Live replay of the Formal sitting on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall during the plenary session in the European Parliament in Brussels (13-14 November 2019). Introductory speech by David SASSOLI, EP President The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Brussels

plenary session

EU - Germany (T)

formal sitting

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

anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (T)

Formal sitting - 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall: Introductory speech by David SASSOLI, EP President

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: Dear colleagues, allow me to greet the previous Presidents of parliament, my predecessors who are here with me with us today, Presidents Enrique Baron Crespo, who was in office the day the Berlin Wall came down.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: Thirty years ago, Germany and Europe were living one of the most important and significant pages of their recent history. After decades of suffering, the open wound of the division of Germany and Europe was to be gradually closed, thanks to the crumbling of its most evident and doubtful symbol. The wall came down thanks to the efforts of thousands of men and women who were very keen to regain their dignity and their freedom.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: After years of being, of deprivation, of being deprived of their fundamental rights, the success of that night was the result was the fruit of the determination of millions of European citizens in Eastern Europe who very peacefully without any violence.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: But just with the strength of their their reason, their thoughts were able to free themselves from the deprivation which they'd been under. And I would like to pay tribute to those Europeans.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: Hundreds of thousands of German citizens were to express their joy that day on both sides. Thousands of young people had arrived from all over Europe to share the incredible enthusiasm of those hours.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: I was one of those young people, along with many of you here, perhaps. And I remember the incredible happiness, the hugging, the tears, the incredible the gaze of all those involved. They could those who were in power could see their power crumbling with the war. And I can remember that we were all aware of the fact that we were living a an incredible moment in history.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: Finally, a page was being turned and we were moving on from a dark period which had been dominated by a personality. And we were now moving on towards a better time. And now, 30 years down the road, that enthusiasm has not been betrayed. The Europe we're living in today is a better Europe. And it is better thanks to the European Union and what it was able to achieve.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: European democracy, the values, the principles on which it is based are unfortunately not irreversible, which is why it is important for us to be engaged to. To commit to defending these values. And this is a struggle which must go on every days and must be a ceaseless struggle.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: Those incredible days in Berlin should not lead us to not be concerned by the incredible upsurge which we are witnessing nowadays. It is we are really in credibly surprised to see that anti-Semitism is appearing once again in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: There have been many episodes, unfortunately, in recent history. And I think and I think we all think of what happened in [...] just a few weeks ago, where the Jewish cemetery, for instance, [...] in Denmark was desigrated. In Italy, we have a senator, Liliana Segre, who's been a victim of this upsurge of anti-Semitism. It's the fruit of the upsurge in nationalism, xenophobia, racism, everything which is different from us.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: The refusal of anything which is different. This is also part of the culture of the air of terrorism, which is threatening Europe and the entire world. Today, indeed, is the anniversary of the. Tragic events, which events which took place at the Bataclan. This is part of our history, the history which we have lived through and 130 victims lost their lives on that evening and the threats to our values are coming from outside as well.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: We have to deal with interference everyday of those who wish to call into question our security, our values as European citizens. Which is why we must be united to counteract these attacks, to strengthen our union and to make sure that our borders are safe. We must fight against these threats with determination, with unity.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: If we are to respect what happened that night in Berlin when that wall came down, I believe that this is a battle we can win only if we stick together. And we must do that and oppose with all our might those who wish to distort history and who try to give simple replies to complicated problems, who mix, who would try to confuse the pride which we have for our own country and for Europe, with a denigration of others and disdain of others.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: We often wonder how is it possible for European citizens not to remember the the history, the lessons learnt from our history? A history which is full of glorious pages, but also horrors such as the ones which I have just mentioned. And the answer I come up with is that we must insist on knowledge and on our memory.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: And here I turn to the younger members of our society who perhaps did not learn experience this personally, but who learnt about it. Thanks to reading books or on the internet. And I would like to turn to them because they are the people which we are placing our hopes in and we wish to contribute to this challenge here today.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,: We're doing this with the speaker of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schauble, with we have the honour of hosting here today that he would remind us what happened in Berlin 30 years ago. You have the floor, Mr. Speaker.