Renewing the promise of Europe - President Metsola addresses Forum Europa  

Thank you very much dear Vice-President, dear Javi. Thank you for your commitment. You are a strong and highly respected voice in the European Parliament - and I’m very proud to share this stage today.

Dear President of the New Economy Forum, José Luis Rodríguez,
Distinguished guests,
Fellow Members of the European Parliament,
Dear friends,

Good morning.

It’s good to be back here with you. Thank you to the New Economy Forum for organising these events, for giving a platform that brings Europe closer to the people we represent - which is ultimately the mission of the European Parliament. 

When we spoke last year, it was during the build-up to the European elections. A few months later, millions of Europeans across our Union went to the polls in the largest multinational democratic exercise the world had ever seen.

That June, voters sent us the clearest of message about the kind of Europe they want to see. A message that was echoed this past Sunday, as many in Europe went to the polls.

People still believe in Europe. They believe in what it stands for. They have seen how Europe transforms lives, how it defends freedoms, how it creates opportunity, and offers protection.

But at the same time, many feel that the promise of Europe is drifting out of reach. Too many are feeling left behind. Too many struggle to make ends meet. Too many young people can’t find a job, they wonder if they’ll ever be able to find a home they can afford. Too many businesses are weighed down by bureaucracy and rising costs.

And when people feel the system is not working for them - we’ve seen his time and time again - they begin to lose faith. That is when disillusion sets in.

In the June election, we feared that the political centre would not hold, and were all collectively relieved to see that it did hold - barely – but I think we would be foolish to ignore the alarm bells. And that we have been seeing ever since. This was a message of urgency, as much as expectation. 

Now, our task is to listen, to respond, and above all, to deliver.

It is clear that people expect us to do better. They want a Europe that works. They want a Europe that makes life simpler, not harder. They want a Europe that leads on good jobs, on better opportunities, and a fair chance at building a future. They want a Europe that protects - our borders, our values, and our homes. They want a Europe that stands by its people in times of crisis - and we are facing many.

I was in Spain when the terrible floods hit last October and recently, survivors shared their terrible experience with me in Brussels. In those darkest moments, Europe was there. We moved fast. This Parliament acted quickly. And our response mattered - they themselves told me this. Because it showed what Europe can do when we match urgency with unity.

Now, we must keep up that momentum, and deliver not just in times of crisis, but every day, and for all Europeans. How do we do that?

I believe that we must build a smarter, stronger, and safer Europe.

A smarter Europe understands that our freedoms and social safety nets depend on our economic competitiveness. It is a Europe where start-ups can scale, not stumble. Where innovation is encouraged, not buried under regulation. Where we lead the world in clean technology and high standards, without sacrificing our farmers and our industries.

A stronger Europe knows that alone we are small, but together we are a force to be reckoned with. The next industrial revolution is already underway. If we want to lead in AI, in new medicines, in space exploration, and climate innovation - we must give our engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs the tools to succeed.

That means finally completing our Savings and Investment Union: it is an open goal, and one Europe absolutely cannot afford to miss this time.

It also means deepening our single market, in areas like energy. When we see that we have many energy islands in our Europe. When we can be better connected. We can be better prepared. We have to be able to interconnect our energy grids more effectively. Because doing so - and we learned that a few weeks ago, when we saw happened in the Iberian Peninsula - doing so will strengthen our energy security, and bring prices down for households and businesses. And also give us predictability, encourage people to invest.

Strength also means confidence on the global stage. Europe has always stood unapologetically for open, fair, rules-based trade. And that remains our compass. But if we’ve learned something - quite harshly - it is that we cannot afford to stand still. 

This week, the European Union and the United Kingdom signed a new agreement, deepening cooperation on trade, defence, and fisheries. We aligned key food standards. We facilitated trade in agri-food and fish products. We signed a youth mobility deal that will make it easier for young people to study, work, and live across borders. And we brought the EU together with the UK in our ReArmEU programme - because a safer Europe can only happen if it has the UK by our side.

This is real progress. But now we must show the same ambition with Canada, and with the United States. To be clear, there is no greater alliance in the history of the modern world - that has shaped so many lives and created so much prosperity - than our alliance with the US. We must keep building and reinforcing it while of course being ready for any scenario. But ultimately a comprehensive EU–US agreement must be our goal. That is how we create prosperity, and that’s how we reinforce our security.

And we must speak clearly for our values. I think back to my meeting with the late Pope Francis: a man of principle, of humility, and conviction. What I admired most was how he spoke - loudly, clearly, and unapologetically - for those who had no voice. I saw that same clarity again, recently, in my first brief meeting with Pope Leo XIV. Europe, too, must speak with moral courage - especially in the face of injustice and suffering.

Now of course, without security, there can be nothing else. A safer Europe means taking our destiny into our own hands. For too long, we relied on others to protect us. Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine made clear that those days are over. Today, every Member State understands: Europe must take responsibility for its own defence. And that also means doubling down on our support to Ukraine, and on our efforts for peace - a just, real, and lasting peace.

A smarter, stronger, safer Europe. I was recently asked, “Is this your vision?” I said, “No, that is not a vision.” Because as Helmut Schmidt once said, “People with visions should go and see a doctor.” That is a roadmap. It’s how we relaunch Europe as a global actor. How we deliver the security, dignity, and opportunity that people expect from us. And how we respond to those who feel the European dream is slipping out of reach.

Because - believe me - it isn’t. I see that dream every day. I see it in every young person searching for their first job, in every entrepreneur starting a new project, in every parent hoping their child’s life will be better than their own.

Our job - all of us here - is to match that hope with determination. To prove that Europe still listens, that it still works, and that it still delivers. And that the promise of our Union - which is of freedom, of dignity, of fairness - is not something of the past, that used to be but is no longer, but our commitment renewed to the future.

And that future is being built by the people in this room: Members of the European Parliament who work in their constituencies to bring Europe closer to citizens. Like Javi and I do every day in the Bureau, and like all my colleagues, Members present here today. That is our legacy, and our responsibility. And I will carry it, and that is my job wherever I go.

Later on today, we will introduce President Mattarella of Italy to all young people who work in the institutions, inside the European Parliament. Tonight, I fly to Romania to meet with the new President of the country. And tomorrow, I will do an event with young people in Timișoara. And that is how we can show person-to-person that we’re not far, that we listen, that we can deliver. And that their dreams will not only remain dreams, but they will become reality.

A few months ago, I was in Madrid where I had the honour of receiving the Forum Europa Prize. That was not just a recognition - but a responsibility of the European Parliament. A reminder that people expect results. That trust must be earned, not assumed. And that Europe's future will be shaped not by declarations, but by delivery.

That’s the promise we renew today, in our institution:
To defend the values that brought us together. 
To fight for the future that our people deserve.
And to build a Europe that doesn’t just endure - but that inspires.

Thank you.

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