European leaders celebrate Europe Day as Charles Michel takes a surprise trip to Odessa to witness a Russian airstrike
The European Union celebrated Europe Day on Monday with the conclusion of the conference on the future of the community bloc. While soldiers and tanks paraded in Moscow, a civil debate was held at the European Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg about the challenges the continent will face in the coming decades. “This shows – said French President, Emanuelle Macron – the two sides of what Russia (violence) and Europe (peace and prosperity) defend. However, this peace must not mean humiliation or revenge against Moscow».
Representatives of the European institutions attended the ceremony, including the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The absence of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who unexpectedly traveled to Odessa during his meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denis Shmigal, and had to take refuge in an anti-aircraft shelter due to a Russian attack, is remarkable.
In Strasbourg, European leaders had a special memory of the late President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, and received the 49 citizens’ proposals and 300 concrete measures included in the report of the Conference on the Future of Europe. In the coming years “the bloc must remain united”, Macron, von der Leyen and Metsola agreed in their respective speeches, but it must also adapt to new situations and “not only grow during crises”.
This was defended by the French president, who favored a reform of the European treaties and suggested that the leaders of the Twenty-seven raise the issue at the June summit. “It will be necessary to reform the lyrics, that’s for sure. We must be able to decide faster and unitedly in times of crisis and also of peace,” he said.
The European Union was created to promote the continent’s prosperity and ensure that no new war breaks out. Russia’s resistance to the Ukrainian invasion, on the other hand, “has shown how fragile democracy is,” Macron said, assuring that peace will only be achieved under the conditions set by Ukraine.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky handed over the second part of Ukraine’s EU accession questionnaire. The European Commission promised to speed up the process, but the French president insisted it “could take years”. For this reason, he proposed the creation of a “European political community” as a space for cooperation between countries that are geographically close to each other and that defend the same values as the EU.
The bloc reaffirmed its support for Kiev in the conflict, and a European Parliament initiative on Monday called for the confiscation of Russian assets to pay for the country’s reconstruction. Through this measure, the main political groups hope that the European Commission will develop a legislative proposal that will allow the assets seized from Russian oligarchs and the more than 300,000 million from the Bank of Russia to be spent on financing Ukraine’s recovery. after the war.
The President of the European Parliament stressed that the conflict at the gates of Europe is “putting our pillars to the test. The world has changed, it is now a more dangerous place and the role of the EU must also change,” he said. The bombs continue to fall on Ukraine and citizens look to the community bloc for support. “We need to put our differences behind us and fight for a strong, free, equal and united Europe.”
First, the pandemic and then the war made clear “European weaknesses” in terms of security, energy dependence, lack of raw materials… These challenges, Metsola stressed, must be tackled in a united way and the disruptive and eurosceptic movements “must meet them.” frontal and do not back down. Those who do not want to create a path of progress are them,” he assured.
The Twenty-seven must also respond to the countries with European aspirations – Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine … – who “look at the EU with hope and passion”.
Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, called for planning and preparation for the future of Europe. “Not moving is going backwards,” he said bluntly. To create a future of peace and progress, the EU will need to respond to the major challenges of the post-pandemic and “use its values to be more independent. All in all, we’ve produced vaccines, revived the economy with Next Generation funds, and that’s the way forward.
The President of the European Commission stressed that the EU is a project “born from the tragedy” of the Second World War. A dream that «more than ever shines in the people of Kharkov, in the citizens who cry in Bucha and in Irpin. Ukrainians are ready to die for that dream,” he said.
European leaders remembered Robert Schuman’s words, which are more relevant than ever, and encourage them to join forces in defense of European peace. As Macron emphasized, “Crises should not distract us from our agenda. We must continue to strive for a fairer, more inclusive, caring and independent Europe.”
Source: La Verdad
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