Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, attends the Sorbonne University and addresses its students during her official visit to Paris. This news item shows extracts from the addresses in the university and atmosphere shots during the address.

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Paris

EU - France (T)

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METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

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Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, to Paris (France): address by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I want to tell you my pleasure and my honor to be with you this evening. Before developing my remarks, in French, I would like to tell you a secret. Every time I express myself in the language of Moli&egrave;re, my boys say to me &ldquo;Mom, your accent is horrible&hellip;&rdquo;. So in the manner of Churchill who spoke at Place Kleber in Strasbourg in 1950, I am going to give you this warning: &ldquo;be careful, I am going to speak French&rdquo;.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, But rest assured, the beauty of the place, the history of the Sorbonne did not strike me to the point where I could take myself for the illustrious British and European statesman. There are several points that distinguish us... However, as in 1950, we are at a crossroads and unlike the aftermath of the Second World War, where the hope of a better future prevailed, we are facing to many dangers.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, This is why I am honored to be able to say these words, here, among you. And before developing my remarks, allow me to thank the Sorbonne for the welcome given to me. Also and above all thank Gilles Gressani, Tristan Aureau and Math&eacute;o Malik from the welcome of Grand Continent, who offered to organize this meeting.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have come this evening to talk about the future, to talk about Europe, on Europe's role in an increasingly dangerous and unstable world, on the importance of Europe for France, on the importance of Europe's voice in the Middle East, in Africa, in Ukraine, but also in Armenia.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I also came to share my deep conviction that we can build together a powerful Europe, a world leader in the field of ecological and digital transition. A Europe that manages to free itself from its dependencies to guarantee our security, our autonomy and our prosperity. A Europe that provides answers to the challenges and difficulties of daily life. I have finally come to tell you that Europe is not infallible and that it must evolve and reform to avoid losing its relevance.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, But I also want to exchange with you, to hear what you expect from a Europe that is yours. We are less than a year away from the European elections, and I know only too well that we must do more to convince people of the added value of our collective project. There is no better place to lead such a discussion than here, at the Sorbonne, a place of knowledge and thoughts.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Ladies and Gentlemen, The world faces challenges on multiple fronts. Some of these fronts are at the gates of Europe, in our eastern and southern neighborhood. The desperate situation in Gaza casts a shadow over the entire region. How we respond to this situation will define the future of the region and of Europe. Nothing can excuse - or justify - the rapes, kidnappings, torture and deliberate murder of entire communities, children, women, men and young people.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, These horrific acts were carried out by a terrorist organization. Let's be clear about this. Hamas in no way represents the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. They are obstacles to it. Hamas cannot be allowed to act with impunity. The kidnapped hostages must be freed.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The situation in Gaza is horrible, it is a humanitarian crisis. This is why Europe has called for a humanitarian pause, de-escalation and full respect for international humanitarian law. Civilians and innocent people must not pay the price for Hamas's despicable actions. We must end this terror and we must do so by guaranteeing the safety and lives of civilians, children, journalists. This must be done while avoiding unnecessary destruction of civilian infrastructure.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Israel's response matters to Europe. Europe is ready to commit in the long term, to work towards lasting peace in the Middle East. Because Europe has learned to overcome the insurmountable and has been able to find the path to peace. France knows this only too well; it has been one of the major players in European reconciliation.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We support a fair and just solution for the parties involved, based on the coexistence of two states. We will continue to defend this policy. The complex situation in the Middle East cannot distract us from what is also happening on our Eastern front.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, In Europe, many believed that economic and trade relations with Moscow, notably the import of Russian gas, were factors of stability. It was wrong. The truth is that nothing stopped Russia from invading Ukraine in a brutal, unjustified and illegal manner. And this war, which is taking place on our continent, concerns us first and foremost.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Our support for Ukraine must not weaken under any circumstances. Contrary to what President Putin thinks, we will not let weariness set in. The security of Europe and that of Ukraine are at stake. In this context, Europe must answer very serious questions. Are our democracies strong enough to respond to total threats? Can our open economy and our rule of law resist attacks? Is it the &ldquo;law of the strongest&rdquo; which should govern international relations? These are vital questions for Europe.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We have no choice but to defend our civilization with firmness and courage. We must forcefully defend our values and our political models of liberal democracy. This is what is happening in Ukraine. There is no alternative! Finally, yes. There is one... But it would be a moral and political mistake to abandon Ukraine. Because Russia would not stop at this momentum.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Everyone here knows this other phrase from Winston Churchill, again him, at the time of the Munich Agreement: &ldquo;You had the choice between war and dishonor. You have chosen dishonor and you will have war.&rdquo; If, today, the European Union has chosen to massively support Ukraine, it is because it wants two things: honor and peace, but a real peace based on the freedom and independence of Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And while Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, is undergoing an unprecedented wave of destabilization and predation, it is urgent to move away from our naive, at best, actually condescending posture with this great continent. I share your conviction, dear Gilles and Math&eacute;o, that to succeed in its geopolitical transition, Europe must escape certain bad reflexes. We need to stop with this form arrogance towards Africa.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We need to think on a continental scale, thinking on a continental scale allows Europe to be able to speak on an equal footing with the major continental countries. To do this, we must invest in our relationship with Latin American countries. We must also give new impetus to our historic transatlantic partnership. I repeat it without naivety, by relying on our strengths, by assuming our interests and defending our values, all essential components of our European model.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Ladies and gentlemen, Europe also faces challenges within its borders. Our fellow citizens are struggling to pay their bills. The emergency of global warming and the digital transition are affecting our economies and employment. Migration issues are also a cause for concern.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Faced with this, Europeans need answers. Faced with this, we must ensure their security: physical security, economic security, social and environmental security. To this end, it is time for Europe to take renewed responsibility. Let Europe assume that it is a project of power and independence.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The future of Europe will be defined according to our ability to remain sovereign and competitive. Become the leader in the digital and climate transition. Get rid of our energy dependencies and put an end to the domination of large digital companies. This is why we are preparing for the future by committing to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The European Green Deal is as much about our energy security and strengthening our competitiveness as it is about the environmental transition and climatic.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, However, we must ensure that no one is left behind in this transition. We must ensure that our industries, our businesses and our poorest citizens have the necessary safety nets. We also need to better explain why this transition is necessary to stimulate sustainable economic growth, to create new jobs and to lead the industrial revolution of tomorrow.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, None of our policies will work without social acceptability and if the measures implemented are neither realistic nor pragmatic. Digital is also a challenge that is still ahead of us. With laws on digital markets and services as well as on artificial intelligence, Europe has already taken a lead in establishing standards that are intended to become global. This normative power is the guarantee of our independence.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Finally, the migration issue concerns Europeans. Too often we have witnessed quarrels between national governments over the reception of makeshift boats in distress in the Mediterranean. No Member State should be left alone to shoulder disproportionate responsibility. All Member States should contribute in solidarity to tackling migration challenges.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Recent events in Lampedusa and the increase in the number of arrivals of asylum seekers have once again demonstrated the consequences of the lack of adoption of a genuine common European policy on asylum and migration. We cannot leave this subject in the hands of populist forces who rejoice in our ineffectiveness, without providing realistic solutions to a complex problem.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Also between Europeans, we are working to establish a legal framework, which will be fair and humane with those who need to be protected. A legal framework that will be firm towards those who are not eligible for asylum. Finally, a legal framework that will be implacable towards smugglers who take advantage of the misery of the most vulnerable.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We owe it to our fellow citizens, we also owe it to those who risk their lives on the path of migration. Because behind the numbers, there are always human lives, sometimes tragic stories, the hope of a better life. After a decade of effort, we are finally ready to break the deadlock.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Ladies and Gentlemen, There is another challenge that I would like to mention: information warfare, or rather should I say disinformation. Disinformation which, moreover, has affected our democracies and our liberal societies since the turn of the 2000s with the development of the Internet and social networks.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Disinformation may be as old as time, but the technological tools of artificial intelligence and social networks give it unprecedented reach. And that is an absolute danger. This danger is all the greater because it is amplified by states like Russia and Iran which are anything but models of democratic virtue and which have no problem blowing on the embers of polarization in our political scenes. The objective is the same: to denigrate democracies. The method is constant: sow doubt. More than ever, we must take the necessary measures and arm ourselves to fight this offensive.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Ladies and gentlemen, yes, the world is becoming more and more dangerous. Yes, Europe faces great challenges. But we must hold on. Stand firm to build and defend peace and freedom. We do not have the right to forget who we are and what we want. For ourselves, for our children and for Europe.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I am part of a generation that was a child when the Berlin Wall fell, when a people rose up in Tiananmen Square... A generation that remembers the collapse of the Soviet Union and the unbridled joy of millions of Europeans finally free to choose their destiny. We experienced this victory.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, But over time we have become too sure of the solid and obvious nature of this freedom. Extreme movements are at the gates of power here and there in Europe. Or even already participate in it. And this is why we must seriously rethink and reform Europe. The history of European construction has shown us that it is through crises that we gain responsibility, that Europe advances, transforms, evolves, strengthens. And although this may seem distant, sometimes worrying, for many of our fellow citizens, we must address the question of enlargement in its entirety.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The march of the world does not await us. If we do not dare to make this change, our collective project will stagnate and lose its relevance. We must adapt to the new geopolitical reality that I have just mentioned. If we do not respond to the call of our neighbors, other geopolitical actors will and will come to fill the void at our borders. We had the same fears before the 2004 enlargement. However, history has shown us that an enlarged European Union, based on clear objectives, serves to defend the peace, security, stability and prosperity of the Europe on the international stage. All Member States and Europeans emerged as winners.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, This is why we fought for Ukraine and Moldova to obtain the status of EU candidate countries. This is why we believe that negotiations with Balkan countries must also progress. Because the hope of membership gives these countries a European perspective and gives them momentum to advance democratic reforms.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, However, such a perspective cannot be realized without institutional reforms of our political project. A Union of thirty, thirty-three or thirty-five will not be able to operate with the same rules as of twenty-seven. The reform of our institutional structure and our procedures, the reform of our European budget are all essential projects. The adaptation of our structural policies is just as important in order to anchor the candidate countries, well before their accession, but also to allow the Union to integrate them.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, This is one of the major challenges facing us. I am by nature optimistic. So, I am convinced that if we manage to establish an enlarged, ambitious, united and coherent Union; an effective Union which leaves no one behind and responds to the concrete concerns of our fellow citizens while holding its place in the march of the world, then this will be our best response to populism and extremism.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, As the European elections approach next June, it is more important than ever to think together about the role that Europe plays, and especially the role that we wish to give it... I am the youngest President in history of the European Parliament. I am only the third woman in this position, after Simone Veil and Nicole Fontaine. And if I am before you here, it is thanks to the battles that these two admirable women led.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I am aware of my responsibility towards them, towards all the women who will come after me, towards our European project. And this is why, at this critical moment in our history, I want to call on all French people to get involved.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, If you think that the direction our common project is taking is not the right one or, on the contrary, you want it to be explored further, then get involved. It is your responsibility to change it. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you. So go vote, find your voice, find a cause and fight for it. Believe in Europe. Because Europe deserves to be defended and we all have a role to play in this regard.

SOUNDBITE (French), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Ladies and gentlemen, I know how much the French love quotes from famous men of their past. Also, how could I conclude my speech without mentioning the man who gave his name to this magnificent amphitheater and who rests not far from here. Cardinal Richelieu said &ldquo;You have to listen a lot and speak a little to act well&hellip;&rdquo;. Maybe I've talked too much, but I'm ready to listen. Although I was only able to outline a few avenues to engage in controversy, at this stage of the evening, I am leaving it to you and your questions so that we can explore further and act well together for the future of our Europe. Thanks.