President Metsola awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa in Łódź, Poland  

Dear Rector,
Honourable Members of the Senate,
Members of Parliament and of the European Parliament,
Representatives of government and local authorities,
Distinguished guests,
                                                                          
Thank you. Dziękuję.
 
It is truly a great honour for me to receive this honorary doctorate from Łódź University of Technology – a university born from the industrial past of this great city, today a driver of Europe’s future. Thank you for being here on Midsummer, and a day after a holiday, on a Friday.
 
Łódź lived through the darkest chapters of our history, and found a way back. This is a city that got back on its feet, where factories restarted, and hope returned. A story not unlike Europe’s very own.
 
Our Europe was built by people who refused to settle for what was, and dared to imagine what could be. By giants who managed to break the cycle of history and grasp peace and prosperity from the ashes of war. These are the ones who at every inflection point chose the hard path, the difficult road, the tough choice.
 
Icons like Pope John Paul II, like Lech Wałęsa and the heroes of Solidarność, who showed that courage and unity could change the course of history. Who showed that resolve and moral clarity can beat back empires.
These are the Europeans. These are the personification of the values of our project. They have bequeathed that legacy of Europe to all of us, and we must be found worthy of that honour.
 
I stand here as the President of the European Parliament, as a member of the generation of European politicians being asked to lead in a world that too often feels like it is on fire. And we must be ready to make the hard choices.
 
None of us were ready for what happened on 24 February 2022.
 
When Russia invaded Ukraine, it was an attack on all of us, on our values, on the idea of sovereignty, of democracy, of freedom itself. Today, Ukrainians are holding the line against the brutal and unforgiving hand of tyranny. And their struggle is our struggle.
 
The European Parliament acted fast. We led on critical support to Ukraine where it mattered most. And we continue to work, tirelessly, for a peace that is real, that is just and that is lasting.
 
We also face a new test in the Middle East, one that reminds us just how fragile peace can be. The situation there is deeply worrying – for the region, and for Europe too.
 
Three days ago, King Abdullah II of Jordan addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He reminded us that “We must recommit to our values. Because when the world loses its moral bearings, our shared sense of right and wrong, of what is just and what is cruel – when that happens, conflict is never far behind.”
The world understands that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. That is a threat not only to the region, but the world. And with what we have witnessed in Tel Aviv and Tehran in recent days, and its potential spillover effects, Europe’s role is more vital than ever as we push for a conclusion and broad de-escalation.
 
That is why we keep pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza, where human suffering remains heart-breaking. Why we keep insisting for the return of the hostages, for an end to the terror, for humanitarian aid to reach those who need it most, and for a perspective for legitimate Palestinian leadership and security for Israel.
 
That is why in the next few days, I will travel to the United Arab Emirates. Because peace can only be built through trust, dialogue and shared responsibility.  Because ultimately, it is in difficult days like these, that people look to our European flag for clarity, and leadership.
 
We can be the generation of politicians who break the cycle of history and find a real and lasting peace. And Europe knows that the best path to that is hope. Hope is the antidote to desperation. I want that to be Europe’s legacy.
 
Because Europe has the power to change lives. I first felt that power growing up on an island in the southern Mediterranean, where Europe was not just a political project, but essentially it was a promise. A promise that borders could open, that opportunities could grow, that a young girl could have a voice in shaping something bigger than herself. And that belief is what first drew me into politics. And I carry it with me to this day.
 
 
In Poland too, you know that power. How Europe creates opportunities, how it protects freedom. You have lived it. And you believe it. Today, Poland has flourished into one of Europe’s greatest success stories: a vibrant democracy, a thriving economy, and a leading voice at the European table.
 
And I want to thank you for your leadership during Poland’s six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which comes to a close in just a few days. You have shown that Europe can be a partner to business, that we can make things easier for the people whom we serve, that we can speak up for our values – especially when they are under threat.
 
But let’s be honest: across our Union, people are feeling restless. They feel that they are not being heard. That change is too slow. That decisions are being made too far away from them.
 
We must listen, and we must show them that Europe delivers. Not just on election day, but every day. That Europe is not Brussels or Strasbourg. It is about people: students, families, workers, entrepreneurs – in towns and cities like Łódź.
 
Poland has always been a land of enterprise and innovation. Marie Skłodowska-Curie – still the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two scientific fields – was one of your own. And I see that same spirit of discovery here: I see it in your lecture theatres, in your laboratories, and your start-ups.
 
But across Europe, too many of our best and brightest minds are leaving, because they see better opportunities elsewhere.
 
I am, as you have told, the mother of four boys. Just a couple of hours ago, my eldest sat for his chemistry ‘Matura’ exam. He wants to be an engineer. He needs to pass his exams first. I want him to find his future in Europe. To grow here. To build here. To discover, like all of you. I know your parents, of all students here, want the same for you.
 
The next industrial revolution is already here. If we want to lead in artificial intelligence, in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, in clean tech, in biotechnology, we must act now. That means making Europe more attractive to investors, cutting red tape, and unlocking the full potential of our single market, especially in sectors like energy and defence.
 
But most of all, all of this means investing in people. Because Europe’s true strength is not what we make. It’s what we know.
 
Demand for highly skilled workers – especially in construction, manufacturing, and energy – is rising fast. These industries don’t just need labour, they need deep technical expertise.
 
Your university understands that. You are training the engineers, the scientists, and the architects of tomorrow’s Europe. You are shaping the leaders who will drive our continent forward.
 
I want to see a Europe where ideas born here in Łódź grow into the unicorns of tomorrow. Where taking risks is part of the culture. Where failure is not the end, but the beginning of something new. A Europe built on simplicity, and opportunity.
 
But we cannot build that Europe without security. Without peace, there can be no prosperity.
 
With Poland leading the way, defence spending is now up in every Member State. And at the NATO Summit in just a few days, next week, Allies are set to agree to a new spending target of 5% of GDP. That matters, especially for a country like Poland, on the NATO border.
 
What we see is a Europe that against all these challenges is standing on its own two feet, confident in our own strength. A Europe that defends the values our great Union was built on: freedom, dignity, and fairness.
 
Our job – all of us who serve in public life – is to show that those values are not just words from our past, but promises for the future. To show that tomorrow can be better than today.
 
I referred to King Abdullah’s address to the European Parliament this week. I will go further, to 1988, when Pope John Paul II told the European Parliament that the men and women in the chamber were “the best safeguard of Europe's identity, liberty and progress.” That is our legacy. That is our responsibility. That is the standard that we must continue to live up to.
 
From the factories of Łódź to the shipyards of Gdańsk. From Madam Skłodowska-Curie’s discoveries to Poland’s triumph of democracy – you have shown what is possible when people believe in something that is bigger than themselves.
 
That spirit is what Europe needs today. That hope to believe again. The power to re-imagine. The courage to understand the power of the three words that shaped my generation:  “Nie lękajcie się.” – Be not afraid.
 
That’s our Europe.
 
Dziękuję bardzo.
 

You can read the President's speech in Polish here.