President of the European Council,

President of the Commission,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am very honored to chair this debate which celebrates the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and the legally binding Charter of Fundamental Rights.

On December 1st, during a beautiful ceremony at the House of European History, in the presence of Presidents Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, and Christine Lagarde, we wanted to remember this anniversary and greet the beginning of the new institutional cycle.

Every time we come to Strasbourg and we pass through Germany, we cross a border and we do not notice it. However, it is a border that for generations of Europeans, since 1870, was soaked in blood. For us it is normal for us to cross it peacefully and think nothing of it but this a victory, this is a great achievement and something we should not take for granted, especially today as we mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, that cost tens of thousands of lives and scarred generations, it is important to remember that the European project has allowed us in recent years to build a space of freedom, democracy, and peace.

These are the values ​​that we must defend every day, working for a stronger and more effective European Union.

The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty was a great step forward for European citizens, and institutions, in particular for Parliament, as it strengthened the democratic character of our Union, its effectiveness and its transparency, giving a more important role to act for citizens.

For ten years, Parliament has shared with the Council the approval of the annual budget of the Union and plays an even stronger role in the implementation of European policies.
But let us not forget that behind the figures, the budget lines and the financial framework, there are always people, it is to them that Europe must succeed by providing answers.

Thanks to the Lisbon Treaty, respect for human dignity, freedom, equality, democracy, solidarity and the rule of law, pillars on which the European Union was founded, have been legally binding in all Member States and for all institutions for ten years.

Unfortunately, discrimination continues to affect our countries. The news constantly reminds us that violence against women, racism and various forms of intolerance are still plaguing so many European citizens.

On this anniversary and a few days before the International Day of Human Solidarity, I would like to renew our commitment to an ever freer and more united Europe.

We must continue to think about our future together.

With great participation in the last elections, our citizens have sent us a clear message: they want to participate and contribute more to the European project.

I am convinced that the Conference on the future of Europe that we intend to establish in the coming months is an opportunity not to be missed. It will be an opportunity to listen to citizens, to understand their expectations, their needs, their hopes and to allow the best functioning of our democracy.

It will be our duty to put these requests into practice and carry out this task to ensure a Union that is able to deal more effectively with the global challenges that lie ahead.

These intentions need to translate into parliamentary and political acts and I believe that our generation will live up to these challenges.