Before the debate, EP President Roberta Metsola hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Orpo, followed by a press point. Then Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo speaks to MEPs to outline his vision on Europe’s challenges and future. Thirteen EU heads of state or government have discussed the future of the EU in the plenary in “This is Europe” debates. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

press point

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

EU - Finland (T)

president's agenda

This is Europe Debate (T)

ORPO, Antti Petteri

Press point by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Petteri ORPO, Finnish Prime Minister

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/75323321/1710162914755_I254394Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Good morning to you all. Dear Prime Minister, thank you for coming to Strasbourg, the House of European Democracy, to speak before our Parliament as part of our "This is Europe" debates. Dear Petteri, I am very happy. First of all, I very much thank you for the great visit, that I had last week, in Finland, where I met with members of the Finnish parliament, besides with yourself and the president about the European elections taking place on the 9th of June, in Finland, when Finnish citizens will elect 15 representatives to this House.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And on this point, I will repeat my call that I made in your beautiful capital. Do not take Europe for granted. Do not let somebody else decide for you. Vote and take a stance on the direction that our Union is taking for the five years to come. Finland's upport to Ukraine has been outstanding, including around €2.5 billion in aid, primarily in the form of defence material.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Our unwavering support to Ukraine must continue as long as it takes as it fights for our European values. And I'm sure, Prime Minister, you will hear this in the chamber during our debates today. As a member of NATO, Finland is a security contributor in the northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area against those that want to undermine our values and security. As a member of the European Union, Finland plays a key role in building our defence union that will complement and not compete with NATO.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Finland's external borders are the Union's borders. And we need to make sure that they are protected and we defend Finland's and the EU's territorial integrity. Russia is instrumental using migrants as part of their hybrid operations. We will not tolerate that. And we know that on this, we can count on Finland's resolve. With the Finnish government's proactive approach to the European Union, I am very much looking forward to hearing on the Prime Minister's vision for Finland and for Europe in a few minutes in our hemicycle. Dear Petteri, the floor is yours.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petteri ORPO, Finnish Prime Minister, Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. Dear Roberta, thank you for inviting me here to the Parliament, the European Parliament. It's an honour to be here. And thank you very much for your visit in Finland and your very important messages. And thank you for your leadership within these very difficult times. I want to say that Finland is committed member of the European Union. We are pro Rule of law, we are pro-EU and we are pro-Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petteri ORPO, Finnish Prime Minister, We value the work of Parliament greatly. I have visited here before as a Minister of agriculture, Minister of Interior and Minister of Finance. And I see very important close cooperation between governments and European Parliament. I dare to say that upcoming European Parliament elections are the most important ever. We live in a time where we have a boost our defence capabilities and ramp up our defence industry. All policy sectors are linked to security.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petteri ORPO, Finnish Prime Minister, The European Union has become a real security union as well. At the same time, we rely we have to take care of our economy and our strategic competitiveness. We need to improve our single market and foster innovation. Europe is falling behind and only with a strong economy can we bring prosperity and security to Europeans. And next, I have an honour to hold a speech for the plenary, where I will address these issues and the future of the European Union. Thank you so much for.

Q&As This is on. Good morning, Question on possible EU reforms before an enlargement and on the frugal approach of Finland on EU's common debt.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, So I can start with enlargement. First of all, for this Parliament, enlargement has always been a win-win for the European Union. This year we will celebrate the big enlargement of 2004. 20 years ago, one of which countries which joined then was mine. And I think we can all agree, 20 years later, the transformative effect that enlargement has had on these individual countries and on the European Union. And it is within this spirit that we are working towards, future enlargement waves. As we look to Ukraine, as we look to Moldova, as we look to Georgia, as we look to the Western Balkans.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Each country with its own path, each country with its own realities. But each country which has clearly asked Europe to open its door for them, people who look to the European Union as their home. And our answer cannot be to close the door on them. As we look at that enlargement and our political steps that we take, however, we also need to look at ourselves. What currently works for 27 will not work for 32, will not work for 33, will not work for 35.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The European Parliament on this is clear. We have presented already our proposals for reform, where we see certain ways decisions could be taken, where we see what should be kept, where we make sure, that big country, small countries continue to feel, as equals around the table. And where we also look at how this Parliament, needs to adapt to a potential enlargement scenario. The worst thing we could do is that we proceed with the political decisions without the necessary internal reform one. So we we're very much on track. And as I have, increasingly addressed this in the European Council with the Prime ministers, I will continue to do this as we continue with our work, in the following months.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petteri ORPO, Finnish Prime Minister, Thank you very much for your important questions. First, on enlargement, I very much agree. I think that enlargement is to political necessity for European Union, and we have to work on it very ambitiously. It's it's clear that we have to reform European Union. At the same time we are in the process with new member states, possible member states. They have to be ready to come inside the European Union. And the rule of law is all.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petteri ORPO, Finnish Prime Minister, But we have to at the same time, reform our union, our programmes, our decision making, because it's clear if we like, if we are to take in the future many new members, big countries like Ukraine, we have to reform our decision making and our programmes. We have lot to do, but we have to go forward. And on your next question about new funds, it's true that we still are frugal, but at this moment we are frugal at home because we have to fix our public finances.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petteri ORPO, Finnish Prime Minister, But oday, the security of Europe and help to Ukraine is crucial. And to ramp up our military industry we need money. We need we have to act in every single member state. But at the same time, we need European actions. And and it means that we need also European money but we have to consider very carefully how we do it. Thank you.