Visiting Lecce in Puglia, Italy, the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola encouraged people to vote in next June's European elections, and to believe in the European project.
Minister Fitto, dear Raffaele, Vice-President Picierno, dear Pina, Mayor, Prefect of Lecce, President of Lecce Provincial Council, Colleagues and Members of the European Parliament, dear mayors, Ladies and gentlemen and friends,
Thank you for welcoming me to Lecce with old-fashioned kindness. Apulia is so beautiful, and a place where I feel at home. I grew up on the doorstep of southern Italy, soaking up your region’s culture.
It is a region of artistic and architectural heritage that is the envy of the whole world. A region that has played a decisive role in shaping our European identity.
But it is also all too often underestimated. Entire generations had no choice but to wave it goodbye.
It is high time to turn the tide. Because if southern Italy grows, if its infrastructure is upgraded, if we start viewing it as a gateway to economic opportunities, as a natural point of reference for Mediterranean countries, Italy will thrive and, in turn, so will the rest of Europe.
Just when we thought the worst was over, following a pandemic that brought our continent to its knees, Russia’s war in Ukraine arrived on Europe’s doorstep.
But we took action together.
Since day one, the European Parliament has led support for Ukraine and Europe’s tough response to Russian aggression. Because it is a threat to our democratic model, our security and our values.
To address the fallout from the pandemic, the EU set up the NextGenerationEU recovery plan for Europe, the biggest aid package since the US’s Marshall Plan in 1948. It is an unprecedented opportunity to help our economies get back on track, investing in Europeans’ futures. We took those steps to come back stronger from the current challenges and to bolster our resilience to future crises.
The Italian recovery and resilience plan gives us the chance to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, improve living standards and encourage talented young people to work in the areas that they grew up in.
Italy is the biggest beneficiary of the Recovery and Resilience Facility and, during the most recent negotiations with the Commission, its funding even increased, by a total of EUR 194.4 billion.
This substantial EU contribution will serve to boost Italy’s energy efficiency – we have much to do in this area, to develop many industrial sectors looking to the future and to improve connectivity by dint of sustainable transport.
The national recovery and resilience plans are a launchpad for the next chapter in Europe’s prosperity. Dear friends,
In an increasingly dangerous and unstable world, how do we grow our economies? What can Europe do to provide the capacity and liquidity to finance the solutions required of it? The answer is real, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
It is crucial that we integrate sustainability into our economic model. I have always seen our Green Deal as part of this growth strategy. But for it to work properly, it must also be part of a broad industrial strategy incorporating every sector, it must provide real incentives and safety nets for industry, and above all it must work for people. Otherwise, we will lose them. We need to listen, explain and find solutions.
The European currency and the single market are not an end in themselves. Their success can only be measured by the opportunities they offer to new generations. Last week we reached agreement on the 2024 budget, with a focus on research and young people. The European Parliament obtained an increase in funding for the Horizon Europe programme, which will receive an extra EUR 85 million. This is important because when we talk about Europe, when we talk to you, with young people in cities, we also need to make Europe a reality for them. That is why we say we have to get out of the Strasbourg and Brussels bubbles. We must come here, travel all over Europe to explain, to put into words what Europe represents in a practical way for young people.
Our policies will work if the measures we take are realistic and pragmatic. Keeping ordinary people at the centre of every decision.
When I was elected President of the European Parliament almost two years ago, I committed to bringing Europe closer to people at grassroots level. That is why I decided to come to southern Italy to speak to Apulians. I’m setting out for Calabria now and for Sicily tomorrow. I was in Campania yesterday.
The voice of every Apulian will be important on 9 June, because all of you, all of the people that you represent, will determine the direction that Europe takes for the following five years.
You do not want a Europe of rhetoric or of incomprehensible rules, but a Europe of solutions, values and firm convictions.
For that reason, it is important to support and take part in our democratic processes without taking them for granted. Believe in Europe. Because Europe belongs to us all.
Thank you. You can read the President's speech in Italian here.