Annual meeting between national MPs and MEPs kicks off

The 14th edition of the annual European Parliamentary week opened on Monday with warning words for Europe from the speakers of the European Parliament and Poland’s two Houses.

Kicking off the two day event which brings MPs from all over Europe together with MEPs, EP President Roberta Metsola said the meeting should help legislators coordinate the needed change of approach to respond to citizens’ demands and geo-political shifts. Ms Metsola told legislators present that they needed to once again prove that parliamentary democracy was the best model to deliver for people and that the way for the EU to remain relevant was to act much more decisively and swiftly.

The Marshal of Poland’s Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, said that Europeans and their leaders needed to again believe in themselves, rather than only being fearful. He also spoke up for a more decisive Europe which shaped its own destiny rather than allowing itself to be controlled by others like Putin. He called for massive investment and the development of European military capabilities which avoided duplication.

The Marshal of Poland’s Senate, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, also called for more positivity at the base of European action, arguing that European countries offered the best place to live on the planet. She underlined that Europe’s best defence lay in a strong economy with strong support for innovation.