Politics
(Brussels) “Europe is a success story when it embodies a dream of progress, prosperity, freedom and peace. I don’t think the Europeans don’t want to dream any more. It is up to us, now, to change the image of an abstract, ineffective, bureaucratic Europe. Rekindle their passion by recreating that feeling of belonging to a great project. It is the best legacy we can leave to the future generations”. In the afternoon, the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, gave a speech at the meeting of the heads of state and government gathered in Brussels for the European Council. He spoke at length of a “more competitive” Europe as well as of measures against unemployment, free trade. “The European institutions must speed up the completion of the great building site that is the single market; the member states must implement the reforms they need to grow”. As to defence: “Now more than ever, we are called to a greater sense of joint responsibility for the security and defence of the Europeans. The EU Parliament supports the accomplishment of a European defence industry and market to make the most of economies of scale and promote interoperability and joint research”. As to immigration, Tajani stated: “We cannot let people smugglers or terrorists manage the flows of migrants. A determined European political initiative is required, not only to upgrade border control but also to deal with the problem at the source. To ease and speed up repatriations and decrease migratory pressure, we need a sound political, parliamentary, economic and cultural diplomacy”. “If we really want to handle an epoch-marking phenomenon that stems from population growth, climate change, terrorism, war and poverty, we must have a shared strategy. Our efforts on the countries along the southern Mediterranean coast and sub-Saharan Africa – especially Sahel – must be intensified”. Then, Tajani congratulated Donald Tusk on having been confirmed president of the European Council for the next two and half years. Then, at the press conference, one last appeal “to revive Europe”, “the hope of 500 million European citizens”.
