One year after the European elections 2019

One year ago today, we celebrated the results of the European elections and the Parliament took the shape it has today. With an unprecedented eight percentage points rise of turnout since 2014, the 2019 European Election showed the increasing awareness of the EU citizens of the power of the Parliament and gave it a new legitimacy. It was a promising start of a five-year-long journey of building a better present and future for all EU citizens.

One year later, Europe is facing its deepest crisis since the Second World War. The world has changed and the context in which we were elected is no longer the same, as people’s perception of the EU and its institutions has significantly evolved. Recent public opinion surveys show dissatisfaction with the solidarity of the Member States and the EU measures along uncertainty and worries about health and loss of income.

All this will certainly have consequences for the European Union as a whole and on our own parliamentary work. It is essential that we connect and exchange with those we represent, taking into account the current context and the expectations of our citizens.

Now that many countries are taking deconfinement measures, public opinion may slowly shift towards the economic consequences of the crisis and the recovery. How the European Parliament concretely delivers to citizens during these difficult times may take centre stage even more. Our mission will not be an easy one but we must remember that a crisis is an opportunity to learn and Europe is what we make of it together.

The coming German Presidency will be at the centre of Europe’s reconstruction. I am certain that this is the right moment to strengthen our European Union. That is what citizens are calling for: an EU that benefits our societies and people. We need to address this crisis with a stronger Europe, capable of facing the challenges of a globalized world, to aid collaboration and to help protect the European space.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the need for reforms more crucial than ever. The shortcomings of the EU and its Member States, especially in relation to its coordinated response in times of crisis, are evident. The Conference on the Future of Europe will need to be launched as soon as possible in order for effective reforms to be implemented bases on its outcome. The Council needs to come up with a reasonable negotiating position in the immediate future, asking for a commitment by the Member States to implement Conference-driven reforms, potentially including treaty change. A join declaration between Parliament, Council and Commission ought to be concluded before the summer in order for the Conference to be launched in September and to be at full speed by the end of this year.