Debate: This is Europe - Debate with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis
Date: WEDNESDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Klaus Iohannis
Language: RO

Ca și în urmă cu cinci ani, când m-am adresat plenului Parlamentului European, vreau să reafirm încrederea mea și a poporului român în valoarea acțiunii europene unite și solidare, în puterea incontestabilă a unei singure Europe. Efectele pandemiei, războiul de agresiune al Rusiei împotriva Ucrainei, conflictul din Orientul Mijlociu, toate acestea sunt numai câteva dintre evoluțiile dramatice care ne-au testat în ultimii ani nu doar capacitatea de răspuns, ci și atașamentul nostru sincer față de Uniune și față de valorile și principiile care ne țin împreună. Doamnelor și domnilor, țara mea este probabil unul dintre cele mai bune exemple ale puterii transformatoare a Uniunii Europene. Aderarea ne-a adus beneficii indiscutabile și dintre cele mai concrete. Fondurile europene intrate în România de la momentul aderării ne-au permis să realizăm proiecte esențiale de infrastructură. Peste 600 000 de tineri români au participat la programul Erasmus, însușindu-și astfel modul de viață european. Uniunea înseamnă un spațiu al siguranței, al protecției, al prosperității și al diversității. Uniunea Europeană rămâne prin excelență un spațiu al liberei circulații. Ridicarea în martie a controalelor la frontierele aeriene și maritime trebuie urmată, în mod firesc, în cel mai scurt timp, de eliminarea controalelor la frontierele terestre. Doar astfel vom avea reflectarea corectă și concretă a contribuției pe care România o aduce la consolidarea securității întregii Uniuni Europene. Doamnelor și domnilor, proiectul european necesită zi de zi atenție, efort, răbdare și onestitate, dacă vrem să trăim liberi într-o Europă unită și prosperă. România de astăzi este un promotor puternic al acțiunii coordonate în spiritul valorilor europene. Avem responsabilitatea de a susține o Europă care duce mai departe aceste principii și valori, inclusiv către prietenii noștri din vecinătatea europeană care au ales modelul nostru de democrație și dezvoltare, iar o etapă cheie a acestui proces o reprezintă chiar alegerile europene. Prioritățile pe care le vom defini împreună după aceste alegeri vor trebui să ne ajute să răspundem pragmatic la provocările prezentului și să ne pregătească mai bine pentru provocările viitorului. Distinguished Members of the European Parliament, our Union faces unprecedented geostrategic challenges. Our future and the future of the next generations depend on each and every decision we are taking now.  On a global level, the rules-based international order is being challenged over and over again. Russia pursues its aggression against Ukraine. Around the Union, instability and insecurity have reached alarming levels. The open conflict in the Middle East, the situation in the Red sea and the worrying developments in the Sahel: all these have a systemic impact on our own security. Climate change, economic difficulties and illegal migration continue to generate their own negative impact, adding to the complexity of global dynamics.  On top of all these challenges, we witness a crisis of values. And, as far as I see it, a crisis of public trust in our institutions. We are indeed facing an erosion of values within the European Union, which fuels the perception of decline of Europe, or at least of Europe’s leadership and global role. This is why we need to do more, to promote the feeling and the certainty that we are all part of the same community of values, which must be protected by every single one of us. Honourable Members of the European Parliament, at such a pivotal moment fundamental questions lie ahead of us. We must answer them together as Europeans with vision, courage and responsibility. First, what can we do and have to do as a Union? The current challenges are pushing us towards a transformative rethinking of our actions. The past few years proved that our common action as one, as a true Union, is key. Our unity has been repeatedly tested and has not faltered. More than this, it was a strategic surprise for some and brought us tactical advantages. We should build upon this. Second, thinking further, another crucial question emerges. What can we do more, internally? Strengthening our internal resilience is a fundamental condition for a stronger Union and for its increased geopolitical role. This is perhaps the most complex discussion. It includes finding the best strategies to respond to hybrid threats and to increase the functionality of our democratic systems.  It means developing sectoral policies such as technology, including artificial intelligence, fighting climate change, stimulating competitiveness, industrial production, and sustainable supply chains. I do believe that the success of the démarches in these areas depends on a strong single market, which can provide solutions to many of the problems we face, encouraging creativity and large-scale development.  We as a Union are now taking unprecedented steps to move away from a reactive approach in consolidating our internal resilience. We are taking action in terms of strengthening our internal capabilities such as infrastructure, green and digital transitions, civil crisis response, energy efficiency and supply chains.  Another obvious line of action is to continue to support Ukraine. We must stand by Ukraine and its people. I have this conviction, despite certain voices invoking a European solidarity fatigue. Defending democracy, territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the rules-based international order, cannot be subject to any fatigue.  Romania remains engaged in this common effort. We are strongly involved in supporting Ukraine as well as the Republic of Moldova, which is intensely affected by the crisis in the region.  We also need to keep our focus on security. We are now moving towards a joint long-term planning and increased convergence in the field of European security and defence, while working in full complementarity with NATO. It is indeed high time to deliver on our European ambitions when it comes to our defence industry. Esteemed Members of the European Parliament, I wish to express my appreciation for the strong attachment to values that this House has always shown, but we must be aware about the growing Euroscepticism. Its adepts may raise issues that are in some part real, but they give wrong and dangerous solutions that would throw our societies into crisis. It is therefore, our common duty to be honest in our communication with the European citizens. Third, how can the Union further externalise its attractiveness? This is another key question to address when looking towards our future. How can we stay attractive as a Union? The answer is clear: enlarging our European family by accepting new members will only strengthen the Union.  The historic decisions taken by the European Council last December on the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as on Bosnia and Herzegovina and on Georgia, are a victory for the entire European Union. This Parliament has been strongly supportive of this objective, and I thank you for this. Romania has – and I personally have – strongly supported and promoted it.  I think that it confirms the Union’s attractiveness at the time of hardship, strengthens its geopolitical weight, and creates opportunities for Member States and candidate countries alike. Enlargement is an essential part of our strategic answer to the geopolitical developments and the key investment in lasting peace, stability and democracy in our neighbourhood.  At the same time, the European Union must assume a leading global role in preserving the international order as a precondition for preserving our way of life and our values. The European Union’s economic weight must be mirrored by its international political role.  The challenges we are facing are global and some of them can only be solved by promoting relationships with partners with similar values and interests. Ensuring this strategic network of resilient partnerships will make us stronger and more competitive in the long run. This is why we need to intensify our global outreach towards Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, and we do need to further consolidate the transatlantic link – this is crucial for our success. Two last questions. Do we have the means to achieve our goals? Which is the way forward and what is the future of the Union? The Union has the legal and institutional instruments to achieve its goals, and the response to the pandemic and the crisis that followed is illustrative. But it is equally obvious that we need to streamline our decision-making capacity.  We need to closely analyse what measures can be taken in a context where some consider that the real efficiency of decision-making mechanisms is impossible without reopening the Treaties, while others radically rule out this possibility. There is no doubt that measures such as those discussed in relation to the qualified majority voting in specific areas of foreign and security policy can be taken without reopening the Treaties.  Without excluding changes to the Treaties at some point, we need to use all available possibilities under the existing Treaties for smoother and quicker decision-making. Romania is fully engaged in this exercise. Honourable Members of the European Parliament, despite the views of some, we are stronger now than five years ago. We showed remarkable unity in probably the direst circumstances we had to face as a Union.  Nevertheless, we have a lot of work ahead of us. Our European common construction is, after all, work in progress. As stated by Jacques Delors, the visionary European leader whom we recently paid homage to, ‘The European model is in danger if we obliterate the principle of personal responsibility’.  Therefore, dear colleagues, it is our shared responsibility to do the best for all our citizens. We have a special responsibility towards our youth. The future generations are looking towards us with hope and optimism in times of geopolitical volatility and socioeconomic distress. The future of Europe is about the capacity of the Union to give them honest answers and to deliver in education, health, prosperity, climate security and employment opportunities.  Five years ago, we adopted the Sibiu Declaration. The ten commitments made back then are still valid. Unity, solidarity, cohesion, the rule of law – they continue to lie at the very core of our joint European action.  For my part, I remain deeply faithful to these valuable values and principles in my future endeavours, and I am convinced that these are the basis for the work done by you here in the European Parliament as well. I also believe that together we are able to maintain the Union on the path of success, staying true to our vision of a united and stronger Europe.