"The time has come to concentrate on what is really essential to make Europe stronger and more united". Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, president of Portugal, spoke today at the European Parliament gathered in Strasbourg. The Portuguese politician insisted on the priorities of his country, which is currently presiding the EU, first on the list being "the reform of the Treaty to reflect the compromise reached by the European Council in June". He made an appeal to the 27 member states to achieve "the reform by the end of the year". Then, Cavaco Silva lingered for a long time on the "real challenges that worry our citizens", such as economic growth, employment, security, the environment, energy. In this respect, he repeated that solidarity has a major value "as a fundamental pillar of the European integration process". "Solidarity he specified , combined with subsidiarity, is a prerequisite for the future of the EU". Then, the president called for "innovative" solutions to tackle poverty and social exclusion in the old continent, stating that "the best protection against poverty and exclusion is to make it easier for the citizens to have access to the labour market, not least by improving education and training".
