thank you for inviting me to be with you today, and for giving me the opportunity to speak to you about the renewal of the EU. Or what I like to call: a new European age for our Union.
Dear friends,
I do not believe it is any exaggeration to say that the past five years have been some of themost unpredictable in Europe. We have managed a pandemic, wars, an energy transition, migration, inflation, hybrid threats and cyberwarfare. All framed within an on-going digital revolution, climate challenges, natural disasters and geopolitical shifts.
This did not happen by coincidence. It happened because we were able to take the difficult decisions; from standing-up to Russia and supporting Ukraine, to ensuring our economies could recover, to passing ground-breaking legislation like that on migration.
Now let me say, that I do not believe in politics being run by nostalgia. That is not what this is about. Rather, I thought it important to outline our resiliency over the past years and decades in order for us to better frame today’s discussion. Because in many ways, the European Union today is stronger, more united, and more in sync than ever before. And while we should be proud of what we succeed to achieve – and we are – we must also be honest about where we could have done better. Where we left people behind. And where red tape has pushed people away. About where we have gone too far. About where we have gone not far enough.
In the last European elections, against all expectations the constructive, pro-European centre held. But we came out of it bruised. Increasingly we are seeing the fringes meet on different issues. To me and to many, Europe has always been about coming together. About hope in a better future, opportunity and belonging. So it worries me when we see people, including our younger generations, finding comfort in the easy answers of the extremes – or worse, in the disillusionment of not voting at all.
I am very much aware that there is a growing gap between what people want from their politicians, their representatives, from their European Union, from their European Parliament and our ability to deliver tangible results.
And when I’m asked about what do you think people want the European Parliament to do, what do they want from the institution that we all work to deliver results from so hard? I want people to look to the European Parliament for guidance and leadership. In a world that is ever changing, that is increasingly being compartmentalised and shifts in politics becoming so much more pronounced, we need to be able to say and we need to be able to do whatever we can to deliver a Europe that is more competitive; that is better able to harness all the benefits of the green and digital transitions without leaving anyone behind. That is able to ensure the right framework for innovation, entrepreneurship and prosperity; that is agile – sometimes a contradiction in terms when we talk about the European Union – bit it is important that is agile enough to find a balance between innovation and regulation; and that is able to reinforce our defence industry. That is able to guarantee security. That is able to safeguard human dignity.
One that offers real, practical solutions to the challenges people face. I travelled here often during the campaign for the European Parliament elections and I would ask young people: What do you want to see from the European Parliament? And the answer was very clear : we want clean environment, we want quality jobs, we want a roof over our head, we want to make sure that the benefits we are offered in cities are also offered throughout Spain, no matter how close you are from to a city centre of far away from it. And that is our role now, that is our responsibility: to be able to fulfil those young people’s potentials and demand from us in this new world. Where we need to move closer on issues like banking, capital markets, energy, telecoms, as we continue to support the agricultural and fisheries sectors. That implies significantly more funding – now I know of course there is disagreement on how we can get there between Member States and different traditions of finding solutions to such challenges. But I think that we must not be afraid to take the necessary next steps. This is a time for reform. For a renewal in the way that we do things. And for this I give a clear and concrete commitment that the European Parliament is ready.
I mentioned earlier that we passed legislation on migration. Topical issue that is in the news everyday here today. It is an excellent example of the constructive, pro-European centre that can deliver on an issue that is at the very top of voters concerns, that is incredibly divisive and where positions are tightly entrenched – often along ideological lines. But what we wanted to show in the last few weeks of our mandate, which was a very difficult one in the last five years, was that even if sometimes it looks impossible, even if it is sometimes very difficult, a true European answer is always within reach. Now I spoke about the legalisation. We need to move to the next step: implementation.
And our focus needs to be to ensure that such a legislative amount of huge legislation is implemented and works for people in the Canary Islands who are under pressure – for Spain, Italy, for Greece, for all countries that are faced with daily challenges. Our message – from the European Parliament – is that you are not alone, we are in this together and that we have the legislative tools to build a system that is fair with those in need of protection, firm with those ineligible, and that will break trafficking models that exploit the most vulnerable people on the planet. Now we need to build on it and focus on returns of those who are not eligible. I use this example as what I would call a triumph of compromise.
It is a philosophy that we must also apply to our international relations. And here we know that we have a lot to learn from you. From the Mediterranean region to Central and South America and Africa, your unique ties have meant that Europe is able to speak to the world and listen in a manner that enables common understanding and protects multilateralism, while still remaining true to the values that are at the core of what it means to be European. In this new
European age, we will need a big dose of that.
This is why the European Parliament has been very clear when it comes to the post-election developments in Venezuela. Let me make it very clear here as well: When it comes to free and fair elections, upholding citizens’ rights and defending our freedom and democratic values, the European Parliament will remain unyielding. Europe needs to do much more on this and further engagement with Latin America.
It is against this backdrop that a few days ago I was in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly and there my message was to reemphasise the need to renew our transatlantic relationship and to reinforce our alliance of global democracies on the world stage by seeking common ground. Critics may call this the politics of the past. I call it, the politics of the future. Because I believe that the only way to defeat populism, to push back against extremism taking hold so quickly, is not by claiming moral superiority. It is with real solutions. It is by building bridges and not walls. That is the new European age.
Dear friends,
We have never been afraid of change, I have never been afraid of change, and Europe has never been afraid of change.
This is our blueprint for the renewal of our Union. Consider this and the European Parliament’, invitation to join us in moving forward.
Muchas gracias.
