Our European history began on the islands, by the sea and on the river banks. This led the way to centuries of exchanges, a blending process where ideas, art forms and scientific endeavours nourished themselves from one another.
Merchants from Crete, craftsmen from Etruria, philosophers and playwrights from Athens, lawyers and engineers from Rome, all met and shared their ways of thinking. This dynamism unleashed by the Renaissance made us receptive to new forms of trade and to new discoveries, to finance, to manufacturing, and paved the way for the emergence of great patrons of the arts.
Through our Union , we have ushered in a new European renaissance. We have created a vast space where people can meet and exchange ideas, in which the dignity and freedom of the individual are at the heart of everything we do. We should be proud of the legacy we are passing on to our children: the freedom to travel, to study, to work, to set up a business and to innovate.
Guaranteeing freedom in the largest economic area in the world has helped us create millions of jobs . Through our cohesion policy we have worked to ensure that no-one is left behind. We need to complete this massive undertaking and exploit its untapped potential, through the digital market, the capital market and the energy market. All along, we must keep firmly in mind the cost of non-Europe, which goes well beyond an economic value .
We still believe in Europe , but we want it to work better. So many mistakes have been made. Our Union is still unfinished and it often seems remote from people’s problems, divided, inefficient, and overly bureaucratic. As the President of the European Parliament , the only institution directly elected by European citizens , I am concerned at the growing disillusionment with Europe , which many of them now profess. A new start must mean bringing Europe closer to its citizens once again. This is the priority I have set for my term in office.
Window-dressing is not enough. We need far-reaching change. We need effective policies which enable us to overcome the fears of those who cannot find work, of young people who cannot see a future for themselves. We need a sound response for those who feel threatened by terrorism , by illegal immigration , and for those who are calling for us to reaffirm, loud and clear, within and beyond our borders , the values on which our Union is founded. They all call for a more practical Europe , a Europe of results.
We need to boost growth , attract investment , create jobs , make Europe fairer and more business-friendly. Our common currency must be matched by real convergence , backed by common reforms and by genuine economic governance . In addition to the Stability and Growth Pact, we need a Generational Pact. We cannot pass on unmanageable debts , and an inefficient economy hampering job creation, to our young generations. We must ensure that they too can enjoy the benefits of a social market economy. We need simpler rules and procedures. We must not get bogged down in the details of policy . Instead, we must concentrate on the major challenges facing us: foreign policy, defence , trade , climate change. In a world in which innovation and digital technologies are tearing down borders and barriers, individual States have no choice but to pool their resources. It is only by drawing on the combined power of 500 million European consumers that we can defend our interests in the world. Only in unison, can we enforce rights of ownership, and assert our safety, social, environmental and technological standards. No European State acting alone is strong enough to negotiate with the USA , China , Russia or India . Only by acting together can we exercise our sovereignty properly. We must continue to promote more open markets and put an end to unfair competition. Like our own internal market , the world market must guarantee freedom from the yoke of unnecessary regulation.
To protect our fellow citizens , we need more trust between European partners. Our intelligence services, our courts and our police forces must work together and exchange information. In the same way, if we are to monitor our borders effectively, we need a strong European Border and Coast Guard Agency. Together, standing shoulder to shoulder, we must make the right of asylum more effective by overhauling the Dublin Regulation. We must be just as rigorous in taking in people who qualify for asylum as we are in countering illegal immigration . If we are to deal with this epochal phenomenon, we need a joint strategy, which focuses on development in Africa through a robust economic diplomacy .
If we are to address these challenges properly, today more than ever we need European unity. We cannot afford to leave Europe half-finished. We need to change Europe , not destroy it. We are much more than just a market or a currency . These ideals of freedom, prosperity and peace have shaped our Union and our identity . But we must also reflect on our mistakes...
