Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, participates in the debate on the future of Europe, during the plenary session in Brussels (2-3 May 2018).

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

debate

plenary session

future of the European Union (T)

MICHEL, Charles (BE)

EU - Belgium (T)

Debate on the Future of Europe: extracts from the statement by Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister

Atmosphere ahead the meeting,  views in the hemicycle (5 shots)

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, For us is very important to have the Parliament in centre of the political debate on future of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, Today, in the collective mind's eye, Europe is associated with frightening globalization, austerity, opacity or technocracy. In a few years, the reassuring Europe has become a Europe of crises, a Europe of worries: financial crisis, economic crisis, debt crisis, migration crisis, or Brexit ... The impression of a Europe that suffers, that would have lost control of its future and its destiny.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, Trust is the key to democracy. But now we are confrunted with extremists of all stripes stir fears. They disseminate the venom of simplism and caricature to mount peoples against each other; to encourage, the withdrawal; or to provoke retreats on fundamental values.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, What do we want to do together? How? And with whom ? I want a strong Europe that is based on 27 strong states! Not a Europe that takes care of everything, always and all the time. But a Europe that acts where its surplus value is real.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, Prosperity must be stimulated. We must complete the Banking Union and consolidate Economic and Monetary Union in the euro area. We need to reduce the risk and share it better. One and the other ; with each other. Taxation is a national instrument. But sometimes the outrageous fiscal competition between member states is a brake on the collective well being of the euro zone.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, Ensuring security means guaranteeing the real freedom of every citizen. .  We must also continue efforts to secure our external borders. And we must also bring our security services to cooperate better, to cooperate more to fight against terrorism or to fight against organized crime.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, Sahel, Syria Libya, ... so many conflicts are gravely impacting our future. We need to develop a stronger geopolitical ambition to promote our values ​​and defend our interests in the short to medium term.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, We want a real European defense within NATO, and PESCO and the European Defense Fund are the right instruments to make progress. Our operational capability must serve our geopolitical values ​​and interests. &lt;Note to the Editors : The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is the part of the European Union's (EU) Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)&gt;

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, Belgian Prime Minister, Belgium has long been ambitious to implement a migration policy that combines humanity and firmness. We are fighting illegal migration. This feeds criminal networks and leads to human tragedies unworthy of our century. But should not we also develop a system of legal and organized migration? Sooner or later, we will not avoid this debate.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I&rsquo;m satisfied to see Belgium taking part on the investment plan called &lsquo;Juncker Plan&rsquo; at the time. Until now, Belgium mobilised 6 up to 8 billion investment in both north and south part of the Kingdom. So I&rsquo;m very satisfied buy the Belgian answer to the European investment plan.