Hi u tindirizza s-Senat ta’ Spanja fl-40 anniversarju ta’ Spanja fl-Unjoni Ewropea, il-President tal-Parlament Ewropew Roberta Metsola qalet li f’din id-dinja ġdida, ħaġa waħda hija ċara: l-Ewropa trid tagħmel pass ’il quddiem.
Estimado Presidente del Senado, Estimado Pedro, Estimados Senadores, Estimados ciudadanos europeos, Muchas gracias por su invitación. Es un placer estar de nuevo en España. Aquí siempre me siento como en casa. Cuarenta años es toda una vida que hemos vivido juntos. Pero no estoy aquí para hablar con nostalgia del pasado, sino para ver cuál es la mejor manera de afrontar juntos el futuro. Mi mensaje hoy es: Juntos somos Europa. Y estamos orgullosos de estar juntos, de vivir y compartir unidos. Juntos somos fuertes. Juntos somos una superpotencia económica y una superpotencia de valores en el mundo. Necesitamos a Europa. Nuestras familias y nuestras industrias la necesitan. Nuestro estilo de vida europeo debe seguir siendo una brújula con la que orientarnos en este mundo convulso en que vivimos. Y con esa auténtica esperanza y confianza en nuestra gente, mi mensaje sigue vigente: Somos Europa. Y cuando estamos juntos somos imbatibles. I am honoured to be here with you in this esteemed hall of history. I wanted to be here on behalf of the European Parliament to share in celebrating Spain’s European success story, but also to look honestly at where Europe stands, where it is heading, and how we can show a new generation, who are more sceptical about our standing in the world, that Europe still has the confidence, the capacity and the will to shape its own future. Because the question for Europe today is not what we believe in. We know our values. The real question is whether we are ready to act on them, with speed and courage, and whether we are willing to see this moment for what it is: not just a test, but a real, true opportunity for Europe to grow, to strengthen itself, and to shape what comes next. First, allow me to say a few words about the tragic train collision near Córdoba only a few weeks ago. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their lives, with those who were injured, and with the families and communities still living with the shock of what happened. I was deeply moved by the stories that emerged, like the story of the six-year-old girl who had travelled with her family to Madrid to celebrate Reyes, but who was the only one to survive the crash. That story stayed with me, and it remains with me still. A few days later, in Strasbourg, together with His Majesty King Felipe, we held a moment of silence in the European Parliament. It was a way of showing our solidarity with Spain, and of showing that all of Europe stands with Spain in moments of sorrow as well as of pride. This morning, I was speaking with young people from Madrid. We had a very frank and open conversation - two-way conversation - about Europe, about work, about security, and about what kind of future they see ahead of them. And what stayed with me from that meeting with about 400 young people, was not cynicism, rather the opposite: a clear expectation that Europe should step up, take responsibility and deliver, just as earlier generations once looked to Europe to shape their future. When Spain chose Europe in 1986, it did so at a decisive moment for its democracy. That choice carried hope and confidence. Europe became something tangible, a part of everyone’s daily life, shaping how people worked, how they studied, how they travelled, how they built businesses and how they thought about the future. I want Spain to keep choosing Europe. Your economy has more than doubled in size, and opportunities have opened up in ways that would have been hard to imagine when Spain first joined the European Union. When the terrorism of ETA tried for so many years to beat us through fear, or when Al-Qaeda bombs attacked our way of life and liberty, they did so against all of us. Europe was with you then as it is now. This is not a one-sided relationship: Europe has shaped Spain, but Spain has shaped Europe - fundamentally. Over these forty years, you have helped build a Union that is more ambitious, more confident, and committed - more in touch with people everywhere. And that link is strengthened every day by Spanish Members of the European Parliament. They bring Spain into the heart of European debates, they lead many of the laws we pass, and make sure Europe delivers in ways people can see and in ways people can feel. In Spain, you have much to be proud of in its representatives. But the world around us has changed. Fundamentally. We are now living in a new world, shaped by war on our continent, instability in our neighbourhood, growing global competition, increasing natural disasters, rapid technological change. And when you meet people, they tell you. They feel this in their daily lives, in the cost of living, in energy prices, in access to housing, in access to affordable services. They have concerns about security, uncertainty that affects everyday decisions. It was against this backdrop that His Majesty King Felipe spoke in the European Parliament. He said: “Nunca como en estos tiempos oscuros, ha sido la idea de Europa tan necesaria.” In those words, His Majesty captured the reality that Europe now faces, and the urgency of the moment we now find ourselves in. He reminded us that this is not a time for hesitation or complacency, but a time for responsibility. He said it clearly. In this new world, one thing is clear: Europe cannot stand still. Europe has to step up. Greenland taught us that. And we have done exactly that. We stayed united in our support for Ukraine, and we will stay the course. We worked more closely than ever together on defence. We opened new trade opportunities. And we began removing obstacles that were holding people back, and that were holding businesses back. But the reality is that this is still not enough. The pace of change around us is faster than the pace of our own decisions. And if Europe wants to shape its own future, we have to be ready. We need to be ready to think bigger, we need to be ready to move faster, and to accept that progress often starts with those who are ready to move forward together. It is that realistic pragmatism, I would call it, that must define our way. In the Benelux countries, in the Baltic region, here on the Iberian Peninsula, Member States are moving closer - across all sectors, from energy to defence to transport. From the Single Market and Schengen, to the euro and successive enlargements, Europe has always grown because some chose to lead, and others joined when they were ready. This is how Europe advances. This is how we grow: by embracing the art of the possible, not by fearing change. This is one of those moments again. We are living through it today. People understand that. They want a Europe that keeps people safe and secure, that makes life simpler, that creates opportunity, that supports good jobs, and stands by people when crises hit. A Europe that deals with migration in a way that is fair, but firm. They voted for a Europe that listens, and a Europe that acts. And if Europe wants to act, it must be a Europe that moves. Rising to that expectation is not easy. It means at all costs seeing the bigger picture, and being willing to invest in the choices that shape Europe’s future. It means finally completing the Single Market by removing the barriers that still fragment our economy and hold back growth, investment and competition. That is especially true in strategic sectors like telecoms, where scale, cross-border investment and real competition are essential if Europe wants to compete globally. It means getting serious about banking, about capital markets, about a Savings and Investments Union, so that European savings are channelled into European innovation, and European companies can grow and scale up here in Europe, on this continent. It means initiatives like the 28th Regime and European stock exchange becoming a reality. It means building a real and a genuine Energy Union, better connecting our grids, strengthening security of supply and bringing prices down for families and businesses. It means implementing the European Pact on Migration, closing loopholes and dealing with illegal migration together, to find common solutions rooted in our values, in a way that is fair and firm. That responds to one of citizens’ main concerns, on an issue that impacts every Member State. It also means strengthening Europe’s role in global trade, building on partnerships with countries and regions like Canada, Mexico, Mercosur, the Gulf and India, while finding new opportunities in our alliance with the United States. The transatlantic relationship remains the most important economic partnership in the world. It makes economic and strategic sense. Because it is one that has delivered for decades peace and prosperity. But this can only happen in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding. When we are tested, we need to say this with the moral clarity and resolve that we always have. The bigger picture also means taking a constructive, confident approach to our relationship with the United Kingdom. Ten years on from Brexit - it has been ten years - and in a world that has changed so profoundly, Europe and the UK need a new way of working together, on trade, customs, research, mobility, and on security and defence. This is about looking forward, and doing what makes sense for Europe and for the UK today. It is time to exorcise the ghosts of the past, reset our partnership, and find solutions together. That is realistic pragmatism, anchored in values, that will see us all move forward together. It also means taking the next steps towards a stronger European defence, boosting our own capabilities and cooperation, and working closely with our NATO allies so that Europe - we - can better protect our own people. We cannot ignore the reality of the times, and the existential necessity to act decisively. Because this is Europe’s moment. Security also means taking enlargement seriously. Many in the Western Balkans are ready to move forward, and Europe needs to be ready as well. Enlargement is not charity. It is one of the strongest geopolitical tools that we have. There is no stronger, longer term guarantee of peace on our continent than bringing countries that share our values fully into the European Union. Being clear about where we stand also means acting when circumstances demand it. Take Iran. The European Parliament has pushed for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be listed as a terrorist organisation. That decision was finally taken by unanimity last week - and I am grateful to Spain in this regard, too. I am proud that we led that charge. Because this means Europe stepped up, it did it with unity. It has, as a result, weakened the Iranian regime’s ability to act with impunity, cutting off its sources of funding, and making abundantly clear that there is no safe haven in Europe for those responsible for vile crimes. When Europe acts together, as we saw - we saw it with Greenland three weeks ago, we saw it with Iran last week - when we act together, we are incredibly effective. We know that Europe only works when people feel connected to it, when they recognise themselves, when they can see that these are decisions that are taken because they wanted them to be taken, because they asked us to take them - and when they see real results in their daily lives. When that connection weakens, people start to turn away. And frankly, that is something that Europe cannot afford. That is why the European Parliament is a crucial link, also for you and the citizens that you represent with the decisions that we take. So this, in a nutshell, is the task that is ahead of us. To meet this moment. To match our values with action. To adapt to this new world without losing what makes Europe worth defending. And to do all of this together. Acabo con mi mensaje inicial: Somos Europa. Y cuando estamos juntos somos imbatibles. Viva España! Viva Europa!