Debate: Inauguration of the new President of the United States and the current political situation
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Charles Michel
Language: FR

In front of the White House in the four corners of Lafayette Square stand statues of European heroes of the US Revolutionary War: French Generals Lafayette and Rochambeau, Polish General Kościuszko, and German General von Steuben. They and many other Europeans spared no effort and spilled their blood to help build freedom and democracy in America, and hundreds of thousands of Americans spilled their blood twice last century to protect freedom and democracy in Europe. Ever since, the United States has been our closest ally in defending democracy and rule of law. American democracy has stood strong and often served as an example for advocates of freedom around the world, and this is why the events at the US Capitol shocked us so much. But the darkness of violence will never dim the light of democracy. Law, order and democracy have prevailed over this disgraceful attempt to overturn the election. American democracy has proven its strength and resilience, and today Joe Biden takes the oath of office as the 46th President of the United States. This will be, I hope, a day of peaceful transition and a great day for American democracy, like it has been for over two centuries. Dear Members of the Parliament, today is more than a transition. Today is an opportunity to rejuvenate our transatlantic relationship, which has greatly suffered in the last four years. In these years, the world has grown more complex, less stable and less predictable. This requires, more than ever before, that we Europeans take our fate firmly into our own hands to defend our interests and promote our values. A Europe that plays a stabilising and constructive role on the global scene in line with our true weight in the world; a stronger Europe to contribute to a better, fairer and greener world; a stronger Europe in defence and in preserving peace and security. And to do this, we need strong and reliable partners, and this is why the European Council reaffirms the strategic importance of our partnership with the United States as the world’s foremost and closest relationship. We share values, common interests, cultural and historical ties, and a geopolitical reality. Together we must stand as the bedrock of the rules-based international order working for peace, security, prosperity, freedom, human rights and gender equality – values harshly challenged in the world. Dear Members of the Parliament, on the first day of his mandate, I address a solemn proposal to the new US President: let’s build a new founding pact for a stronger Europe, for a stronger America, and for a better world. Je voudrais adresser de manière solennelle aujourd’hui, en ce jour d’entrée en fonction de Joe Biden, un appel à construire ensemble un pacte fondateur nouveau pour une Europe plus forte, pour des États-Unis plus forts et pour un monde meilleur. Dear colleagues, we should work on five priorities: first, boosting multilateral cooperation; second, combating COVID-19; third, tackling climate change; fourth, rebuilding our economies, ensuring fair trade and promoting the digital transformation; and fifth, joining forces on security and peace. This won’t be easy, but together we are up to the challenge.  The EU and US, we have our differences, and these will not magically disappear. America seems to have changed, and how it is perceived in Europe and the rest of the world has also changed. Likewise, the way the United States views the European Union may also have to change. The EU chooses its course and does not wait for permission to take its own decisions. Still, what unites us is so much greater than what divides us, and the events of 6 January have revealed that we share one particular challenge in common: protecting democracy and the rule of law. 6 January was a lesson to us all – a wake-up call – that even in our well—established democracies we too often take democracy and the rule of law for granted. Protecting democracy requires constant vigilance and constant work to foster cohesion in our societies. This is true in America, and it is true right here in Europe. Mesdames et Messieurs, chers collègues, ce nouvel agenda pour l’Europe et pour les États-Unis que nous souhaitons mettre sur la table est un agenda ambitieux et c’est pourquoi, en ce premier jour de son mandat, je souhaite inviter le président Biden en Europe pour participer à une réunion extraordinaire du Conseil européen à Bruxelles, réunion qui pourrait se tenir en parallèle à un sommet de l’OTAN. Vous le voyez, nous sommes prêts, nous voulons être rassemblés, nous voulons être mobilisés pour travailler ensemble avec les États-Unis, pour construire un pacte nouveau fondateur pour une Europe forte, pour des États-Unis forts et pour un monde meilleur.