The President of the European Parliament is in Bologna with the leaders of Italian business. In her speech she said: "You are the engine of the economy and the strength of our strategic autonomy. Europe stands by you for a future in which businesses, workers and territories can grow and prosper."
Prime Minister Meloni, Mr Orsini, Deputy Prime Minister Tajani, Vice-Presidents Picierno and Sberna, Ministers, Deputies, Ms Schlein, Business leaders, Friends,
I’ve prepared a speech that touches on many different points, but the message I want you to take away is this: Europe is by your side. The Parliament of which I am President is your ally.
We stand with industry, with the hard-working families who depend on the jobs you create, with those willing to take risks and who want to see Europe grow economically and go from strength to strength.
Europe should be there to make things easier, to lighten the load. We should be the ones breaking down barriers, not throwing obstacles in your path. Europe should offer solutions, rather than become part of the problem. The truth is that simplification means competitiveness, and competitiveness means growth.
When we succeed, we all win.
And I’d like to pay particular tribute to Prime Minister Meloni; the leadership she has shown in these areas has helped keep Italy at the centre of European decision-making. I’d like to thank her for pushing for common sense solutions, and, no less importantly, for her friendship and frankness.
Together, we share a desire for change.
That means a return to true politics and a renewal of the pact between the EU institutions and the people we represent.
At the most recent European elections, the message to emerge from the ballot box was clear: many people felt excluded and dragooned into economic and social transitions that felt too quick and far removed from their actual needs.
All too often, the EU narrative has come across as preachy, rather than showing how our values can translate into tangible solutions that improve lives and make things fairer.
We have seen an unnecessary rise in red tape, which has eroded investor confidence and made everyday life more difficult. Short-lived measures designed to make media waves have undermined our competitiveness.
I felt these things needed to be said, but my message is nevertheless one of optimism. As President of the European Parliament, I, together with all the MEPs here today, feel a sense of duty to promote a change in mindset.
Our priority is to bring Europe closer to the people we represent. Closer to families. Closer to industry.
Making Europe local is also at the heart of the work being done by your commissioner, Raffaele Fitto.
It is our duty to take targeted action and spur economic growth – as Europe did by green-lighting your national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP).
We need to have faith. Europe remains the largest political project in history. It remains the best place in the world to live, start a family and do business. We have everything we need to drive change: skills, talent, capital and research. We are a single market of 450 million people. We have lifted generations out of war and poverty. We have tackled social inequality.
Europe’s success depends on that of its Member States, and Italy has always been one of our sturdiest anchors.
This country has spawned companies that have long been the embodiment of excellence and passion for quality. Companies whose creativity is universally celebrated. Companies that have shown the world that food can bring us more than nutrients; it can bring pleasure.
This is what lies behind the ‘Made in Italy’ label that is held in such high regard worldwide. These symbols, this excellence and these heroes are Italian; but they are also proudly European. They are what makes Europe great. The fact they are part of ‘brand Europe’ in no way diminishes their ‘Italianness’; it enhances it.
While I’m not Italian, I can say without reservation that, as a European, I am just as proud of these success stories as anyone born in Bologna, Rome or Palermo. That is what it truly means to be part of the European Union.
Our Union does not aspire to homogeneity. On the contrary, it recognises and champions the strength that stems from the diversity of our cultures, languages, traditions and histories. This is the heritage that we safeguard and turn into opportunities.
Our blue flag with its 12 stars is a symbol adopted by all those fighting for freedom. Wave it proudly alongside your own, without obscuring your Tricolore. Because a strong, successful Italy means a strong, successful Europe, and vice versa.
This is still the home of the makers, the champions, the pioneers, the inventors. Of those who build, innovate and dare.
We need to remain open for business and stand ready to support those generating value. And achieving this shift calls for determination. It calls for political vision. The courage to act.
We need to bridge the technological gap with the United States, China and the Emirates. To cut energy prices and complete the single market.
We need to grasp the fact that while we have a common monetary policy, companies are forced to grapple with 27 different fiscal and industrial policies. Companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, still face too many difficulties accessing credit.
We can no longer afford to pine for the past or shrug our shoulders and say, ‘It’s always been like that’. We need the strength of will to reform.
Last week, we welcomed President Mattarella in Brussels. He said: ‘The European Parliament is the centre of gravity connecting the institutions and citizens.’ That is precisely why, in the last few years, we have been engaged in an extensive programme of reforms, to enable us to deliver where it matters most to people. Let me tell you: it has not been easy at all. But we have managed; we have changed the status quo.
In this new era, we will need to be more efficient and pack a bigger punch. And if we want a Europe that is closer to the people, more agile, more legitimate, it is essential we bolster Parliament’s right of legislative initiative. Citizens honestly aren’t demanding too much from Europe.
They demand economic certainty: a stable job, the option of growing their own business. Young people want to be able to afford their own home.
They demand that things be simpler: they want user-friendly systems that work.
They demand safety: they want their children to be able to walk down the street without fear. And they want to know that Europe is able to defend itself. And they demand leadership. True leaders with a vision, who call a spade a spade, without getting bogged down in impenetrable administrative jargon, and who are capable of taking meaningful, sensible decisions.
We must meet their demands with a Europe that supports the risk-takers and innovators, rather than stands in their way. A Europe that is more flexible. A Europe that places the real economy at its heart, unlocks private investments and builds a truly integrated capital market. A Europe that invests in people, trains workers in line with the genuine needs of the production system, in order to support the industrial transition and curb the brain drain. A Europe in which success stories – and not plastic bottle caps – symbolise its priorities. Where people are not made to feel guilty for driving a car when they don’t have the choice.
Europe must be a place where it is possible to take risks, make mistakes, fail and try again. And again and again.
My dear friends, last year, Mr Orsini set out three clear priorities: competitiveness, productivity and community. This European Parliament has duly taken up this important call.
We showed this with the packaging dossier, on which – partly thanks to your input and the efforts of Italian MEPs – we found a fair compromise. And we will continue to work in this direction.
As we did with the ‘stop the clock’ initiative, and the CBAM exemption for small enterprises. And we should bear this in mind when assessing the impact of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
We want a Europe that has no qualms in changing tack when necessary.
A Europe that assumes a leading role on environmental matters, acting with vision and realism, without obliging companies and farmers to work with their hands tied behind their backs. A Europe that is able to harness the potential of artificial intelligence.
It is this approach – forged through pragmatism and collaboration – that has the power to make Europe truly stronger.
Because a strong Europe is a Europe with influence. A Europe that garners respect. A Europe that looks the world squarely in the eye, seizes opportunities and pursues them with resolve. Antonio Tajani was the first to teach me this.
Europe’s overall economic philosophy has always been rooted in free and fair trade that benefits everyone. And it is this thinking that should guide us in our negotiations with the United States.
Our position is clear: tariffs are the last thing we want. A trade war would hit companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Let there be no doubt: throughout modern history, there has been no alliance more robust and no rapport between democracies more harmonious than that between Europe and the United States. Our companies are interlinked, just as we share similar lifestyles. While we will each fight our corner and there will be times we disagree, we will continue to build together, with our friendship and alliance intact. I am confident we can reach an agreement.
But we must not be naive. We need to work on other relationships. For example with like-minded African nations and forge partnerships based on investment and robust trade relations. We have the Mattei Plan as a model. The same goes for Latin America.
This is the guarantee of a more secure and better protected Europe.
Without security, we have nothing. For too long, we have looked beyond our borders to guard our security and way of life.
That way of thinking is over. Today, all Member States understand that if Europe is to control its own destiny, we need to be fit to act in a world that is less stable and more dangerous than before.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought this home in the most brutal way.
We must stand ready and step up our ongoing support for Ukraine to secure fair and lasting peace. And, in the face of rising public scepticism, we need to do a better job of explaining our actions. The same goes for the Middle East crisis and the horror unfolding in Gaza.
Prime Minister Meloni, Mr Orsini, I have been deeply moved by the resilience and determination shown by the people of this country. By the spirit and silent strength they have shown in recovery.
In 2012, Europe was by your side. And again in 2023. Because European solidarity should not be an abstract concept but mean tangible support. Thank you for your courage.
My dear friends, allow me to conclude as I began: this European Parliament is on your side. Together we can build a Europe that offers the solution.
That is the new Europe that lies ahead – with Italy at its heart.
Thank you. Long live Italy and long live Europe. You can read the President's speech in Italian here.