Egīls LEVITS, President of Latvia, is addressing MEPs at a formal sitting. He focuses on Russia’s war against Ukraine, Russia’s responsibility for crimes committed under international law, the EU’s continued support for Ukraine as well as strengthening democracy in the face of current threats. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

formal sitting

EU - Latvia (T)

LEVITS, Egils (LV)

Formal sitting: address by Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Introduction to the speech of Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia,

SOUNDBITE (Latvian), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Honourable President of the European Parliament. Honourable members of the European Parliament. First of all, in the name of the people of Latvia, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the friends and families of those who tragically perished in the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

SOUNDBITE (Latvian), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, It is only right that a European Union shows solidarity in this situation. Ladies and gentlemen, the European Parliament is the political heart of Europe. It is here that the diverse interests, thoughts and opinions of the citizens of European Union meet. It is here that the public opinion of that 450 million of the European citizens is shaped.

SOUNDBITE (Latvian), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Europe has to show its has to make sure that its economic, intellectual and cultural potential is used so that all 450 million of us. Can shape and live our lives according to our values and so that we could achieve our goals.

SOUNDBITE (French), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, This is firstly linked to a person's nationality, society, culture and language. They have the responsibility of democracy and solidarity. First and foremost policies come from the state. Nevertheless, citizens of the European Union have more than that, being a citizen of the European Union means not only thinking about your country, but also the European Union. It's a twofold duty.

SOUNDBITE (French), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, That also therefore means that European citizens need to have a focus on the European Union as a whole, not only on their country, but the European Union as a whole. It is up to all of us, European citizens and also political representatives, to move from a national point of view to looking at things at a in a supranational manner.

SOUNDBITE (German), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Ladies and gentlemen. This is something we still need to work on. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Europe grew together. Artificial borders were done away with on a step by step basis. But the borders of consciousness, of our awareness of a European society, these borders still exist. European history has for too long been seen as the history of just Western Europe and this provincialism, when it comes to looking at Europe as a whole, prevents us from achieving our goals.

SOUNDBITE (German), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, The full history of Europe is a history in which all European nations can recognise themselves and the historical experience. Europe today has no centre and no periphery. Europe is in Riga, Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, Bucharest and Brussels. All these places have a role in shaping Europe. In all European countries and all European capitals also in Oslo, Berlin, London and also in Kiev.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Honourable members, we need a common understanding of European history where there is a place where the historical experience of all the European nations. We need to consolidate a common point of view from which the whole of Europe, from north to south, from east to west, can be seen. And from which the world, Europe's place in it is clear so that we can define what Europe wants to achieve globally.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Over 20 years ago, the German political philosopher Jürgen Habermas identified the lack of a common European public opinion and appear authentic as one as the European Union's biggest problem. Since then, I believe that things have somewhat improved. The common European public opinion has acquired greater significance in the minds of citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Crises such as COVID 19 pandemic and Russia's aggression towards Ukraine have also contributed to our common consciousness of us as Europeans. This is a basis of Europe for the ability to act. The European Parliament is that unique democratically legitimised European forum. I therefore call on your honourable members to play a more active role in shaping the common European public opinion.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, This does not mean merely advancing national, economic or other interests in a fierce battle for compromise. In the parliamentary debates and decisions, you need to achieve a European vision that is qualitatively more advanced than just agreeing on a price. EU solutions must be truly European. Such solutions must equally incorporate the national and historical experiences and actual equitable interests of all Member States. They must synthesise that into a new quality. That is, that's the European citizens expect from you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, To represent the whole European Union, We need to understand its member states better. And for example, only a very small number of EU members of the European Parliament have ever been in Latvia. Let me therefore today encourage you to visit Latvia and get to know us better.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, When thinking about European solutions, we need to be clear about the European foundations. Our shared values, our common European legal system are precisely that distinguishes the European Union from all other international organisations, from all of our international platforms. Our values and legal system make Europe and our common way of life, European way of life attractive for us and attractive for others.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Values such as democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights. Their source of the strength of the European Union. The member states of the European Union have, in principle, stable, consolidated democracies. However, we face serious challenges. The most obvious challenge is a desire to limit the rule of law on the basis of populist arguments about the will of the people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, A modern constitutional democracy is based on a carefully balanced system. On the one hand, you have a democratically legitimised parliaments and governments, on the other, an independent, professionally legitimised judiciary. The democratic process itself, free elections and political freedoms, the very core of the European Union's political identity can only be guaranteed by such a system of checks and balances. I say this is my 24 years of experience as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights and as the Court of Justice of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, The upsetting of this balance, which the proponents of constitutional populism are seeking to achieve may ultimately lead to the weakening or even the complete loss of democracy itself. Europe is united in diversity. Member states are diverse in issues of national identity, officials of culture, language, traditions, social sphere. And so it should remain. Here Europe must not interfere. Here Diversity is Europe's strength.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, However, the principles of rule of law must be the same everywhere. Here Diversity is still admissible only in the concrete manifestations of these principles. The European legal system is based on mutual trust that the same principles apply in all member States in the same way without exceptions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, If there is a problem of rule of law in one member state, it affects the entire European Union. In some cases, these populist tendencies have already led to disputes that are now difficult to unravel in a purely legal way. In order to avoid an impasse here, we could find a political solution that would cut this Gordian knot. This would give the involved parties an opportunity to start afresh. But in any case, the rule of law in Europe must not be weakened.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Honourable members. Democracy and the rule of law, who are under threat not only from within. Today, it is also threatened by Russia's aggressive ideology, which is behind said attack on Ukraine, a sovereign, democratic European country. The authoritarian Russian regime has gone back 200 years and is thinking it has to regress to the imperialist, colonialist and the racist ideology of the 19th century.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, As a German example shows, renouncing an aggressive, toxic ideology requires a huge collective effort. And it takes a long time, but it can be done. Until Russian society evaluates, our country, condemns and clearly denounces this ideology, we have to reckon with Russia as an aggressive state.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Let's say romantic notions of the broader Russian soul remain to the lullabies of literature. This cannot be a leitmotif for politicians who are responsible for Europe's security, for Europe's future. We must also acknowledge enormous mistake, a naivete of moving purposefully towards dependence of Russian energy resources.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, And she also it would be also good to reflect on how such a mistake was even possible, despite our warnings. Certainly say Putin fat stare and think tanks and policymaking circles had to at all, as did the business interests. But in future, Europe and the West as a whole must not longer make such strategic mistakes.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Therefore, they need to be realistic about Russia. The effective strategy towards Russia aggressive Russia is deterrence through credible defence capacities in all areas. If we do not want to betray the values on which the European Union is founded, and if we do not want to lose our credibility in the eyes of the future generations, then Europe must be on the right side of the history.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, That means on this side of Ukraine. This war must end with the victory of Ukraine. Russia stopped as the war. Russia must end it now and withdraw from Ukraine. The European Union and its member states have provided significant support to Ukraine. And I am proud that Latvia is currently among the top providers of aid to Ukraine in terms of GDP per capita. Not only the government but also local authorities and the vast number of individuals sent that help they can.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Certainly. But Ukraine needs most urgently now is military equipment, its weapons to win the war, but it also needs justice and it needs a future in Europe. And that's what Ukraine needs. We all need. First, some thoughts about law and justice. The charter of the United Nations prohibits aggressive war. Without this prohibition, the world would fall back into belligerent anarchy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Therefore, the waging of a war of aggression against another sovereign state is the greatest possible crime in modern international law. For the first time since the Second World War, they are experiencing a war of aggression in Europe. International law must therefore respond. There must be a special tribunal to try this crime of aggression. This is not only necessary for the sake of justice for Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, It is necessary in order not to undermine the standard of international law that has been achieved since the Second World War. To make it absolutely clear that the verging of a war of aggression is a crime and that responsible will be brought to justice. None of us wants to live in a world where aggressive law would be a norm.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, However, at the moment, neither the International Criminal Court nor any other international mechanism can exercise jurisdiction over this crime of aggression. Therefore, it is necessary to create a special tribunal to try and assess aggression against Ukraine. This has already been done in the cases of Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and other cases.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Each case has been different. But however, the international community has been creative and has found a way to set up such tribunals. This is the more necessary in case of Russia, because, as I said, we are talking about the most serious international crime. In any case, legally, it is possible. All that is needed is political will.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, Latvia was one of the first countries to encourage the creation of such a tribunal last year, shortly after the outbreak of the war. Now, this proposal has already received quite broad support. I would particularly like to thank you, honourable Members, for your resolution of the 19th of January this year, where you expressed your firm support for the creation of such a tribunal by an overwhelming majority, I think 470 against 19.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, At the EU Ukraine summit on the 3rd of February, the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that the European Union would establish an international centre for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine, which would begin to collect evidence. This is already the first practical step towards the creation of such a tribunal. The harder political and legal roadmap and details remain to be worked out.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, In any case, Europe must be consistent and ensure that this crime of aggression can be tried in an international court. The use of frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine must also be ensured. This applies not only to the assets of the oligarchs close to the regime, but in particular to the assets of the central Bank of Russia.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, The US, Canada and the United Kingdom have already done some preliminary work here. Again, although complicated, it is legally possible. What is needed is political will, and I am confident that the European Union will find this political will.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, In conclusion, Madam President, last Thursday you rightly said to President Zelensky here in the European Parliament, Ukraine is Europe and your nation's future is in the European Union. Of course, we see how difficult this path will be for Ukraine, but we also see the determination and courage of those Ukrainians.

SOUNDBITE (English), Egils LEVITS, President of Latvia, For us, it is much, much less less demanding to be courageous. They have to make the right decision. This is a historical decision that we might have only one chance to make. The Ukrainian people have decided. Now it is our turn. Thank you.