(ANSA) - STRASBOURG, APR 17 -''We have never had regrets over membership since we joined the EU'', Latvia's prime minister Krisjanis Karins said at the plenary session of the European Parliament, giving his speech on the future of Europe. Karins underlined that ''the EU is a union of values, freedom, democracy and the rule of law'', but it is also ''economic development, with the single market at its heart''. However, Karins pointed out that ''not everything is okay in the EU. We politicians all know that there is a widespread anti-European feeling and there are politicians who offer simplistic solutions to extremely complex issues and are called populists''. Latvia's premier then offered his solution. ''We should not fight the populists - ha said - because it is a vain effort, but we should try to understand why people listen to them''.

As for migrants, Karins proposed to reinforce Frontex and work on integration. ''The influx of migrants cannot be stopped, we must work in order to integrate these people'', he underlined. (ANSA).