Opening the State of the Union debate, the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said that the European Union must keep reforming. "We must keep striving to make our Europe a place of equality of opportunity, of access, of prosperity, where everyone can reach their potential."
Good morning colleagues, I am very pleased to welcome the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to our European Parliament for the annual State of the European Union address.
Over the last years we have overcome a financial crisis, a pandemic. We have gone through Brexit and found new ways forward. We have stood up and stood firm against Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. We are addressing the climate emergency, we have disengaged from toxic Russian energy and we have set the foundations for years to come.
The European Union today is stronger, and more united than ever before.
The world is changing and Europe must adapt and change with it too. We must keep striving to make our Europe a place of equality of opportunity, of access, of prosperity - where everyone can reach their potential. We must keep reforming.
We have come a long way, but even so, too many people across our Union are still struggling, too many women still face unfair barriers, too many of our young people still face an uncertain future. We need to keep our people’s concerns at the centre of all our actions. And to underline how we will do that, it is truly my pleasure to introduce the President of the European Commission, to deliver her 2023 State of the European Union address - which for the first time, I am extremely proud to say, will be transmitted in international sign language.
Thank you.