During the plenary session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg (02-05 May 2022), MEPs debate the state of the EU with Italian Prime Minister Draghi, and his vision for its future.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

DRAGHI, Mario (IT)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

joint debate

SÉJOURNÉ, Stéphane (Renew, FR)

This is Europe Debate (T)

"This is Europe" - Debate with Mario DRAGHI, Prime Minister of Italy: extracts from the debate

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Title: &quot;This is Europe&quot; - Debate with Mario DRAGHI, Prime Minister of Italy: extracts from the debate (I-224423)

Arrivals of Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister, and Roberta METSOLA, EP President in the emicycle

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Dear colleagues, Prime Minister Draghi is a committed European who, as president of the European Central Bank, already steered the Eurozone out of a crisis that could have seriously undermined our monetary union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Prime Minister, it is largely thanks to your vision, your commitment and your steady hand that we got through. You gave confidence to our people and to our banks, and I have no doubt that we can rely on your expertise. As Europe again faces challenges of a different kind. But are just that are just as existential in nature.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister, The war in Ukraine means that Europe is facing one of the greatest crises in its history its security, humanitarian, energy and economic crisis all rolled into one. We need pragmatic federalism, which embraces all areas struck by the current changes the economy, energy policy, and the security policy.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister, This is the start of a path that will lead to treaty revision. And if that's going to be the case, we should embrace it. Protecting Ukraine means protecting ourselves. It means protecting our security and our project of security and democracy that we've built over 70 years.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister, Europe can and should have a central role in fostering dialogue. On the 9th of May the conference on the Future of Europe will conclude, and the final results suggest that we need to be ambitious. We want to be in the front line of designing this new Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister, Our expenditure on security is around three times Russian expenditure, but there are many, many different systems which this expenditure is spread across. This is inefficient and is an obstacle to the construction of genuine European defence. We need to move forward from the principle of unanimity, which leads to a logic of intra governmental decisions. We need to move towards decisions taken on the basis of a qualified majority.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister, In general, we need to establish an effective European mechanism to manage migration flows, which goes further than the Treaty of Dublin.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister, We supported the sanctions that the European Union has levied on Russia, including those on the energy sector, and we will continue to do that with the same determination in the future. Our proposal would entail using bargaining power to reduce these massive costs that are weighing down our economies.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), EPP Group Leader, For the long run. A good implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Fund gives us on European level arguments for continuing for the continuation of the European solidarity approach. The outcome of the Conference for the Future of Europe is, for us, a motivating starting signal to now go further.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), EPP Group Leader, And that that's why, let me really underline, let me be clear, that I am really happy that EU today is one of the first leaders on the Council side. We are outspoken, were clear that after this conference you are ready for a convention. We need a new power architecture for the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iraxe GARCIA PEREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, Whatever it takes, whatever it takes. And I think this is the same spirit that we have to show now in the face of the challenge faced by Putin to our values and just as was the case ten years ago, the response to this crisis has to be meant more integration and moving away from energy, fossil fuels.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), EPP Group Leader, Obviously, we have we need realistic fiscal policies that Mr. Draghi, especially in the times that we are living through now. And what we need to do is make sure that we do something about those who are making enormous profits at the cost of other people.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stephane SEJEURNE (RE, FR), Renew Group Leader, Italy still needs Europe and Europe still needs Italy, Italy's ideas and talents. Italy is no stranger to the new European consensus, which has been constructive, constructed and heads of state and government in all the EU and the European Parliament are part of all that. Obviously we don't agree on everything, particularly regarding the tools, but objectives as well. Carbon neutrality, fighting inequalities. In the new consensus our group is ready.

Family picture between Italian MEPs and Mario DRAGHI, Italian Prime Minister

"This is Europe" - Debate with Mario DRAGHI, Prime Minister of Italy: extracts from the debate

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