On Monday 24 October, Roberta METSOLA, EP President, is invited to the College of Europe in Bruges for the opening ceremony of the academic year 2022/2023, with the David Sassoli Promotion. Roberta METSOLA, alumna of the College of Europe in Bruges (2003/2004, John Locke Promotion) gives a speech.

Belgium

statement

speech

MOGHERINI, Federica (IT, EC)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

Bruges

president's agenda

Opening ceremony of the academic year 2022/2023, David Sassoli Promotion at the College of Europe in Bruges: Address by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Good morning everyone, thank you, Emily, thank Dimitra director, the vice rector, dear Karalis Alessandra familiar the davits the students of the davits Assali promotion, the Amaia governor. Let me start by thanking you, dear Federica, for inviting me to address you here, today.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, I cannot think of a better rector for this group of students on this college in such a difficult and challenging time for Europe, and particularly for giving me the opportunity and privilege of honouring the legacy of the 2022 - 2023 College of Europe, academic year, patron of promotion, my predecessor and my friend David Maria Sassoli.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, David was a champion of democracy, a passionate European and a fighter for Europe. He believed unreservedly in the power of Europe to forge a new path in this world. And in doing so, he fought hard to bring people around the same table. I was one of those people. His legacy is one that I carry with me as president of the European Parliament every single day.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, And in these troubled times, I often find myself looking over his speeches and his words to find the way through, because the world could use more of his clarity of principle. David had a vision of a more united Europe, one that was closer to people, one that was more authentic to its values, values of human dignity, freedom and solidarity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, A distinguished writer once said: "Great lives are those in which people feel a calling, have a sense of a vocation", David felt that calling. That sense of service, which he delivered on always with a smile, although when he was unimpressed, he would make it very clear to all of us. That is a responsibility that I must carry on as his successor, but one that you all must carry too, that is now on your shoulders. That is the privilege that you have.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, You are the class of David Sassoli be inspired by his example and I know that you will honour him and honour yourselves by going out and making the world a better, fairer and more just place by respecting the values of humanity and by reaching out to the most vulnerable, by standing up for the principles of Europe, as David did.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, I must say that returning to Brugges to the college here is particularly moving for me. Not only because it is my alma mater and thank God for no Instagram at that time. I will tell you, I was part of the John Locke promotion.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Few experiences I am going to go off my speech now, I've just written them. What do I remember from there? I was proud to live in Oude Zak. How many of you live in Oude Zak? I was a little bit less proud of living in one of those top rooms where you needed to go upstairs to go to your bed or to the bathroom. Especially after a long night out and it had been raining.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, When it was raining, we didn't used to go to Bar'N, because we thought it was too far away. But we always found the time to go through the so called John Locke Bar, were I must say, we spent a lot of time. Some of my best memories were the end of year parties, the Scandinavian one, the Nordic one was the one we most remember. That was pretty brutal, I must say.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, You know, Mr. Mayor, you said you will be their protector. The mayor at the time had to protect quite a lot of us who went to hospital on that night. I improved my French. I could still improve it. We became good at negotiations. I regret not going to Nataline to visit. You should do it as you have just been invited to when you will be invited to each other's weddings. Go.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We had, I just counted, twenty weddings from our from our year. It was amazing, long time ago. But we still remember them and we still meet. Another fun story, we had gone to the European Parliament and the Council to do, I don't know whether you still call it a simulation, I think it's called, so that when you be a representative of a country and you need to negotiate your position, I had a particularly difficult country. I can't remember what it was, but I remember I did it and we put all our efforts into that negotiation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Whenever I pass through the two rooms in the council and in the parliament, I don't remember the current boring meeting sometimes we're in. I remember those days, when I was with my friends of the college and we were battling out for a Europe we believed in. Make sure you do that too.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, I must say, what was not easy, was that I did all my exams in September in a reset session. My mother was not amused at all. And the reason why this happened is because in May, a few days after my country joined the European Union, first of May 2004, I was called to run for the first elections of the European Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Imagine my parents, when I had to call them and say I am leaving the college for a couple of weeks. My mother said: "Why? You going to ruin everything you've studied so hard". So much. I said: I have been asked to run for the first European Parliament elections of my country and I feel it is my duty to do so. And I did. I didn't get elected.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, I came back after the exams had been over. I hadn't done them. I came back just for the parties and the graduation. But I must say it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Less amazing when I came in September to do all the exams.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, But amazing experience to be able to run in a country that had just joined the European Union after so many years of promise. When we had witnessed the transformational effects of an accession process, which is why it was so important that we took a decision to accept Ukraine and Moldova as candidate countries for European Union membership.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, To do that, not get elected, do it again in 2009, not get elected and then get elected, finally, as my father said in 2013. And I did that because I would like to show you and to tell you that politics is a force for good. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Being a member of the European Parliament is an amazing thing.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, When you are going to be faced with your friends and colleagues in 2024, I have one question for you or appeal. First of all, potentially run in elections and two make sure your votes and the ones around you vote too. There is nothing worse than looking at elected representatives that do not represent you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Now, I go back to my speech. So as a student, I got involved in politics because I believed that my generations place was Europe. And I still believe exactly that, because we are the generation that sees no old and no new Europe. We know no big and smaller states. We understand that Europe can function in a way that respects, as we've just heard from the diversity of opinions, ideologies, religions, language, bridges and nations while remaining anchored in our core shared values.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, It is not always and easy balance to find, but in our Europe, it is the strength of your arguments that matter, not the volume of your voice. The depth of your integrity, not the number of short term populist gains. This college taught me that David Sassoli showed me that. And this, I believe, is a message that needs to resonate more, especially in this very dangerous time we are living in where the democratic world order is under threat.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Six months ago on the 24th of February, the world changed forever. Russia's illegal and unprovoked war has fixated all eyes on Europe, and history will judge us by our response. And make no mistake, the proportionality, speed and unity of our reaction plays into this response. I am proud that the European Union has provided financial, military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its people. And we will continue to do precisely that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We have welcomed seven million women, children and men into our homes and our hearts. We have adopted eight packages of sanctions to impede the financing of Russia's war machine. Now we need to find that spirit again when we are called to face migration challenges. When we look at people as human beings rather than statistics lives, not numbers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Today, when we recall the anniversary, as difficult as that word is, eight months ago since Russian tanks rolled into independence and sovereign Ukraine. In this time, we have seen brave Ukrainian men and women fighting for their country and their liberty. Defiance, Ukrainian grandmothers learning how to defend their homes and their families.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, But we need to be clear. Ukrainian people are also risking their lives for Europe to safeguard the values that we all believe in freedom, democracy, the rule of law, values that David Sassolli worked so hard to preserve and strengthen. And so it remains our duty to continue helping Ukraine and the people to make sure they ultimately win this war. It is what is right. It is what is necessary. It is what must happen.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Dear students of the David Sassoli promotion Europe has done a lot, but there is no time for complacency. We will be called upon to do yet more. And I know that with a war still raging at our borders, political instability, climate change, the rise of fake news, misinformation, high electricity prices and inflation increasing, young people are exposed to more uncertainty than many generations ever had to contend with.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, And so what Europe needs now, what the world needs now more than ever, our leaders. And here, let me say that being elected is not simply what makes you a leader. Being a leader is someone who is ready to serve and who is ready to stand up for what we believe them, who will not shy away from difficult discussions and decisions. Who is honest about our failings and the frustrations of our processes, but who is also honest about our union's achievements and here we have had quite a few.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, There is virtue in leadership as there is in service. Politics, for me has always been a force for good because it is the best avenue for change. At its core, it is about strengthening our community, about leaving no one behind, about understanding that the common good is greater than the one of the individual, about realising that we are not safe until we are all safe, and that the weakest, the most marginalised in our communities are as much a part of our society as everyone is.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, So if you take one message from me today, it is this, stand up, serve, lead, stand up by making your voice heard, served by being active and lead on the issues that matter most to you, whether that is in politics, in local communities and NGOs and businesses and academia or in the arts. And if you encounter resistance and you will, stand your ground, stand on Europe's ground because our project is worth fighting for.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, I told you earlier about my first European elections and how difficult it was to get elected, how difficult it still is to stand in front of a group of people and tell them, hold me accountable, and that my election and the trust that you placed in me means that I need to be able to face you again in five years time on whenever a mandate ends and you will be able to judge me as to whether I have served and earned your trust or not.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, This is the best thing about democracy. This is the best thing about elections. And I am convinced that you are also up to the challenge. And then this upcoming year, you will receive the best most rich and multicultural learning experience thanks to your professors and academics. You will not only study Europe, but you will live Europe too, take full advantage of it because it will pass much quicker than you think.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, And I am convinced that together we can find a way forward that is fit for the next generation. European leaders must unite and stand united to confront cynicism and stand firm against aggression. This is ultimately a question of political will. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I am a lawyer and I know how easy it is to put forward legal arguments in order to say that something is not possible or something is.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, All it takes at the end of the day is political will. And that, I can assure you that the European Parliament has. David Sassoli once said the European Union is not an accident of history. He was right. Of course, our union is not an accident, but the tangible results of a group of visionaries, the ideas, efforts and strength of the founding mothers and fathers of the world's greatest peace project.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, This is the bigger picture that we cannot lose sight of how they started the machinery and the responsibility lies squarely on us to keep it running. We need to come together like never before. This is Europe's time to lead. This is your time to lead. Thank you and have a good time.