"The European sovereignty cannot imply building the European Union at the expense of the member states’ strength, for the strength of the sovereign Europe stems from the strength of its members," said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in the European Parliament during the debate on the future of the EU.
"If it had not been for the Iron Curtain and the tragic division of Europe after World War II, Poland would have been one of the European Communities’ founding States, in accordance with the will of the Polish government-in-exile," head of Polish government said in Strasburg.
"As every other European nation, we have our expectations towards Europe. But we also have much to offer," he added.
"Without Christianity, the European diversity would never have achieved the sense of universality, which is highly valued today, especially in this Chamber. United in diversity. The motto of our Union is not just empty words," said Morawiecki.
"Many Europeans do not show enthusiasm towards integration any more. We can resent it, we can turn a blind eye to it, pretend that it is just a marginal situation – but we must face the facts and make amendments that our citizens desire," Polish PM told the MEPs.
Prime Minister @MorawieckiM during the debate The Future of Europe. pic.twitter.com/pfuuAWbunv
— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) 4 lipca 2018
Trust restoration
Mateusz Morawiecki said in Strasburg that "for the European project to move forward, its democratic legitimacy must be strengthened."
"You can call it populism, but, sooner or later, the following question must be asked: is meeting the expectations of our citizens truly populistic or maybe – it is the essence of democracy," he added.
"Today, we need to create an annex to the European contract by restoring the sense of security and hope for our children to have a better life than we do. Only by doing this we can restore the trust in Europe," said Polish PM.
Prime Minister @MorawieckiM takes part in a debate in plenary on the future of Europe. pic.twitter.com/MCqD2i4Eii
— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) 4 lipca 2018
A step forward
"A truly unified single market cannot exist without a further ambitious fight with inequalities, without an active cohesion policy. It is not a unilateral, non-refundable aid for the less-developed countries. It is an investment in EU development," said Mateusz Morawiecki.
"We have shown in Poland that fighting tax fraud is possible. We need a simple determination: defining our goal, and then a smooth and professional action to obtain it. This is also our offer to Europe – efficient legal measures, tested in practice," he added.
According to Polish PM, "it is now time for new shared technological projects, as electromobility. If we want to reduce CO2 emissions, the Union must make a decisive step forward."
"The development of our societies cannot be attained without fighting the inequalities, exclusion and poverty. It is crucial that we conduct an ambitious social policy. Europe must be a strong player in the global game of interests," Morawiecki concluded.
Autor: gf / Źródło: tvn24, Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland