Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania gives an opening statement during the "This is Europe" debate to outline his vision on Europe’s challenges and future in Strasbourg. President Iohannis was first elected in December 2014, and is currently serving his second five-year mandate. Opening statements by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and speech by Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania. The transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Romania (T)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

IOHANNIS, Klaus (RO)

president's agenda

This is Europe Debate (T)

"This is Europe" debate: opening statements by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and speech by Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania

SOUDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Dear colleagues. Dear colleagues. We have the President of Romania, Klaus Johannes with us today. Dear President, Dear Klaus, welcome to the European Parliament. Thank you for accepting our invitation to address this House as part of our This is Europe series of debates. 17 years of European Union membership have been transformative for Romania and for Europe. It has given new impetus for businesses, for industry, for science and academia. It has brought reforms and social benefits. It has brought opportunities for people and levelled up communities.

SOUDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, EU membership has meant protection for people's rights, for social justice and the rule of law and in times of geopolitical change. These European values must be defended. Dear president, I would like to particularly thank you for your country's unwavering support for Ukraine and for the Republic of Moldova, particularly now that EU accession negotiations have begun.

SOUDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Thank you to Romania for always being the champion the people of those nations needed. Romania has a special place in my heart. It is a country that has embraced what it means to be European. At the height of the pandemic, Romanian doctors flew to hospitals in other member states to help when we faced devastating natural disasters. Romanian firefighters left their country to run into the flames in the first days of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine.

SOUDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Romanian families rushed to the border to comfort those fleeing. So we also ask them to talk to Romania.Mr. President, yours is a country that has shown how to overcome challenges and how to lead. Europe is stronger thanks to Romania. Thanks to your reinforcement of the EU's eastern flank, and we will be stronger still when you finally take your rightful place in the Schengen area and join the eurozone in the future.

SOUDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And you will find this house on your side. And that journey. Last words. On the night of June, over 19 million Romanians will be called upon to choose the 33 members of the European Parliament elected to represent them. We must work together to make sure people understand why they must vote, why it is important their voice matters for the European Union and Romania's future. And we must keep listening and keep delivering. Dear president,  the floor is yours.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, President of the European Parliament, distinguished Members of the European Parliament. Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honour to me to be here today before you. Thank you, President Metsola, for giving me the opportunity to come back to the heart of European democracy at the beginning of a crucial year for the future of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, Like five years ago, when I spoke before the European Parliament, I'd like to reassert the confidence that me and the Romanian people have in the value of the joint and solidary European action in the undeniable power of one Europe, the effects of the pandemic, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East. These are but a few of the dramatic developments which in recent years have put to the test not just our response capabilities, but also our sincere attachment to the union and to the values and the principles that hold us together.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, Ladies and gentlemen, my country is probably one of the best examples of EU's power to bring about change. Accession has brought us undeniable and most concrete benefits. The European funds received by Romania since the moment of accession have allowed us to carry out essential infrastructure projects. More than 600,000 young Romanian young men and women have participated in the Erasmus programme, thus embracing the European way of life.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, The Union is a space of safety, protection, prosperity and diversity. The European Union is an area of free movement. The elimination in March of air and maritime border checks must be natural and quickly followed by the elimination of land border checks. Only in this manner will be able to have an accurate and concrete reflection of the contribution that Romania brings to strengthening the security of the entire European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, Ladies and gentlemen, the European project needs every day attention, effort, patience and honesty. If we want to live free in a united and prosperous Europe. Today, Romania is a strong promoter of coordinated joint action in the spirit of European values. It is our responsibility to support a Europe that takes forward these principles and values. Also in regard to our friends in the European neighbourhood who have chosen our model of democracy, our model of development.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, And the key moment of this process is represented by the very European elections. The priorities that we shall define together in the aftermath of these elections will come to help us to provide a pragmatic response to the challenges of the present and better prepare us for the challenges of the future. 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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 very worrying developments in the Sahel. All these have a systemic impact on our own security.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, We should build upon this second thinking further and 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. It 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, It means developing sectoral policies such as taking ology, including artificial intelligence, fire 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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's. 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 euro scepticism.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, Its attempts 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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 Erzegovina 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, Romania and I personally have strongly supported and promoted it. I think that it confirms the Union's attractiveness at the time of hardship, strengthen 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 investments in lasting peace, stability and democracy in our neighbourhood.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, '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 trans-Atlantic link. This is crucial for our success. Two last. Questions Do we have the means to achieve our goals and which is the way forward? And what is the future of the Union? The Union has the legal and institutional interim instruments to achieve its goals, and the response to the pandemic and the crisis that followed is illustrative.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, 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 dire circumstances we had to face as a Union. Nevertheless, we have a lot of work ahead of us.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, Our European common construction is, after all, a work in progress. As stated by Jaques Delors, a visionary European leader whom we recently paid homage to. I cite "the European model is in danger if we obliterate the principle of personal responsibility". I close the quote. Therefore, dear colleagues, it is our shared responsibility to do the best for all our citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, We have a special responsibility towards our youth. The future generations are looking towards us with hope and optimism. In times of geo political volatility and socio economic 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.

SOUNDBITE (English), Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania, Five years ago we adopted the Sibiu Declaration the 10 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. Thank you.