While in Vienna, The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, participates in a Town Hall discussion with young Austrian students. Extracts from the Town Hall discussion. The transcript is the result of an automated process. Please check against delivery

official visit

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

Vienna

president's agenda

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, to Vienna (Austria): Extracts from the Town Hall discussion with young students

General view of the auditorium at Urania educational institute ahead of Town Hall Discussion with Young Students on the Future of Europe

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I said our biggest challenge will be trying to come out of the COVID pandemic, we are still right in the middle of that, the economic recovery that will be needed. The mental health challenges of people who have, as a result, become either economically or socially excluded. And then I said, I hope we would be able to see an agreement on legislation in the digital sphere, AI. On migration. On solidarity. Nothing could have prepared me for the Ukraine war. It happened five weeks, four weeks later. That we were in a situation where from one day to another, everything we did had to change. And that has meant that we made more efforts to be more united. To make sure that the majorities, we are 705 members of the European Parliament all together, are as compact as possible. In sending the strongest of messages in favour of what are our fundamental values?

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, How many of you will definitely vote next year in the European elections? Okay. Good. You know, sometimes I go to countries where less than half put their hands up. Less than half. Sometimes I ask, okay, let me ask a more difficult question. Do all your friends vote? Don't nod can't be. Do all your friends vote? Okay, So I'll give you one more task than. When you leave this room, I want you to convince them. And if they don't want to still, tell me and I'll call them.

Question: In the European Union. Well, there is a movement to the right. We see it in the national elections or in the local elections in Austria. More and more people will become right. And even in the European Union, like the ministers are getting more right. What will the parliament do to ensure that it will be able to keep working and not everything will be blocked by the countries?

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Rather than be afraid of the extremes. I would say fight from the centre. Proudly. And easily. Because if you are proud of your convictions, you can counter any narrative. Just don't run away from it. And don't think that just because you don't counter it, it's not going to grow.

Atmosphere during the Town Hall discussion, 13 shots

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, to Vienna (Austria): Extracts from the Town Hall discussion with young students

Info

Descrizione

People

Tags

Places