Mitsotakis: "Europe was able to achieve success for its citizens" (video)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke to Euronews about the June elections to the European Parliament.

“What we have achieved in Europe is unique in world history,” he noted. In June in EU The first European elections will be held after the coronavirus pandemic, the outbreak of war in Europe and the energy crisis. We are talking about challenges that have added to the list of existing ones. What’s at stake in the upcoming elections? Mitsotakis talks about it with Euronews journalist Nikoleta Druga, talking about common defence, European farmers, citizen involvement in European issues. Further without cuts.

euronews: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for taking the time. There are less than three months left until the European elections. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Europe today, and what are the stakes in these elections?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I think this is a particularly important election for Europe as a whole, given the broader economic and geopolitical context. They take place during a very turbulent period, with war raging on our eastern flank, with a serious humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, and with Europe emerging from a very, very difficult five-year period.

I believe that this is an opportunity for us to take stock of what we have achieved during the last European election cycle and to highlight the significant achievements of the European Union. Thanks to the partnership of all our institutions, we were able to successfully resist the coronavirus. We have launched the building of the EU of tomorrow, which for countries like Greece is of particular importance in terms of accelerating growth, as well as promoting the green and digital transition.

Despite everything, contrary to the forecasts of some of our opponents, we remained united when it came to Ukraine. Today is the time for us to set our sights on the next cycle, to make sure we are ready to take on new challenges.

euronews: How concerned are you about the increasingly loud anti-European, anti-European voices?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I think there will always be voices that challenge Europe’s successes. Some, I would say, claims against us may be justified. But if we take the big picture, then – and I firmly believe this – the future of the European Union is bright, Europe has been able to achieve success for its citizens.

That is why it is important for us to show what we have achieved and what we need to achieve in the future. As I look to the next election cycle and the major challenges that lie ahead, I identify three major challenges. The first is the need to transform strategic autonomy from a slogan into a real and effective policy. Let’s take defense. Not only do we need to spend more on it, but we also need to coordinate our defense spending. The second challenge relates to overall European competitiveness. How can we ensure that Europe remains competitive with China, the US and the South? The solution here will involve better working conditions and better paid jobs for European citizens.

The third challenge is more specific and more sectoral. It deals with agriculture and our farmers at a time when food security is very high on our agenda. We need to recognize that some of the steps we have taken over the last five years as part of the green transition have put far more pressure on our farmers than we could have imagined. We must ensure that the transition is carried out at a speed that does not have a significant impact on the incomes of our farmers.

Euronews: Do you agree that sometimes the EU’s biggest enemy is the EU itself?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Look, we are 27 heads of state and government, and I’m talking about the European Council, who meet in one room many times a year, and we all have to come to a consensus. It is a process that inevitably takes time, that involves compromise and sometimes requires taking a step back in order to achieve the common European good.

This is the nature of the European Union. At the same time as we consider the issue of European enlargement, we need to look for ways to improve the efficiency of decision-making. This will not be easy, since any changes will again require the unanimity and agreement of all member states. It must be recognized that what we have achieved in Europe is unique in world history.

We have voluntarily transferred powers to a supranational structure and we need the right balance between European and national decision-making to work every day. But again, this is the “price” that must be paid for the benefits of EU membership.

Euronews: You mentioned European defense autonomy as a challenge facing the EU. In your opinion, should it become a priority for the next commission and parliament?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Defense has existential significance, as we learned after the war in Ukraine began. Some countries seemed to believe that the dividends we received from the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union would last forever.

But this turned out to be a fallacy. We ourselves have not been in this situation, since we have always spent significant funds on defense due to certain specific regional geopolitical challenges. But we now understand that we all need to step up and collectively start spending more, spending smarter, being more coordinated, streamlining our defense procurement, having perhaps more European companies that can offer advanced defense solutions at a more competitive level than Now.

Euronews: Mr Prime Minister, we have previously seen how some EU member states – Greece is not one of them – have had difficulty convincing their citizens to go and take part in the European elections. Why do you think it is so important for people to go out and vote?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Because what happens in Brussels and those who represent us in the European Parliament are very important. After all, the decisions they make in Brussels and Strasbourg determine our daily lives, and we need to send qualified people to the European Parliament (European elections are ultimately about the European Parliament) – so that the Parliament is made up of real representatives of European citizens, so that the gap between decision-making in Brussels and what the European people really want.

The European Parliament is the most democratic of all our institutions, and that is why participation in European elections is very important. We are a pro-European party, so don’t expect me to say anything else. And of course, we are doing everything we can to mobilize people and ensure that elections that traditionally have low turnout may buck the trend and be marked by increased participation.

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