Debate with António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, on the Future of Europe: Extracts
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Debate with António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, on the Future of Europe: extracts Reference: I-152194 Duration: 00:03:49 Location: Strasbourg Date: Mar 14, 2018 Type: EbS PreEdited Background: The Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa has debated the future of Europe with MEPs today in Strasbourg. This has been the third of a series of debates between EU heads of state or government and MEPs on the future of the European Union, after Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 17 January and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on 6 February. The next future of Europe debate, with French President Emmanuel Macron, is scheduled for the April plenary session, followed by debates with Charles Michel (Belgium) and Xavier Bettel (Luxembourg) in May. António Costa was a Socialist MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament from July 2004 to March 2005, when he resigned to become Minister of State and Home Affairs in Portugal. He has held several political roles, including as Mayor of Lisbon for eight years. Mr Costa became Prime Minister of Portugal on 26 November 2015. Summary: During the EP plenary session (12 - 15 March 2018) in Strasbourg, MEPs debate with António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, on the Future of Europe. This is the third in a series of debates between EU government leaders and MEPs reflecting on the future of the EU. Statements by António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Maria João RODRIGUES (S&D, PT) and Guy VERHOFSTADT. Only the original language version is authentic and it prevails in the event of its differing from the translated versions. TIME DESCRIPTION DURATION 00:00:00 Title 00:00:05 00:00:05 Exterior shots of the EP, Strasbourg 00:00:05 Arrival of Portuguese Prime Minister António COSTA 00:00:10 together with EP president Antonio TAJANI to the EP 00:00:21 Chamber, atmosphere shots, shake hands (8 shots) SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, Globalization is not faced by closing borders or erecting walls, retreating into a protectionist logic or a xenophobic 00:00:31 00:00:31 derive. We must make it clear that these are not, and never will be, the choices of Europe. The European Union will only have to win if it continues to project the vision of a Europe open to the world, from Japan to Mercosur. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, The structural weaknesses of the Eurozone remain unresolved. The asymmetries and imbalances 00:01:02 between its members reduce potential growth and 00:00:26 jeopardize the stability of the single currency. As long as Economic and Monetary Union remains incomplete, the risks of further crises will be greater. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, We agree with this House and we want to move towards this new cycle of negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework with a clear position: we must strengthen the Union's own resources and we need to 00:01:28 00:00:41 increase the contributions of all the Member States. Portugal is available to increase its contribution and supports the creation of new own resources, as proposed by the Monti Report, and subject to multiple suggestions. Applause SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I welcome the clear desire as reaffirmed by the Prime 00:02:09 Minister, to increase the contribution to the European 00:00:23 budge so that we can really live up to our responsibilities. This is another example from Portugal that I hope many others will follow. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Maria João RODRIGUES (S&D, PT), Your speech has just proven two things to us: firstly, how feasible it is in Portugal that there exists a progressive 00:02:32 00:00:25 alternative, focusing on the real needs of citizens and their aspirations. Also, your speech has proven that you have a progressive an optimist vision for the next stage of the European project. SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT, We need also institutional reform, a renewed European 00:02:57 democracy, we need for example a European parliament 00:00:18 that is not only responsible for the expenditures but also for the income, as in any normal European democracy. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, First we need to have a budgetary capacity in the Eurozone, once we’ve got this budgetary capacity in the EU then we can draw the obvious and necessary 00:03:15 conclusions, that we need a European finance minister; that 00:00:29 we need better monitoring by the EP of the implementation of the economic policy in the Eurozone. But first things first, let’s get things rights before we make further progress, we need to address the real concerns of the citizens. Applause 00:03:44 End 00:00:05 Audiovisual Services European Parliament Conditions of Use audiovisual.europarl.europa.eu © 2018 European Union.