During the plenary session (14-17 January 2019) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs exchange views about the future of Europe with Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister. Statements by Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE) and Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Spain (T)

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

future of the European Union (T)

KELLER, Ska (Greens/EFA, DE)

SANCHEZ, Pedro (ES)

Future of Europe: extracts from the debate with Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister

Arrival of EP President Antonio TAJANI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SANCHEZ

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, I respect it, but I regret the UK's rejection of the withdrawal agreement.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, If Europe is to protect us at this historic juncture we need to protect Europe. We need to build a Europe of rights that will respect the most vulnerable. Protecting Europe means providing impetus for Europe opportunities for our young people and long term unemployed. They wouldn't just generally be people in their 60s. We have people in Spain who are only 45 years old but are still long term unemployed. We have to press ahead with the social Europe that will strengthen our business and industrial fabric while safeguarding labor rights and protecting people from precarious working conditions in the EU.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, To the enemies of Europe I say that our conviction and our determination will overcome authoritarianism.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, Today, I ask in this Chamber that no pro European should let himself be dragged by these forces. I'm turning to you to ask you to remain firm in defending European values you need strength to resist the siren song of authoritarianism as they only have one goal: to destroy Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, I wish to propose the adoption of a binding European gender equality strategy, to fight the gender gap, the higher unemployment rate amongst women, and the high level of precarious working conditions suffered by women.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, Without the reforms we we need to strengthen our single currency, the EU will still be incomplete and exposed to instability.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, The 'Europe of opportunities' has to start in childhood. That's why I want to express my firm support for the idea of a 'Child guarantee', to tackle social exclusion at the earliest stage.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, Our generation, the one that you represent in this parliament, has to embrace the task of protecting Europe so that Europe can protect its citizens. Thank you. Applause.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, There is no protection in protectionism but there is isolation in isolationism and nations left on their own in Europe would not be able to face the many challenges the world is throwing at us. Only a united Europe, only a united Europe can do what its citizens demand and that is protect them and help them shape their futures as independent people, free people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), For the moment you couldn't achieve a constructive and stable majority in your parliament for a budget for 2019. You are representing one of the biggest economies in the European Union, in the eurozone, and such a big economy without a stable budget means less stability and more uncertainty. That's why this cooperation, this sum of the parts of the Spanish parliament are increasing uncertainty in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE), A deal which will make sure that those nationalists will have a say on our future, in the future and the Andalusia, but of course that goes beyond! And I'm very sure that many of you are concerned about that. I'm sure that many of you are not happy about that. But that's exactly a time when you can do that concrete action, when all of us and all our groups have to work for that this does not happen.