MEPs present their demands and expectations one day ahead of the EU summit on 14-15 December. At their meeting in Brussels, heads of state or government focus on the latest developments in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and continued EU support for the country and its people, on the situation in the Middle East and on EU enlargement policy, including the stabilisation and association process. They also discuss the EU’s long-term 2021-2027 budget with a view to reaching an agreement, security and defense issues as well as external relations.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

LAMBERTS, Philippe (Greens/EFA, BE)

IN 'T VELD, Sophia (Renew, NL)

MUREŞAN, Siegfried (EPP, RO)

MARQUES, Pedro (S&D, PT)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

NAVARRO, Robert (PSE, FR)

European Council meeting 14-15 December 2023 (T)

Preparation of the European Council (14-15/12): extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Leaders will address Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Enlargement and revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework. Security and defense will also be on the agenda, as will the latest events in the Middle East.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Because of the member states financial and military aid, bcause of this Parliament's unwavering support, you have empowered Ukraine's resistance and you have kept hope alive. Now a new winter of struggle approaches for Ukraine. We have a duty to be clear eyed about what we have achieved so far and what lies ahead.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, EC President, We must prove what it means to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. Ukraine is not only fighting against the invader, but for Europe. And joining our family will be Ukraine's ultimate victory. And for this, we have a decisive role to play. Ukraine is making great strides to pass the reforms that will lead to our Union. Our enlargement report from last month showed clear progress on all steps that we had identified. Over 90% of those reforms had been completed at that time.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, EC President, When we shaped the current EU budget in 2020, no one could predict an all out war on European soil. Its shockwaves have spread well beyond Ukraine. The union budget had to deal with an energy crisis. With a global food crisis, with the arrival of millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's bombs. And all of this against a backdrop of rising prices and interest rates. The new union must be able to finance its priorities with its own resources. This has been a longstanding plea of this Parliament, a plea that I fully support, and Europe must have the financial firepower to deliver on the historic tasks of this decade and of the next one.

SOUNDBITE (English), Siegfried MUREŞAN (EPP, RO), This revision is important to provide support to Ukraine to better protect our borders, to manage migration, to strengthen our economy and make it more competitive and indeed to support Ukraine. This revision is also important to create reserves for unforeseen developments if anything unexpected happens until 2027, the Union to be able to support people in case of need.

SOUNDBITE (French), Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE) , The decisions that the 27 heads of State and government of the European Union are going to decide on in Brussels will affect us all. Just imagine what might happen in the future. Just imagine that they don't reach an agreement to start negotiations for an exact accession for Ukraine and this country, which is paying with its own blood to build a future. Values that our Union is built on. Imagine giving in to this delirious obsession of religious fundamentalists to zero deficit when they mutually condemned to have this permanent budgetary austerity and with it European Union, to which they themselves don't stop providing ever more tasks. So imagine that vain search for unanimity by abandoning the fundamental principles on the rule of law and democracy to the profit of those within their midst, to autocrats and corrupt.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), The European Council is actually the biggest brake on the development of the European Union. Let's start with enlargement. Enlargement is urgent. It is a political strategic imperative and not a technocratic tick box exercise that is going to take a generation. We need enlargement as quickly as possible.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pedro MARQUES, (S&D, PT), European citizens were promised by you a geopolitical union. Ukrainian citizens were promised unconditional support for their effort to just stop Russia. Today, both promises risk not being a long lasting reality as the USA discusses openly the withdrawal of support to Ukraine. The EU is also fighting over the budget and hasn't yet does respond to decide decisively. You can count on us for good. The revision of the EU budget and the decisive opening of the negotiations with Ukraine is what we want to hear tomorrow from the European Council.