EP President Roberta METSOLA participates to the 17-18 April special European Council. EU heads of state or government discuss the new European competitiveness deal to securing our prosperity and global leadership; the urgency of intensifying EU delivery of military assistance to Ukraine, notably air defence capabilities; the commitment to work with partners to end the crisis in Gaza with an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, as well as an urgent increase of unimpeded humanitarian aid; and developing a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Türkiye. This news item shows extracts from Metsola's arrival and roundtable with the European leaders.

Brussels

statement

meeting

press conference

MACRON, Emmanuel (FR)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

RUTTE, Mark

DE CROO, Alexander (BE)

SANCHEZ, Pedro (ES)

FRIEDEN, Luc (LU)

MITSOTAKIS, Kyriakos (EL)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

president's agenda

special meeting of the European Council 17-18 April 2024 (T)

Roberta METSOLA, EP President at the Special European Council meeting: arrival, roundtable

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We talk a lot about Energy Union, Defence Union, Capital Markets Union, Health Union. Our messages, let's not forget that what we really need is the European Union and the single market that works for all in every single Member States. And we thank very much, former Prime Minister Enrico Letta for the report, which we will study intensively and which we have worked with him a lot in preparation of this report.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Secondly, on Ukraine, we cannot let up. The Ukrainians need more air defence, they need more ammunition. We need to be faster in procuring equipment for them to defend themselves. We cannot let up. They are asking us for help. We need to continue to be ready to give this help.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, On the Middle East, after the unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel, the challenge now is how to de-escalate. At the same time, we will continue to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the hostages in order for us to allow for the much needed humanitarian aid to go through, as is really needed by the population, that is starving and in need in Gaza.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And finally, on elections, since this will be the last European Council before the elections, I will end my conversation with the Prime Ministers and Heads of State with an appeal for them to work with this campaign with us. As we have travelled from one Member State to another, encouraging as many people as possible, especially young voters, to participate in what will be the largest multinational democratic exercise that this world has ever seen. Looking very much forward to seeing it.

Cutaways, roundtable with Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Mark RUTTE, Pedro SANCHEZ, Luc FRIEDEN, Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS, Emmanuel MACRON, Olaf SCHOLZ, Mark RUTTE, Alexander DE CROO, Ursula Von der LEYEN. (19 shots)