Your Excellency
Mr President
of the Hellenic Republic,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me start by expressing my thanks to the President and the members of YPO to address this distinguished audience.
This event is taking place in the midst of a large scale economic, social and humanitarian crisis.
The thoughts I am going to share with you tonight, are about the European Union’s perspectives, under the pressure of this unprecedented situation, which 70 years after the creation of the European Union is putting at stake the European project.
The First question, is whether we can revive the spirit and the dream of its founding fathers.
A dream that has started vanishing.
Dear friends,
In Europe today, external threats and internal fragmentation are making our Union more fragile.
Referring to security and given the escalation of terrorism all around the world, it is more than necessary within and outside of Europe to strengthen our cooperation, exchange intelligence and trust each other.
The European Union in view of all these security challenges remains fragmented.
And fragmentation makes us vulnerable.
The answer is our initiative to move towards the creation of the European Security Union and strengthen our cooperation with the global community.
Because terrorism does not recognize borders.
And very rightfully citizens demand safety and security.
Following UK referendum, the EU finds itself in an “existential crisis”.
But Brexit is the symptom of a much larger crisis.
A crisis that is putting in doubt the fundamental values upon which the European Union was built,
– mainly humanity,
– respect for human rights and
– human dignity. But most importantly
– life itself.
This why the Commission, as a political and executive body of the Union, is invited –we are invited- to assume our responsibilities and address these challenging issues successfully.
Most of us here today are part of a generation that has never known war.
Born with and in the European Union, in an environment of democracy, peace, stability.
Let me tell you that: one of the threats to the EU today is that we take it for granted.
Envisaged in the aftermath of the Second World War by the Fathers of Europe, Schuman, Monnet, Spinelli, and promoted by emblematic European leaders such as Adenauer and Churchill, the common European project has grown dramatically, from the European Economic Communities, to today’s European Union.
It is the most ambitious and democratic project in the history of humankind.
It gave a definite end to longstanding wars, rivalries and conflicts.
It established peace and provided prosperity and social welfare.
The European Union has been founded on common principles, values and rules: Democracy, rule of law, solidarity, responsibility, respect of human rights.
However, today the common European endeavor seems to be running out of fuel.
The fuel of political leadership, vision and determination.
What Europe has achieved so far, is thanks to common understanding, common decisions and shared commitment.
In a few words: Solidarity, responsibility and trust.
Let me remind you that solidarity and responsibility are not simply moral values but legal binding principles explicitly stipulated in the founding treaties of the Union.
This is what some leaders in Europe must remember and understand.
There is no solidarity and responsibility “a la carte”.
The “national approach”, whether it originates from an instinctive desire
to preserve economic and political domination, or from a dangerous mix of populism and nationalism, dilutes solidarity, which is the bedrock of our Union.
There are no lonely ways in Europe. Otherwise, there is no Europe.
Dear friends,
What I see in Europe, is that citizens are increasingly concerned.
They demand European answers for challenges that are not limited to national borders.
A new perspective for Europe is urgently needed, to inspire tangible respect for European values and a clear vision in the interest of European citizens.
Some people believe that the answer to the crisis is more Europe;
some others believe, instead, that we need less Europe.
Some even say the following about Europe:
“Too rich to be relevant to the world’s poor, Europe attracts immigration but cannot encourage imitation.
Too passive regarding international security.
Too self-satisfied, it acts as if its central political goal is to become the world’s most comfortable retirement home.
Too set in its ways, it fears multicultural diversity.”
My opinion is that we need a better and more conscious Europe that will speak to the minds and hearts of the European Citizens and will foster the feeling of belonging to a Family.
A Better Europe means, quite simply:
– a Union that focuses on the concerns of the citizens;
– a Union that prevents, acts and reacts promptly and effectively;
– a Union that decides and implements with solidarity, responsibility
and commitment.
– a Union which gives an effective response to internal crises.
– a Union which determines the external relations of a future political Union
with a common approach and not uncoordinated policies or “Balkanization”
of certain neighbourhoods of our continent or Member States.
– a Union which leads a political advance to overpass this lack of unity
which is illustrated by a failure to see the larger picture.
A better Union that strikes the right balance between financial and budgetary discipline, social cohesion and protection.
A better Union that provides common answers in managing the migration and security challenges.
A better Union that promotes European-wide innovative projects as we do under the European Investment Plan, in the fields of infrastructure, energy and communication networks, but also in the domains of culture and education.
A better Union that takes advantage of its unique brainpower.
That gives opportunities to young people to create and develop their businesses.
To become successful businessmen, as you are.
A better Union that has a global role, with one, strong, influential voice and not just a global appeal.
The economic crisis requires political solutions.
Yes, it is important to know how to count, but it is even more important to learn how to think and feel.
No more regulation, but better regulation between the public and private sector.
A reasonable balance between the two is needed under a scheme of mutual trust.
I see that because nowadays a trend of anti-entrepreneurial attitude has started appearing all along with an anti-European behaviour in an effort to explain the economic crisis.
And this is what the populists present as a pretext and exploit.
But it is Europe rather than can manage it than the individual Member States.
During the last year another big achievement of the EU was questioned.
Schengen.
Can you imagine Europe without free movement (Schengen) or without a Single Market?
We are determined in the Commission to defend Schengen which is the most tangible achievement of European integration.
Ladies and Gentlemen, There is no doubt that Europe is at a cross-road today.
Either we will emerge stronger, more resilient and united from the economic crisis, the rise of populism, the migration and security crisis or we backtrack
and become more fragmented.
It is obvious that we are all committed and determined not to allow it.
For the ones that are behind the walls of the nation state we tell them that
we are determined to keep working for a Europe that deals with the big issues that have to be tackled together.
Europe cannot become a federal system.
At least not yet.
The nation state is still powerful.
But what we can do is to create a kind of “functional federation”.
Sectors such as:
Common Foreign Policy
Common Defense Policy
Common Security Policy
Common Economic Policy (not only common currency)
Common Migration Policy
All of this with common standards and rules.
Europe can never be built against the nation states.
Because Europe was made with the strong will of nation states.
Particularly in times of crisis, a better Europe can only be built through and with the Member States in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding and a collective commitment to our common causes.
What is needed is strong, visionary leadership at all levels.
Local, regional, national, European.
Ambitious and bold decisions and open confrontation with narrow minded populist and nationalist attitudes.
By saying so I wish to make the distinction between nationalism and patriotism.
Patriotism means you love your country.
And we all very rightfully do so.
But with nationalism, very simply, you hate the country of others and this is not in line with the spirit of our times and the principles of the Union.
We should always remember and never forget the recent dramatic experiences that Europe and mankind suffered.
Hatred, wars, division.
These tragedies, still fresh in our memories, gave birth to the European dream.
A vanishing dream nowadays as I said in the beginning.
It is our duty to revive it.
Nothing, should be taken as a given or for granted.
Peace, democracy and our civilization need continuous upholding and defending.
Unfortunately, people, very easily forget and this is what explains the distance of younger generations from the European dream.
Let me here quote Marx.
Although it is obvious I am not a Marxist.
He said: “History repeats itself” I cannot disagree more.
Men repeat history because very simply they don’t read it!
As for our generation now, moving beyond the lessons of history, it is equally important to start reading the future trajectory of history and try to define its course!
And this mostly for the next generations in whose eyes we shall be held accountable if we do not manage to give them clear and frank answers as well as a hospitable landscape to build and turn their own aspirations and dreams into reality.
And the vehicle that can take us to a more auspicious future is our new common country: Europe.
Europe as it was dreamt by its founders.
Europe as it is being lived by us.
Europe as it has to be inherited by our children.
And that – until the moment we can see the fulfillment of the legacy of one of the founders of the European Union and a great European leader, Winston Churchill.
Allow me to finish with one of his famous quotes:
“We cannot aim at anything less than the Union of Europe as a whole, and we look forward with confidence to the day when that Union will be achieved.”
Your Excellency,
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
In spite of the current negative signs we hope and strive to live this moment.
Thank you very much for your attention.