Live replay of the Debate on State of the Union 2018: Address by Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

state of the Union

state of the Union 2018 (T)

Address by Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC (Part 3) - Debate on State of the Union 2018 (9:01 - 9:12)

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/17992113/I159627_01Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Opening of the session

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Mr President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, At times, history moves forward only haltingly but it is always quick to pass us by. Such is the fate of a Commission with just a five year mandate to make a real difference. This Commission is merely a chapter, a brief moment in the long history of the European Union. But the time has not yet come to pass judgement on the Commission I have the honour of presiding over. This is why I will not today present you with an overview of the last four years' achievements. Instead, I say to you that our efforts will continue unabated. We will keep working to render this imperfect Union that little bit more perfect with each passing day. There is much still to be done. And this is what I want to talk to you about this morning. No self-congratulating, no boasting. Modesty and hard work: this is the attitude the Commission will continue to adopt. This is what is on our agenda for the months to come.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, History can also show up, unannounced, in the life of nations and be slow to leave. Such was the fate of Europe's nations during the Great War starting in 1914. A war which took the sunny, optimistic and peaceful continent of the time by surprise. In 1913, Europeans expected to live a lasting peace. And yet, just a year later, a brutal war broke out amongst brothers, engulfing the continent. I speak of these times not because I believe we are on the brink of another catastrophe. But because Europe is the guardian of peace. We should be thankful we live on a peaceful continent, made possible by the European Union. So let us show the European Union a bit more

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, We should be thankful we live on a peaceful continent, made possible by the European Union. So let us show the European Union a bit more respect. Let us stop dragging its name through the mud and start defending our communal way of life more. We should embrace the kind of patriotism that is used for good, and never against others. We should reject the kind of exaggerated nationalism that projects hate and destroys all in its path. The kind of nationalism that points the finger at others instead of searching for ways to better live together. Living up to Europe's rallying cry &ndash; never again war &ndash; is our eternal duty, our perpetual responsibility. We must all remain vigilant.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, What is the State of the Union today, in 2018? Ten years after Lehman Brothers, Europe has largely turned the page on an economic and financial crisis which came from outside but which cut deep at home. Europe's economy has now grown for 21 consecutive quarters. Jobs have returned, with almost 12 million new jobs created since 2014. 12 million &ndash; that is more jobs than there are people in Belgium. Never have so many men and women &ndash; 239 million people &ndash; been in work in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Youth unemployment is at 14.8%. This is still too high a figure but is the lowest it has been since the year 2000. Investment is back, thanks notably to our European Fund for Strategic Investments, which some &ndash; less and less &ndash; still call the "Juncker Fund". A Fund that has triggered 335 billion euro worth of public and private investment. We are closing in on 400 billion. And then there is Greece: After what can only be described as some very painful years, marked by unprecedented social hardship &ndash; though also by unprecedented solidarity &ndash; Greece successfully exited its programme and is now back on its own two feet. I applaud the people of Greece for their Herculean efforts. Efforts which other Europeans continue to underestimate.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I have always fought for Greece, its dignity, its role in Europe, and its place inside the euro area. Of this I am proud. Europe has also reaffirmed its position as a trade power. Our global trading position is the living proof of the need to share sovereignty. The European Union now has trade agreements with 70 countries around the world, covering 40% of the world's GDP. These agreements &ndash; so often contested but so unjustly &ndash; help us export Europe's high standards for food safety, workers' rights, the environment and consumer rights far beyond our borders. When, amidst dangerous global tensions, I went to Beijing, Tokyo and Washington in the space of one week last July, I was able to speak, as President of the European Commission, on behalf of the world&rsquo;s biggest single market. On behalf of a Union accounting for a fifth of the world&rsquo;s economy. On behalf of a Union willing to stand up for its values and interests. I showed Europe to be an open continent. But not a na&iuml;ve one.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, The strength of a united Europe, both in principle and in practice, gave me the clout I needed to get tangible results for citizens and businesses alike. United, as a Union, Europe is a force to be reckoned with. In Washington, I spoke in Europe's name. For some, the agreement I struck with President Trump came as a surprise. But it should be no surprise that Europe succeeds when it speaks with one voice. 

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, When needed, Europe must act as one.  We proved this when relentlessly defending the Paris Agreement on climate change. We did this because, as Europeans, we want to leave a healthier planet behind for those that follow. I share our Energy Commissioner's conclusions when it comes to our targets for reducing CO2 emissions by 2030. They are both scientifically accurate and politically indispensable. This summer's droughts are a stark reminder &ndash; not only for farmers &ndash; of just how important that work is to safeguard the future for generations of Europeans.