During the plenary session (11-14 February 2019) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the Future of Europe with Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister. This is the seventeenth in a series of future of Europe debates between EU heads of state or government and MEPs.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

future of the European Union (T)

EU - Italy (T)

CONTE, Giuseppe (IT)

Future of Europe: extracts from the opening statement by Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, The European projects seem to have lost its momentum.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, 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. 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.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, The key prerequisite to guarantee a strong Europe in the world is that above and beyond 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. There must be a substantial substantive change of outlook and these principles should not fall prey to the divisive dynamic between member states on those key issues which should be part and parcel of the daily debate in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, 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. That must be something that works on a coordinated basis and with development policy where we need key decisions.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, The 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, Cease division and nationalist or regionalist thinking. And let us put in practice genuine solidarity and restore a Europe that respects human lives as well as its own security.

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.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, A fairer Europe with more solidarity should be our objective for the next multi-annual financial framework as well then the complexity of such negotiations should not see us losing sight of that priority.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giuseppe CONTE, Italian Prime Minister, 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.