Leading up to the European Parliament elections in June 2024, Metsola intends to tour all EU Member States, urging citizens to participate in the voting process. Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, and Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, hold a press point and speak to the press at the end of their meeting during her official visit to Czechia. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

press point

official visit

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

EU - Czechia (T)

Czechia

Prague

president's agenda

FIALA, Petr (CZ)

Press point by Roberta METSOLA EP President and Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'm really happy that I had the chance to welcome the President of the European Parliament, Madam Roberta Metsola. Of course, we do have a chance to see each other quite often at various meetings of the European Council, for example, or at other occasions. And this is not her first visit to the Czech Republic either. She has become a regular guest to our country, which is good for our mutual dialogue.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, Her visit today is specific. First of all, because we're heading close to the European Parliament elections and the President of the European Parliament of course, visits individual member states, which I consider very right. So her visit here is a part of that round around the member states. But she's also here because we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic's joining the EU.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, So we're generally having various discussions in terms of what our membership in the EU brought to our citizens, what benefits, what positive things and so forth. We've talked about various issues with Madam President. We discussed topical issues, but also long term agendas. And I'm always grateful that we can have a very open, friendly and to the point discussion with Madam President.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, And I think that we're on the same wavelength. We want the European politics to be developing in a useful direction so that the policies help individual member states. But also these are policies that will be accepted in individual member states and the citizens in those states will understand it. It will be comprehensible for them. So we have to strive to take steps that people will understand and appreciate.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, We talked about various issues that we hear about generally on the European level in various debates. I mentioned that the Czech Republic is not very much supporting the deep debates about the changes in the European bodies. I think that we should be, if we make such changes, we should sort it out very well and look at the specificities of individual member states.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, When it comes to strategic priorities for the European Union, we talked about that as well as things like competitiveness and how to maintain our economic growth, how to become more competitive in relation to other regions globally. That's a big topic as well, as well as security. Be it internal security or external security relating to migration. And that's also a big topic for us.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, And of course we could not omit the most topical issue at this moment, and those are of farmers protests practically across the whole of Europe. We are aware of the fact that we have to decrease the paperwork, the bureaucracy that farmers are facing. We have to come up with meaningful and reasonable requirements on farmers when it comes to protection of the nature. And of course the Czech Republic is ready to participate in the search for such solutions. And and we'll talk about it also at the next European Council, and we'll be mentioning it also in other European institutions.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, So it's an important topic for all of us. And the European Commission came with its first reaction. We know that we have to continue discussing all these things with the farmers. They have to be engaged in the dialogue and we have to find the right way out of this situation.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, The last thing I would like to mention, a positive thing. Of course, we do our best to have our people, our representatives in the European institutions, to have them in the European institutions. We want to be represented. Of course, it wasn't exactly what we expected it to be in the recent years, but I must say that in the recent months the situation is getting better and I'm happy to see that. Our people, the Czech people, are getting higher and higher positions and the European institutions, which of course contributes to the fact that the institutions are better and better accepted by the Czech population.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, For example, the DG Legislation, we have a Czech representative there, Labour Bajaj, who is heading one of the sections. We also have a head of the interpretation services. Even all of our challenge is from the Czech Republic as well. I could mention other names as well about I've mentioned these two, because they relate to the work of the European Parliament and we're happy that we have a higher representation. Okay, thank you. And let me pass the floor to Roberta Metsola. Madam President.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Good afternoon. Let me start by saying that I am delighted to be here today in Prague. I am currently, as the Prime Minister just said, visiting Member States in order to increase awareness about the European elections and to encourage Europeans, particularly young people, to vote. I'm here to listen to Czech people's expectations and to discuss with them. Because the next European Parliament will be called upon to take key decisions on topics that have an impact on every citizen's lives.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Dear Prime Minister Petr. In addition to the elections, we focussed our talks today also around Ukraine and the need for the European Union to stay strong and principled in our support for as long as it takes. I am grateful for your leadership, your dedication and your commitment, which has been a formidable and unshakeable.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, From a European Parliament's perspective, ukrainian security is also European security, and Russia's war against Ukraine was really a wake up call. We need to strengthen our defence capability. It's not only Ukraine under Russian attack, but this war is a threat to our rules based international order. And Ukrainians today are fighting for our values and our principles, too.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, In fact, the European Union has has reacted with unprecedented unity since the beginning of the aggression. We have adopted 12 packages of sanctions. And as the 13th package is being prepared, we also need to be true to ourselves that circle venting sanctions should have consequences. I would also therefore like to commend the Czech Republic for having sent nearly €250 million of military aid to Ukraine. And thank you for hosting the most Ukrainian refugees per capita in the European Union. And that is something that we all need to recognise in in all our debates and understanding of how big a role the Czech Republic has played.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The Prime Minister and I also spoke about the challenges facing Czech and other European citizens. In all my discussions so far with the young people and politicians, and I have no doubt the same will happen in the next few minutes when I meet with Czech young people. I make a point to be proud of Europe's successes, and we've had a few, but also to be honest about where we can do better, about where we may have gone too far too fast, and how we can address some frustrations of people with our processes. And to me, the answer to that is dialogue. It is discussing. It is convincing people to vote next June and looking forward as to how we will address migration, security, agricultural sectors, concerns and a future legislation that will be put on our table.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Final word Czech Republic Will commemorates 20 years of EU membership in May, just a week before the European Parliament elections. This will be an ideal time to reflect on the benefits of European integration and assess two decades of European collaboration. It will be time to speak up for Europe to encourage people to vote because we both as institutions and here I represent the European Parliament, but also as politicians, we cannot give up. Together with media, academia, businesses and civil society, we all have a shared responsibility for this.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Because if there's one thing we can only all agree on is that the European Union has helped transform the Czech Republic, but also the Czech Republic has transformed the European Union. So people can't take Europe for granted. If you believe that Europe has changed your life, then vote because Europe is important and Europe deserves to hear your voice and the direction it will take over the next five years. Thank you.

Q&A, Questions on how to increase the turnout rate in the Czech Republic and on next steps on farmers protests.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Petr FIALA, Czech Prime Minister, -