Premier Giuseppe Conte
told the European Parliament Tuesday that Europe had not yet
been able to build a European people and that European politics
lost touch with people after the economic crisis of 2007-8.
He added that the Dublin migrant rule reform was
unsustainable and that a single EU seat at the United Nations
Security Council was needed.
Conte told the Strasbourg parliament that the construction of
a 'European people' has seen "significant moments of
advancement" but "we still haven't succeeded in really becoming
a 'people', we haven't had the courage to build an inclusive
model that, realistically, beyond all rhetoric, could favour the
creation of a European demos."
"European politics, faced with an unprecedented economic
crisis, withdrew in fear inside the cold grammar of procedures,
ending up by progressively losing contact with its people and
making ever more unbridgeable the distance, which is not only
geographical, between Brussels and the continent's many
peripheries," the Italian premier said.
"Politics gave up its legitimating and representative
function, appearing - in the eyes of citizens - distant and
'oligarchic'."
Conte added that "no European Member State can play a
significant role on its own.
"Hence the hope that a united European voice may find space
also at the UN Security Council.
"It is a battle, this one, on which the European Union must
move in a coordinated way, it must speak with a single voice.
"The European Union must be able to speak to the world. A
strong, ambitious and coherent Europe is above all necessary to
improve its capacity of talking to the United States".
Conte said that "faced with the massacre of human lives
we must all together wage a fight on traffickers without
quarter. let us stop remaining divided, giving in to nationalist
or regionalist logic, and let us try to put into practice an
authentic solidarity.
"The proposal to reform the Dublin Regulation, approved in
November 2017, is not sustainable in the present EU. There
prevails, unfortunately, the unwillingness of the majority of
States to participate in compulsory (quotas)."
Conte added that "the inadequate and insufficient solidarity
inside the EU also explains why Europe is struggling and is late
on being fairer and more social.
"The new European legislature must pursue with greater
decision and as an urgent priority the fight against
unemployment and support for growth...The EU's economic
governance must take account of the need to balance growth and
stability".
European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen reacted to
Conte's speech by saying "Europe proceeds and gives its best
when Italy and the Italian people are at the centre,
this must represent a guide for us.
"In order to build a future of European success we need a
strong Italy at its centre, we must build together our future in
unity and solidarity working always with each other and not
against each other, speaking together".
European Parliament President Antonio Tajani responded to
Conte's saying the Dublin Regulation reform is unsustainable by
saying "we ask you for a further commitment in the next meetings
of the Council so that the proposals of the EU parliament are
accepted, perhaps by finding some compromise on the Dublin
reform."
He stressed the importance of involving member States "in the
choices in favour of strengthening the Parliament's powers".
European Socialists and Democrats caucus leader Udo Bullmann
replied to Conte's speech by saying "I am very saddened
by the senseless escalation between Italy and France. In
contexts like this no one comes out a winner, it is a classic
lose-lose situation".
France recalled its ambassador after Deputy Premier Luigi Di
Maio met Yellow Vests protesters in Paris.
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