EP President Roberta Metsola, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, former EP President Pat Cox, and former Commission President Romano Prodi participate in a formal sitting of Parliament to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement round along with representatives from the ten countries that joined the EU 20 years ago. During the ceremony, the guests answer questions from a group of young people born on or around 1 May 2004 from the Member States, who are invited to attend the sitting. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

speech

formal sitting

PRODI, Romano (IT)

20th Anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement (T)

20th Anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement: Speech by Romano PRODI, former President of the European Commission

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, Madam President, President of the Commission. I am truly moved. Very emotional for me to take part in this wonderful ceremony of remembrance of a great event celebrating 20 years on from an event, which changed the face of Europe. I listen to all of your firsthand accounts, accounts of your satisfaction of the way things have gone since enlargement. Eight of the countries who entered were formerly members of the Warsaw Pact so that in itself, of course, was a complicated state of affairs, and it was important to try and make sure this all went off without tension. And it was by no means easy.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, Expectations were high, and I think that we achieved what we set out to achieve in a spirit of cooperation, a great deal of patience, but also this common spirit, which went hand in hand in our efforts to build a new Europe. Hours and hours of talks in a constructive spirit. It's not so much that we exported democracy, rather, that we entered into a democratic pact. We threw open the doors to new members as equals on a par with one another. We pave the way to a new world.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, If we had tried to impose anything, that would have led to disaster. And I remember with great emotion a time at which a parliamentarian from a country, which was joining the European Union, as a member of a minority who said "we want to enter Europe because Europe is a union of minorities". And it's wonderful to see that the President of the Commission is from the biggest European country, and the President of the Parliament is from the smallest European country. And I think that is wonderfully symbolic. I mean, it's not some kind of abstract fact, that is the reality of Europe. That's how it works.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, Having said all of that, of course, there have been difficulties, a great deal of scepticism, all kinds of problems. We've had a great deal of discussion on individual issues. That's a part and parcel of political life. And of course we have had to make all kinds of changes, all kinds of political as well as economic adjustments. But these are things that over time we have managed to absorb, and this whole process of convergence, something to which we all aspired, is something ultimately that we achieved. And I think that that is the biggest achievement that we should be celebrating today on this commemoration of the 20th anniversary of accession.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, I think the past shows us that the very diligent and painstaking work by the Commission has borne fruit. We have prosperity and peace. I mean, granted, we still have problems. We have certain countries and political movements that have yet to fully accept the rules of the game. But patience, understanding and this spirit of adjustment, I believe, have shown the very best of our Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, The democratic process, therefore, as well as the construction of Europe need to proceed because we can't yet take it for granted throughout Europe. Of course, there are new countries, which wish to join, and we have to give a positive reply to their bids to join the Union. What I would say to the Members of this House is that when we do, then we will have to together change the rules by which Europe is governed. We need to simplify the rules of the game. So we have already done so to a certain extent and it's time to complete that process.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, So looking today, back in the past, we have to make a commitment to the future. This will be the job, of course, of the incoming Parliament and it is also incumbent on all of us, if we wish, to make sure that we regain the role that Europe ought to be playing in the world. And it is so very important that we are able to project our power in the world. And this is something that we should rightfully celebrate and celebrate what took place 20 years ago.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Romano RRODI, Former President of the European Commission, And I remember what happened. Celebrations on the border between Italy and Slovenia, as in Dublin, when there really was is real sense of openness, true happiness. And as I say, we look to the past but also look to the future. Thank you very much.