Plenković to Europe: For us, equality is important – equality of states, equality of citizens, equality of opportunities

For the further construction of the European future and the credibility of the European project, the equality of states, equality of citizens, and equality of opportunities is important, stated Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Tuesday in the European Parliament, emphasizing common achievements as a pledge for building the future of the European Union.

– In the further construction of our future, equality is important for us – equality of states, equality of citizens, equality of opportunities. Our achievements are our strongest weapon in building the future. They should unite us because we can only move forward if we are together, said Plenković in his speech to MEPs about the future of the EU.

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A strong Europe, as he said, primarily implies strong member states, while at the same time, the gathering of sovereignty at the level of the European Union strengthens our states for their benefit and the benefit of our citizens.

– We also want strong European institutions that – based on their contractual powers – work for the benefit of every citizen of the Union, said the Prime Minister.

In his speech, he warned of a series of challenges that impose the need to adapt key strategic decisions for the EU to be successful.

– These challenges are diverse: from security challenges – terrorism, cyberattacks, conflicts in the neighborhood, as well as challenges of demographic changes and increased migrations – to those related to the actions of nature, such as climate change, or those arising from the process of globalization, such as social inequalities or the digital divide, said Plenković, highlighting the need for a joint response to these issues.

– Solidarity must not be just the sum of member states, but should be strengthened by our national peculiarities and individual achievements. It should also be reflected in our common policies and budgetary resources, as well as in the activities and synergistic actions of European institutions and member states, said the Prime Minister.

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Plenković, in his speech on how to make the Union stronger, safer, and more prosperous, also mentioned the importance of further enlargement of the European bloc, after one important member has left it.

– Croatia is proof of the transformative power that the prospect of EU membership carries within itself, but also proof that it is a peace project that strongly contributes to reconciliation and building trust. We need to harness that attractive power to make our environment better and more resilient, and thus make ourselves stronger, safer, and more prosperous, said the head of the Croatian government.

Enlargement to the Western Balkans

He emphasized that the European Union is still a community that many want to join, from the countries of the Western Balkans to Turkey, adding that he would like to see Ukraine in the EU one day, in addition to the six countries neighboring Croatia.

– I am glad that the European Commission is presenting its new enlargement strategy for the Western Balkans today. In that strategy, special attention should be paid to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, like Croatia, has had a difficult path, said Plenković.

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He explained that it is a state of specific internal organization composed of three constituent nations – Croats, Bosniaks, and Serbs – in which their full equality, together with others, should be the foundation of the future.

– Only firmly anchored in European values can Bosnia and Herzegovina guarantee its citizens a secure and stable future, said the Prime Minister (…) In our European neighborhood – in the eastern and southern parts of Europe – we face great security and political challenges, and therefore it is the strategic interest of all member states to help their neighbors strengthen and build a system that is prosperous, peaceful, stable, and above all democratic, Plenković emphasized.

According to him, we need to fulfill promises to candidates and potential candidates, just as those countries need to meet the set conditions and criteria and implement necessary reforms, always with an assessment of individual achievements.

For numerous challenges and threats, he said that they require “a stronger, more engaged, and assertive role of the EU in global relations.”

– To achieve our global ambitions, we need a stronger and more effective common foreign, security, and defense policy, he emphasized.

Border protection

He pointed out that terrorist attacks on European soil, as well as other threats, show that Europe is vulnerable, and that it needs to take care of its security both within and outside its borders. He welcomed the further strengthening of defense capabilities and cooperation in the security-defense field in which Croatia will participate in projects.

– Protecting the Union’s external borders is one of our most important tasks (…) The full implementation of systematic checks at the border between member states when only one of them is in the Schengen area – as at the border between Croatia and Slovenia, and Croatia and Hungary – has shown that this can be a problem for the freedom of movement of persons within the European Union, warned Plenković, adding that these problems have been successfully resolved through open and honest cooperation.

– Croatia is already contributing to the protection of external borders, and our next priority is entering the Schengen area. In this context, we also support the entry of Bulgaria and Romania, he said.

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In pursuit of a bright future for the EU, the Croatian Prime Minister did not forget to mention one of the fundamental principles of the Union – solidarity.

– In that spirit, Croatia, where 25 years ago every sixth resident was a displaced person or refugee, is fulfilling its part of the responsibility for agreed relocations and resettlements, said the Prime Minister, reflecting on the migration crisis that has shaken Europe.

He warned that the European Union accounted for a third of the world’s GDP in 2004, and today it accounts for less than a quarter of it, and that it is necessary to continue working on concluding trade agreements with third countries as this is an investment in further economic growth and prosperity for our citizens.

– It is important to strengthen relations with key strategic partners and further deepen transatlantic ties, the Prime Minister emphasized.

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In further building the European project, he said it is important to ensure democratic legitimacy. He believes that the European Parliament represents the strongest link between decisions at the European level and our citizens, which should be further strengthened.

– I support the continuation of the Spitzenkandidaten concept through which citizens can more easily recognize the face and ideas of the future President of the European Commission – as was my friend, Jean-Claude Juncker, on the winning list of the EPP in 2014, said Plenković.

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Regarding transnational lists, he said, we need to ask ourselves “are we at the level of member states sufficiently organized, legally and financially ready for the establishment of transnational lists?”

He welcomed the proposal for the new composition of the European Parliament under which Croatia will receive an additional representative. Regarding Croatia’s presidency of the Council in 2020, he said it represents an opportunity for further building and promoting the European project.

– Our priorities are growth, development, connectivity, and enlargement, said Plenković.