State of the Union: Metsola (EU Parliament), “defending the politics of hope”. A commemoration of David Sassoli

“David was a fighter, for the European Parliament, for us, for Europe”, and “he believed in Europe’s power to shape a new course in this world”: with these words in memory of David Sassoli and speaking to the “Europeans”, the president of the EU Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who is in Florence today, opened her speech on day two of the State of the Union. She associated her memories as a girl when Malta joined the EU with the people in Ukraine, Moldavia, Georgia and in the West Balkans who look to Europe with the same feelings of “hope and a sense of belonging”. With the war in Europe and a “growing polarisation of societies”, such project must regain “a sense of purpose, enthusiasm, a clear direction”. But what Metsola defined as “Russia’s brutal, illegal and medieval invasion of Ukraine” has accelerated “Europe’s need to create tools and a process to exercise leadership in this new and uncertain world”, even more so because, now more than ever, “the weight of a democratic global order rests on the shoulders of Europe”. Then, she pointed out: “If Putin thought that our diversity could be a weakness”, that “is our strength”. For Europe to be ready for the next generations, this is the topic of the Florence meeting, “the politics of hope” needs to be defended. After quickly mentioning the Conference on the Future of Europe, which will end on Monday, 9th May, the president of the EU Parliament concluded by saying: “We know the challenges and we know that we must face them. Let’s trust ourselves, let’s believe in it”.
Valentina Bombelli