The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola is in Dayton, Ohio for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Her message there is: let’s work together for peace and democracy, because democracies are under threat.
Good afternoon everyone.
Thank you, Fred Kempe, for having me here today. And thank you to the Atlantic Council for your leadership.
It is a pleasure to be here today.
We meet at a decisive moment for the world, in a place that understands the weight of history. In a State that, for anyone from the country I grew up in, symbolises hope, freedom and resilience. The link between the Buckeye State and the island in the Mediterranean is a little-known fact of history – obscure, perhaps, but significant.
In 1942, Malta was the most bombed place on earth. Our grandparents were days away from surrender or starvation when a crippled US tanker limped into our harbour lashed between two Allied destroyers, and somehow managed to dock. Its name was S.S. Ohio. It meant we were able to live another day. It saved us, the whole country. So, in my first visit to this state, I wanted to pay tribute to what that means for us. Why the name Ohio was always associated with beating impossible odds. That is the spirit we need to rekindle today.
The relationship between Europe and America is one of the greatest in history. And with NATO recently celebrating its 70th anniversary, it is also the most successful security alliance ever. It has kept generations safe on both sides of the Atlantic. It ushered in the security and peace of mind that allowed Europe to rebuild, to heal, to bounce back after decades of war and iron curtains.
We are here to mark another significant anniversary: 30 years since the US and Europe successfully negotiated the end to a brutal conflict in former Yugoslavia with the Dayton Accords. Proof of just how much, through all difficulties, we can achieve when we work together in goodwill. Even in recent months, we have seen how things work best when efforts align. But we must remain forward-looking.
That shared courage, leadership and commitment to cooperation in the name of democracy holds even more truth today.
At that crisis point 30 years ago, we were faced with a stark choice between different futures. Democracy prevailed, but it was not a given. Democracy is not guaranteed. We must keep reminding people, especially those who cannot remember anything other than its benefits or understand why my generation considers them to be self-evident. That is the battle of minds we must all be much better prepared for.
Today, with brutal war raging in Ukraine, the world again looks to Europe and to the United States for leadership – for democracies to stand up against those who seek to chip away at everything we have built together. To show that our way matters. That is worth fighting for. That we have the strength to stand up to threats. And that we invest in our security. Because supporting Ukraine is not about altruism. It is about ensuring our own security.
The stories of our two continents are written in the sacrifices of those who gave everything for those values, and to secure freedom over tyranny. My eldest son will soon join the army in Finland. 18 years ago when he was born, I assumed, naively, that military service would no longer be needed in 2025. It is an example of the false sense of security that we still need to address.
Today, in Ukraine, that same fight for our values and ideals continues.
In Europe, we know the cost of appeasement. We know the weight of walls and iron curtains. We know that turning away and allowing democracy to wither in the dark is paid for in lives crushed and generations lost.
Europe knows this, and we are stepping up to support Ukraine and protect democracy. Let me be clear: the European Union is first and foremost a peace project. We always will be. But in the face of Russian aggression, we must match our efforts for peace with continued, strengthened support for Ukraine: that’s the idea of peace through strength.
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, addressing Congress in 1985, put it succinctly: “Wars are not caused by the build-up of weapons. They are caused when an aggressor believes he can achieve his objectives at an acceptable price.... Our task is to see that potential aggressors, from whatever quarter, understand plainly that the capacity and the resolve of the West would deny them victory in war and that the price they would pay would be intolerable.”
She was right. A lasting, just, firm peace can only be built through cooperation and negotiations that have our two continents at the centre.
That is why these Dialogues matter. Why our transatlantic relationship matters. And why NATO matters. President Ronald Reagan put it best: "The North Atlantic alliance is the most successful in history. While other alliances have been formed to win wars, our fundamental purpose is to prevent war while preserving and extending the frontiers of freedom."
Today, NATO continues to play a crucial role for Europe’s security. From countering hybrid attacks on our democracies to sharing vital intelligence between governments. Next month’s NATO Summit will be a pivotal moment to further our efforts and cement our unity. Europe’s security architecture must complement, not compete with it.
The truth is that for too long, we have not spent enough on security. We relied on others. Europe is working hard to rectify this.
As President of the European Parliament, I am proud that we have delivered on increased support for Ukraine and for Europe’s security through ammunition production, joint public procurement and industrial cooperation. We have a fully-fledged Defence and Security Committee now. Our Member States are also stepping up, increasing their defence budgets by 31% since 2021. Many have met or exceeded NATO’s target of 2% of GDP spending on defence. So we are getting there. And the European Union is streamlining our defence capacities. We will continue to boost our efforts to balance our joint security input and to match the high level of threat we face. This is for all of our benefit – because a stronger Europe means a stronger US and vice-versa.
We are also looking to secure Europe beyond our borders. This involves working with our neighbours to strengthen regional democracy and increase collective security. We have repeatedly called for Europe to build on the peace achieved 30 years ago by welcoming the Western Balkan countries into our Union. Because enlargement is the best geopolitical tool to strengthen Europe. And because a strong, resilient democracy needs to be ambitious, we also need a little bit forward-looking action and, perhaps, just a little visionary.
So my message to you from Europe, just as it will be to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly tomorrow, is: let’s work together for peace and democracy. Because democracies are under threat. There are less people who can choose their leaders than there are people who can. And because democracies are under threat, when they deliver, we are all strengthened. And it is the same philosophy that must guide our approach in the Middle East.
We need to act together with that courage, conviction, and leadership that characterised our actions in this place three decades ago. Stepping up to today’s moment of reckoning together, not stepping back into fractured isolationism. And building up this one big beautiful transatlantic relationship that protects the democratic values we cherish. We must stand together. I don’t see any other option. Even if sometimes it feels like we may need two ships stuck to us to keep us going forward.
Ladies and gentlemen, 30 years ago in Dayton, our two continents faced a crossroads. They chose diplomacy, democracy and peace. Today, there is only one path left - moving forward and together.
Thank you.