During the plenary session of the European Parliament (14-18 December 2020), David SASSOLI, EP President pays a tribute to Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former President of the French Republic and President of the Convention on the Future of Europe, followed by a minute of silence, in Strasbourg. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

minute of silence

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

David SASSOLI, EP President pays a tribute to Valery Giscard d'Estaing: minute of silence

SOUNDBITE (English), David SASSOLI, EP President, No one alone would be able to respond to the challenges we face. We recall at this time of farseeing man, a man that gave a great deal to the European Union and its institutions, former President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who left us on the 2nd of December and with his passing, we lost a friend and a passionate pro-European.

SOUNDBITE (English), David SASSOLI, EP President, In his memoirs, he wrote. It was a source of intense satisfaction to him to be able to contribute to the construction of Europe and his contribution is part of our reality, a European Parliament elected by universal suffrage.

SOUNDBITE (English), David SASSOLI, EP President, The creation in 1979 of the European monetary system. Which 20 years later led to the single currency, our euro. The establishment of regular European Council meetings like the one that took place last week and which ended up approving an important response to this crisis.

SOUNDBITE (English), David SASSOLI, EP President, His conviction convictions made him work tirelessly for a more democratic Europe, a Europe that was closer to its citizens. And led him to lead the convention, which proposed a new European constitution, he firmly believed in a project that would be as balanced as possible.

SOUNDBITE (English), David SASSOLI, EP President, And as Jean Monnet said, an inspiration for him. Europe seemed a natural step to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. And it's also because of that, that the European Parliament must pay tribute to the president who was a member of this Parliament from 1989 to 1993.

SOUNDBITE (English), David SASSOLI, EP President, We'll be meeting here in this hemicycle in Strasbourg on the 2nd of February on his birthday to honour and remember him and in the ceremony we'll be taking part President Macron and other Heads of state and government.

SOUNDBITE (English), I ask you to join me for a minute's silence in memory of Valery Giscard d'Estaing. Thank you.