Statement by Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister to introduce the debate on the Future of Europe during the EP Plenary session in Strasbourg.  The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

debate

plenary session

future of the European Union (T)

EU - Italy (T)

CONTE, Giuseppe (IT)

Debate on the Future of Europe: Statement by Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister (17:09 - 17:55)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, President Tajani, Vice-President Katainen, ladies and gentlemen, members of the European Parliament. Ladies and gentlemen. It's a real honor for me to be here today. And I say that sincerely here before you to set out and foreshadow something about Europe's future as seen from the perspective of the Italian government. Thinking about this commitment to the future of our continent I would like to recall Antonio megalitres see with emotion. An Italian who declared himself to be in love with the European Union and who fell as you well know here two months ago in Strasbourg from a barbaric terrorist attack in a globalized world in which the economy seems to. Have taken the upper hand over politics and law and where economic choices made a long way away. Can have an impact on our citizens. We must ask searching questions about. How the European Union is undertaking its role the role it can play.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Take into account that the nation states and the Member States alone are no longer capable of responding to these global challenges. This common European construct as we all know is going through an especially critical phase. The European projects seem to have lost its momentum. The complex history behind us represented by the institutions and the roles and challenges we all have lead us to tackle. Crucially important topics as in the past. Those who preceded us in just as critical a phase we like them must make a joint effort with a full sense of responsibility it's our role to get the European project up and running again. Lending it to cohesion and credibility increasing its sustainability and effectiveness and prospects.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, The challenges we face are new and complex ones and they require vision. And if you'll allow me to say I think they require a touch of creativity. But above all they require awareness of our mission in the world. The major questions that we all must answer are ones of meaning. What Europe do we want what Europe do we need. How do we see ourselves and how do we represent ourselves. These are questions that search our conscience and require the greatest concentration and the most genuine answers because we are here in the European Parliament directly elected by the citizens of the European Union and the repository of European sovereignty. We must above all be a people the people of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Progressive advances in integration have genuinely made us a people a community of destiny above and beyond any legal formalities. And the idea of constructing a European people has gone through significant periods of progress. The history of modern contemporary Europe is marked by deep divisions and contrasts which have gone to forge a degree of popular belonging, languages cultures and traditions. Nonetheless this cross cultural legal cross-fertilization is going on. We've seen areas of sovereignty and we've seen a transfer of powers increasingly from countries to the union. And we've allowed citizens of a number of member states to be able to move freely within the territory of Europe which is conceived as a single legal space free movement of people more than the free movement of goods and capital has been one of the most significant achievements in the process of European integration

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Just thinking in terms of the identity politics that has shaken the continent from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century and the two world conflagrations the Europeans above all the youngest ones do not intend to give up that fundamental freedom to move thanks to which such significant measures. And natural measures are known to past generations has led to them sharing their heritage their culture and their professional activities enriching their national identities within this sensitivity and a sense of belonging together. The process of creating a people of Europe is one that has fed on the legal dimension to which has matured over a period of civilization building in which law has played a great part in forging a common identity and a European demos.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, In that respect the role played by each of us. Each of our institutions including the Court of Justice and the Court of Human Rights has been vital and they've played a very key role in a close relationship with national constitutional courts. That's created a European legal space in which citizens can seek protection and recognition. And this refined and full system provides many levels of human rights. Based on constitutional traditions. This system of legal protection is now one that I would say is written indelibly in the legal heritage of the EU. And that is a great civilizational achievement which needs to be protected and defended precisely because the beneficial effects it has in the collective self perception of European citizens increasing their awareness that they belong to a shared destiny that they belong to a people in the sense of a community belonging in the same productive civilizational process.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Despite all that however we haven't yet succeeded in genuinely and fully becoming a people. We haven't had the courage yet to build up an inclusive model which realistically above and beyond any rhetoric. Really creates a genuine European demos especially when you think back to 1989. I know there are exceptions to this but there was a lack of really political vision for the European Union a long term prospect directed to the future without which any project just runs into the ground and every dream fades away and falls into bread and butter administration and some of the optimism of the postwar period fades away now. Over the last 30 years European governance has been strongly anchored solely in the economic dimension.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, And there hasn't been full rein given to the freedoms. There's been privatisation of essential goods and services. And there has been regulation deregulation and vital economics sectors. There's been a reduction of social support and welfare policies and these have as a whole led to increased inequalities in terms of wealth and opportunity above all with the economic crisis European governance has supported austerity policies geared up entirely to reining in sovereign debt within given parameters and keeping the inflation rate of the common currency as low as possible and even against the back ground of a drop in consumption and that's how devastating social effects. European policy faced with an economic crisis without precedent has withdrawn fearfully.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Into procedure realism and it's progressively lost contact with its people and it's made it harder than ever to make up that distance which isn't a geographic distance between Brussels and the continent's periphery and progressively ineluctably this policy has lost its representative to have justification and there's been a kind of oligarchic system where the real needs of society have been ignored and I've seen this recognized by Anna Geelong. There's been a ceremonial path taken by complex processes which have happened behind the scenes if not in secrecy. And I think this issue with the European people visa , the elites speaks to our conscience.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Politics has failed to do its job in parts of the economy and has failed to see its mission through. And we now face a decisive crossroads in the history of a united Europe and fundamental decisions await us as regards our future. This European people on history's stage is urgently calling to be listened to. Finally to be listened to and there must be a decisive change of method and of outlook. This I believe is a precious opportunity to make up lost time to turn around the process of increasing distance between the governed and the government and the silence and the indifference that there has been or temptations to make less of some of the implosions that we've seen across the world.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, We shouldn't be afraid of conflict. We should have the confidence to govern it and we shouldn't have sterile conservatism. Geared up entirely to defend the besieged citadel. Quite to the country we must look at democracy and see its momentum its ability to break out with new forms of innovation and to drop old securities and come up with models of development and growth that replace the ones that have shown that they're not capable of dealing with the new challenges. And society has been left with loneliness and insecurity and these feelings are ones that come from the neglected and they can feed unpredictability. And we've seen that in what's going on in a number of European countries.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, The European ism of the 21st century will necessarily require radically to rethink. The sort of institutions that have been the hallmark of integration over the last 30 years. They urgently require overhaul and in some respects that means going back to the roots to the founding reasons for the European dream. The Europe that we are imagining and must be capable of generating momentum it shouldn't just stabilize things in the interests of its citizens member states and common interests. Geo politics is in rapid flux and new strategic equal Librium is marked by a great degree of fluidity fluidity and. We need to think in terms of. How certain areas of the world are rapidly increasing their influence and in that connection. No member state alone can play a significant role.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Hence the wish that there should be a united European voice that should be able to speak including in the UN Security Council. That's a fight that the European Union will have to wage in a coordinated way in order to be able to speak with one voice. The European Union needs to be able to speak to the world a European Union that is strong. That is ambition. And that is cohesive is required to enhance its ability to talk to the United States. And as I said my first speech in the European and the Italian parliament we strongly believe in the transatlantic alliance. Together with Washington we need to continue to operate to preserve the strategic values inherent in our relationship and the things that unite us weigh heavily in terms of values and principles.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Compared to any possible disagreement or misunderstanding and one and the same time. A strong European Union is needed in terms of our credibility with the dialogue with key stakeholders in the world. Russia and dialogue. Key players in every international crisis starting with those closest to our borders affecting European interests. The EU will gain nothing by foregoing dialogue with Russia or China or if it believes that it can promote an isolationist stance. As regards them we should promote their engagement at all levels. But how can that be done. How can we achieve a strong Europe. And we all share the need for it. Well certainly we should carry on with integration of European defense.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, We should exploit all the potential within Permanent Structured Cooperation Pascoe and European defence European common defense is not only not at odds with NATO but can be complementary with NATO with the EU capable of making progress providing more security to its citizens. Let us not forget that the European Union which aspires to be a global player cannot forgo close links with the United Kingdom in security and defence. Even after Brexit. But the key prerequisite to guarantee a strong Europe in the world is that above and Bill we must promote solidarity and cohesion. There must be shared responsibility among the member states. Migration and economic and financial governance are too emblematic challenges showing the need to restore trust and solidarity in Europe. And we cannot put it off anymore.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, There must be substantial substantive change of outlook and these principles should not fall prey to the divisive dynamic between the member states on those key issues which should be part and parcel of the daily debate in Europe and bilaterally. In these days we've seen clearly confirmed these these squabbles are not the cause but the effect of a Europe that's incapable of meeting its needs and they cannot take away from the momentum of the European approach in migration. There are delays it's thanks to Italy that migration has been put front and centre of the European agenda

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Europe cannot go on coping with migration on an emergency footing. We need to equip ourselves with a structured approach so that we can have a stable effective system. And on that note too speaking to this august chamber I would direct an appeal that is one I make it every European Council or informal summit that I've attended. We cannot keep putting off full implementation of the Council conclusions from the twenty eighth of June last year without a strategy for managing migration on a multi-level basis we will compromise the very fabric of a united Europe a European strategy for tackling it on a multi-level basis

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Dealing with these causes of the movement is vital. Otherwise we will see our total inability to control onward movements and in the countries where the landings take place in Europe we see many landing in Europe as a whole is the Mediterranean. This principle should always be recollected. We must look at migration in the right perspective. But it's important at the same time that European security is at stake and support for the political process in Libya for the process on the going in Africa and the Middle Eastern chessboard all in play. I think the centrality of the Mediterranean is vital for Europe's future

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, This is borne out by my visits in November to Tunisia and Libya and the conference on the 12th of December last year. And soon I'll be travelling to Morocco to. All this is part of Italy's comprehensive strategy aimed at contributing in a systemic way to these theaters of crisis. And we do that in conjunction with the UN and the EU. And it's not just in the interest of our country but also of Europe as a whole. Europe must look beyond the Mediterranean as well and think in terms of financing for Africa for Africa. Otherwise we will only temporarily staunch the flow of migration. But we will never do more than improve it on the basis of repatriations.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, That must be something that works on a coordinated basis and with development policy where we need key decisions Italian government commitments in Africa are based on that approach. I personally am pursuing it with great conviction. And that's why I went to the Horn of Africa and it's going through its own spring. And I went there. I'll be going there in spring and Niger and Chad as well. And here we must promote a new approach to the problems faced by Africa. There must be a new model of cooperation inspired by a partnership of equals and we must work to improve the opportunities and encourage responsibility on both sides. We cannot remain indifferent to the fact that the majority of the people in Africa men women and children are living in inhuman conditions of poverty.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Despite the substantial natural resources that their homelands have we cannot remain indifferent to the fact that much of the wealth generated by the economy of Africa is is channeled through billions of offshore companies or goes to tax havens or benefits for foreign investors. I am delighted that cooperation with Africa has been recognized by the European Commission itself. And I'd like to thank Jean-Claude Juncker for his conviction in driving forward that objective which is so important for our future our shared future. Recognition of that priority must go hand-in-hand with the allocation of adequate financial resources and the drawing up of new arrangements for intervention

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Europe must commit itself to drawing up a catalogue of best practice so that we can. Find her own a genuinely fair and sustainable model of cooperation. This will help deal with migration. This is important for Europe's future and we have to do that in light of the next day NFF from 2021 to 2027. Europe must equip itself with the infrastructure and finances on a sustainable basis to govern migration from the countries of origin and through the transit countries and the Mediterranean Mediterranean route needs to be given proper attention. Six billion euro has been allocated to Turkey agreement by the EU. The trust fund for Africa of the EU is another way of looking at financing. There's at least half a billion euros missing from the amounts committed.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, We must also look at the internal management of migration and simply shutting down maritime borders with huge levels of spending on thousands of Frontex agents and aid for the countries of landings where countries of first arrival isn't enough. These migratory flows need a joint effort. They cannot be governed on their own. And all 28 member states must be part of this. The proposal to reform the Dublin regulation adopted in November to 2017 by the European Parliament is not sustainable in the current European Union. Sadly the bulk of the member states are not automatically mandatorily showing that solidarity and implementation of the twenty eighth of June Council conclusions which are based on the principles of solidarity and a fair share out of responsibilities which is reflected in Article 18 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union cannot be put off any more

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Faced with human lives which have been abused broken and sold off we must together fight off a fight that shows no quarter to the traffickers. And this is an affront to humanity and a threat to our very security. Let us cease division and nationalist or regional list thinking and let us put in practice genuine solidarity and restore a Europe that respects human lives as well as its own security. The need for a genuinely shared solidarity between member states without dividing the EU into different geographic areas is reflected by the challenge to complete economic and monetary union which is no less of a priority especially at a time of heightened global tension which jeopardizes the economic cycle in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, As recent GDP estimates for member states from the European Commission have shown I hope that Italy and other Southern European member states will call for a better balance in terms of risk sharing and there must be genuine convergence which doesn't leave. Growth behind in order to pursue austerity. The commitment to reform and of course I'm thinking about that launched by the Italian government in the 2019 finance bill has to focus on the social dimension as well as the economic one otherwise. Structural reforms will just become a significant task which will kill off social cohesion in its finance bill. Italy has embarked on a path of growth and stability whilst putting accounts in order.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, We are looking for a better future for citizens who have been left behind and there must be this expectation of change. At the same time the Italian government has tried to encourage public investment by streamlining the legal and regulatory framework and that bears witness to this need to breed dynamism into an economy that plays a vital role in our continent economic governance in the EU must take into account the need to balance stability and growth. Otherwise it will fall short.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, And even the boost from the younger plan to growth will fall short in those circumstances. And that is a concrete sign of Europe's recognition that public intervention is vital to promote investment. But what does this mean to put austerity behind us. We must recognize the need for financial stability. We must commit ourselves to social stability and sustainable development as well. And I'm happy that Jean-Claude Juncker recently has referred to the fact that in the Greek crisis austerity. Was perhaps overdone. Now some of us were convinced right from the beginning and I think perhaps Europe hasn't really reflected on its inability to deal with migration and deal with stability in the past. And I think it's important that for tomorrow Europe more courageously invests in young people in education in innovation.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, And it certainly should not disincentive wise public investment directed at those goals by recognizing it as a deficit issue. It should be seen as breathing fresh life into the future of our continent. Moreover economic progress and sustainable and balanced social development should be seen in the wake of the Maastricht Treaty. Ten years after it entered into force the Lisbon Treaty has goals that are far from being fulfilled. Completing the European architecture is an issue the Commission and the EIB have taken on board some of these concerns. And that's why on the 21st of January the euro group. Building on the summit on the 14th of December last year has set up a working group to deal with the European deposit insurance scheme and the completion of the banking union banking crisis.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, That is an area where we've seen some progress and the high level group is going to be taking on that role. We need to change some of the the instruments that are in place following the banking resolution problems and banking and financial stability in Italy and Europe needs to benefit from that in the Maastricht Treaty is the role of giving sovereign debt credibility was based on a 60 percent debt to GDP ratio for individual member states and that required reforms by national governments. However we've seen in the Italian case that some significant criticisms were made from the financial crisis and the global recession from 2008 on. I think we've seen the need to proceed towards creating common financing instruments at a European level which will allow us together to tackle the challenges we face and that has to marry. Responsibility and solidarity

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, The lack of solidarity in the EU also explains why Europe finds it so hard to be fairer and more social. The new parliamentary term must see us pursuing with more urgency the priority of fighting unemployment and supporting growth. Europe must be courageous in how it deals with that such as a European unemployment insurance. And it must fight against a drift back to nationalism and the lack of work. Unemployment especially youth unemployment in certain disadvantaged areas of Europe is causing people to fall back on nationalism in some areas in particular the areas that are benefiting are trying to insure themselves as these European problems as if they were a cost and disadvantaged areas will not be successful in acquiring the resources they need to make genuine progress a fairer Europe with more solidarity should be our objective for the next multi-annual financial framework as well then.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, The complexity of such negotiations should not see us losing sight of that priority above all against the backdrop of the existential challenges that Europe faces. Therefore it's decisive that we have a proper balance between the new priorities such as migration growth and investment and security and traditional policies such as cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy. We should go on receiving full support as they are central in the socio economic situation of the continent Malta I'll be there. There are many other challenges that we must tackle. We must commit ourselves to promote fairer world trade that is better able to protect consumers

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, We must undertake every useful initiative to fight residents against climate change. We must continue playing a leadership role in protecting older rights and new rights in the digital age bearing mind that rights cost something. I'm thinking of the decisive role in particular that Europe peer Europe can play as a security provider with a view to new hybrid threats and specifically cyber threats. President ladies and gentlemen. I come back to this question about meaning what Europe do we want that I began my speech with. How do we intend to. Guarantee the citizens of Europe a future commensurate with the 60 years of peace and development that the EU has given them. Well my answer is that once again it's the same thing. Europe must be close to its peoples. The European Union in the 21st century must pursue its project from the people for the people

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, And I'm happy to restate here to day in the European Parliament that there must be a heightened role for it. In particular as regards legislative and investigative powers as the only institution that enjoys a direct democratic legitimacy it's also in Portland to recognize that the Parliament should have a heightened role in terms of accountability vis a vis the other EU institutions the European Parliament can play a decisive role. Faced with the call for change which is moving through Europe we've seen. Historic events in the last decade which have changed the balance of the continent geopolitically. At the same time. Direct democracy must be enhanced in Europe too.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, That means a vital move to recover credibility for the institutions in the eyes of their citizens. In the EU. There must be widespread recognition of the disenchantment of their citizens the government. I am honored to chair sees this priority in the desire for change of the citizens of Italy and that hasn't been off it for a long time including at an EU level. And I think that requirement for change needs to be reflected. And that's why we must put in practice those principles. It's enough to think of Brexit an issue which will occupy Europe for the years to come.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, Faced with that challenge the EU has shown it's able to act on the basis of unity and solidarity and to protect the 60 years plus of European integration without giving in to a punitive approach towards a member of the European family that no longer intends to be part of that family. This is epoch making an unprecedented and first and foremost concern has been to protect the rights of citizens and protect the economic and political fabric against the negative effects of Brexit

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, President, ladies and gentlemen, with courage I think we can move on seeing how we've acted according to the treaties resisting the tendency of things to fragment and in my country too. We've seen that people can fall victim to disillusionment if we want Europe to remain our common future then we must follow words with deeds and set the route for a new Europe with more solidarity more inclusion more fairness and ultimately more democracy. The only one in which citizens are today and in the future deserve to live.