Category: Speeches

Bridget Phillipson – 2025 Speech at Education World Forum

The speech made by Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, in London on 19 May 2025.

Hello everyone, and thank you all for being here.

It’s wonderful to see everyone together in the same place – the biggest gathering of education ministers anywhere in the world!

And what a fitting location. Just next door is the Methodist Central Hall, where almost 80 years ago the United Nations General Assembly met for the first time.

And we also sit in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, a place which marks the memories of so many inspirational figures, men and women who still light up our classrooms centuries on.

Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, and Charles Darwin are all buried there.

Jane Austen and the three Brontë sisters each have a plaque – next to the statue of William Shakespeare.

And close by lies the grave of Charles Dickens, whose stories I grew up reading, whose characters I loved.

Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Pip and his great expectations.

The abandoned children of Victorian London, held back, time and again, by the tough luck of a bad start.

I was always drawn to Dickens because he was never afraid to confront social injustice.

The daily, grinding poverty that kept opportunity out of the reach of millions.

There’s been plenty of progress since those darker days.

And thankfully, London looks very different today.

But much of the inequality, the injustice remains.

Opportunity still lies beyond the grasp of too many people – here in this country and around the world too.

We have so far to go on our journey to cut the link between background and success.

That’s our job as education leaders, to give not just some children but all children the opportunity to succeed, regardless of background, to make that old dream new again for each generation.

There are well over a hundred countries and territories represented here today. Well over a hundred different education systems. Well over a hundred different sets of challenges.

But we can come together around one common cause. Opportunity.

That’s what education is all about. Opportunity for all children – to learn, to discover, to go on and live a good life.

So that every child knows, deep down in their bones, that success belongs to them.

That’s my mission for the children of this country, it’s the mission of our government. Because background shouldn’t mean destiny.

But the barriers we face are huge – here in the UK and across the globe.

250 million children still out of school around the world.

70% of children in low- and middle-income countries unable to read at the end of their basic education.

A pandemic that saw schools all over the world close their gates, classrooms empty, playgrounds silent, a global generation of children falling behind.

Challenges of this scale demand the fresh solutions of the future, not the stale systems of the past.

We must squeeze every last drop of value out of every last pound of funding.

And technology will lead the way.

The opportunities of EdTech are huge. It’s a wave of innovation that can lift the learning of billions.

But to be clear about what technology can do, first we need to be clear what it cannot do.

It can’t replace great teachers.

They are the heart, they are the soul of every school.

That was true 500 years ago. It’ll be true in 500 more.

Education is a deeply human gift, given by one generation to the next.

Opportunity passed from one generation to the next.

But EdTech can take that gift and make it stronger, spread it further, share it with more children.

It can be the radical force that brings the very best education into every city, every town, every village, every school, every classroom in the world.

It can help us to reach learners who might otherwise be left out – because they have a disability, their parents are poor, they don’t speak a certain language, or simply because they’re a girl.

EdTech can help us tear down those barriers.

Here in this country, we’re using it to free up teachers time to spend more time teaching.

For children that means more attention, higher standards, better life chances.

For teachers – less paperwork, lower stress, fewer drains on their valuable time.

My department is continuing to support Oak National Academy, an online hub of resources for teachers, whose AI lesson assistant is helping teachers to plan personalised lessons in minutes.

Making the most of teacher time is one of the challenges we all face.

Another is attendance – getting children back in the classroom, especially since covid.

Our response is rooted in our world-class data, where schools can use an interactive dashboard to drive early intervention.

And it’s working. We’ve lost 3 million fewer days to absence this year than last.

And now we’re using AI to go further and faster.

Just last week we launched a brand new AI-powered tool, which we think is amongst the first of its kind in the world.

Every mainstream school in the country can access reports right now to benchmark their attendance against 20 similar schools.

They highlight what schools are doing well, and where they need targeted intervention and support.

That’s the kind of cutting-edge insight schools need to get attendance moving.

But, despite its huge power, we know that AI isn’t a magic wand.

EdTech can light up the next century of education – and I believe it will – but there are no guarantees.

So getting AI on the right track now is the most important challenge for global education in a generation.

And we have far to go to deliver the scale of progress that I know is possible.

Our evidence-base is too narrow, too shallow, too concentrated in certain parts of the world, too focused on certain parts of the system.

More research is needed; better research is needed.

On impact.

On value.

On sustainability.

And on safety.

We need to come together to grow a global, collective consensus – a suite of effective tools, built on top-class evidence.

That’s how, together, we can make sure EdTech and AI deliver the very best learning for children.

And on this the UK will lead the way.

This government’s EdTech hub – led by our Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – brings together research and policy organisations working to bridge the EdTech evidence gap.

The Hub is here to support and empower government leaders, giving you the evidence that you need to roll out and scale up EdTech effectively and responsibly.

The Hub is leading, and the UK is funding, the AI Observatory and Action Lab – supporting leaders in low- and middle-income countries to use AI in education.

And we are continuing the change here at home with our new Content Store Project.

We’re pooling a vast range of high-quality content – from curriculum guidance to teaching resources, from lessons plans to anonymised pupil work.

And we’re making it available to AI companies to train their tools – so that they can generate top quality content for use in our classrooms.

And we’re putting AI to work in a way that’s most useful for teachers, and most beneficial for students.

But now we want to go further, to share our expertise, to work with our partners around the world to grow that collective consensus.

So I am delighted to announce today that we are funding the development of global guidelines for generative AI in education.

Working closely with partners at the OECD, we are shaping the global consensus on how generative AI can be deployed safely and effectively to boost education around the world.

But everyone here today will know that guidelines are only ever as good as their implementation.

Because what really matters is firm action in our classrooms, not abstract promises on a page.

That’s why today I can announce that the UK will host an international summit on generative AI in education in 2026.

Education leaders from around the world will come together to implement these guidelines – for the benefit of our children, young people and learners the world over.

And we’ll continue to build the evidence base at home too.

So I’m pleased to announce today that my department is investing more than a million pounds to test the Edtech we’re using in schools and colleges.

Working with the Open Innovation Team, we’ll be engaging the sector to understand what works.

We’ll look at how tools, including AI, can improve things like staff workload, pupil outcomes and inclusivity.

Evidence must be at the heart of all we do, on EdTech and right across education.

Here in the UK, we’re lucky to have the Education Endowment Foundation.

The Foundation is at the forefront of research on how children learn.

And my officials work hand in hand with their experts to make sure all our policies and programmes are driven by the very best evidence.

We need to be at the top of our game.

We’ve spoken about the challenges specific to education, but there are wider global challenges, that spill into our schools and colleges.

Growing economic uncertainty, shifting labour markets, the flood of disinformation around social media.

These are shared challenges that demand shared solutions.

Solutions powered by technology, backed by evidence.

But collaboration is key. We can’t do this alone.

Learning from each other, sharing evidence, sharing data.

The UK is here to convene, to accelerate and to celebrate all that is best in global education.

And in the coming months we’ll publish our refreshed International Education Strategy.

At its heart will be collaboration.

Building partnerships that are meaningful, partnerships that matter, partnerships that, above all else, make a difference in the lives of the people we serve.

That’s what sets apart those men and women whom we remember in Westminster Abbey. They made a difference in people’s lives.

The scientists and engineers, the poets and playwrights, the doctors and nurses.

Most of their deeds were done and dusted centuries ago. But their legacy lives on.

EdTech is now bringing the wonders of the Abbey to a whole new generation of children.

From the Anglo-Saxons to the Tudors, from the majesty of coronations to the drudgery of everyday medieval life.

Abbey experts run virtual classrooms and virtual tours for schools unable to visit in person – so that every child can learn about this building which has been at the heart of our national life for a thousand years.

So that no child has to miss out.

That’s what EdTech is all about, what education is all about, opportunity for all of our children.

Because let’s not forget, this is for them.

For every child, for every young person, for every adult around the world who deserves the opportunity to learn.

That’s why we have to get this right.

That’s why so many of you have come here today from so far away.

And that’s why I am so thankful that you have.

Because together I know that we can make a difference.

So it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Education World Forum 2025.

And I look forward to working together with you as we build stronger, bolder, better education together.

Thank you.

May 20, 2025
David Lammy – 2025 Speech in Lviv on the Special Tribunal

The speech made by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, in Lviv on 9 May 2025.

It is a fitting time and place for this discussion.

It is remarkable that eighty years ago, Allied governments were dealing with detained Nazis, and thinking about accountability for the atrocities.

Some considered simple revenge.   But others favoured a different approach.

Holding those criminals accountable under international law.

Drawing in part on work by two great sons of this great city, Rafael Lemkin Sir Hersch Lauterpacht.

The resulting Nuremberg trials were a milestone in building a global order rooted in the rule of law and human rights.

Today, the pursuit of such a global order again seems a tall order.

Russia is waging a war of aggression, with mounting evidence that Russian soldiers are committing atrocities we would have hoped to consign to history – attacks which rain down on civilians, the deportation of children, torture and sexual abuse of civilians and prisoners of war.

Russian leaders show not the slightest concern for the lives of individuals or the laws of war.

But we need to remember figures like Lemkin were not naïve idealists.  Indeed, Sir Hersch wrote about anchoring his philosophy of international law in the ‘realities of international life’.

Precisely our task today.

We have it in our hands to hold those responsible for the invasion of Ukraine to account.  The UK is proud to have supported the idea of a Special Tribunal since the outset.

A Tribunal is an essential part of the armoury of justice, alongside the efforts of Ukrainian authorities to bring prosecutions inside Ukraine, and the work of the ICC.

As the country where Sir Hersch made his home, we are proud to support the Lviv Joint Statement and endorse the legal foundations for this Tribunal.

It will take time for a Tribunal to become operational. We support using the framework of the Council of Europe. But also believe we must expand the Core Group to more partners from beyond Europe.

The whole world is outraged at Russian crimes. The whole world should now come together to hold Russia to account. We must rally all countries in support of justice.

Our friends in Ukraine are staying true to the legacy of VE Day.

The legacy of Lemkin and Sir Hersch.

Thank you.

May 16, 2025
Wes Streeting – 2025 Speech on Men’s Health

The speech made by Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, at Central Hall in Westminster, London on 13 May 2025.

It is a genuine pleasure to be here alongside so many friends – people I don’t yet know, but people we want to work with.

It’s great to have such a wide range of people and organisations represented around the room, who are creating spaces for men to fight loneliness.

Encouraging open conversations about masculinity and providing positive role models for boys across our country.

I want to thank you, Richard, for picking up this agenda and helping to force it into the mainstream.

Society has been slow to wake up to the fact that a lot of men and boys are really struggling today, and you’re playing a big role in correcting that.

And, as you alluded to in your remarks, making sure that this is a mainstream agenda and not one that is surrendered to the margins and the extremes.

So, I’m looking forward to working with you and your institute as we begin to develop solutions to the inequalities and injustices that men and boys face in our country today.

The truth is it can be quite tough to be a young man in today’s society.

Lots of boys, particularly those from working class backgrounds like mine, are falling behind at school and are worried about their futures.

The proliferation of toxic influences and content on social media is leading a lot of boys astray.

A lot of content on social media that provided a real challenge for girls in terms of positive body image and what it meant to be a perfect girl or a woman in our society – those challenges are now applying to men and boys in similar if sometimes different ways.

And all of this is contributing to a crisis in masculinity.

Since taking on the health and social care brief in opposition 3 and a half years ago, I’ve been very outspoken about the fact that it takes 7 and a half years for women to receive a diagnosis for a common condition like endometriosis, or that a universal experience like menopause is still treated as if it’s a rare condition affecting alien species.

And I feel just as enraged about the inequalities in men’s health, frankly.

Men are living 4 years less than women.

The gap widens if you just look at working class communities.

Men are disproportionately affected by cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

The tragedy is that many of these conditions are treatable and even preventable.

Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as White men.

And suicide is the number one killer of men under the age of 50, which was a fact so shocking that I nearly fell off my chair when I first heard it and actually asked for the statistic to be checked. And the fact that it’s now more commonly cited should not make the fact itself less shocking or outrageous.

Nothing frustrates me more than when men’s health and women’s health are pitted in opposition to each other, as if by focusing on the men’s health strategy, we are in any way detracting from the work we’re doing on women’s health.

This is not an either or.

It very much has to be hand in hand, and we will address both.

And it also does a disservice to lots of women in our society, as if somehow women don’t care about their fathers and grandfathers, their brothers, their sons, their nephews any less than we care about our mothers or grandmothers, our sisters.

It’s really serious.

So I actually think that we are all in this together, and we will succeed as a society if we’re working together to tackle the injustices and inequalities that affect men and women.

There’s a common problem across the NHS that women’s voices are not heard, and women are not listened to.

When it comes to men, I think the problem is often we’re more reluctant to speak up in the first place.

One in 3 men have never had a conversation with a brother, father or grandfather about their health.

The same number would prefer to suffer in silence than go to the doctor about their mental health.

So, I think we’ve got to teach men from a young age that it’s okay to feel, to hurt and to ask for help.

Doing so doesn’t make you any less of a man.

And I think that making sure this generation of young men and boys are aware of that fact is how we make them less likely to channel their emotions into anger, aggression or depression.

This is all why we’re doing the first ever men’s health strategy.

I announced this last year at the Emirates Stadium to coincide with Movember, alongside a large number of men’s groups and organisations, charities and men’s health ambassadors.

It was a great event, but one of the things that came out of it on the day and since has never ceased to amaze me. And that is just how many people said, “thank you”.

That’s not just because as a politician, it’s rare for someone to say thank you.

I mean, to be fair, we’ve got to give people something to be grateful about.

But, actually, I was saying to people, look, you can thank us when we’ve done something.

All I’ve done is say we’re going to have a strategy.

We hadn’t even launched the call for evidence at that point.

When we’ve done something, when we’ve had an impact and we’ve started to change those statistics and change things about their lives and futures.

But actually the pushback I got was, no, actually, we’re genuinely grateful because we’ve been fighting for this for so many years and haven’t had a hearing, let alone someone being prepared to launch a call for evidence that will lead to a strategy.

And that tells us something about the extent to which men’s health has been overlooked, and particularly men’s mental health.

So we launched our call for evidence for the men’s health strategy in April, and I was about to say, I want to ask everyone who hasn’t responded yet to do so and spread the word further.

But actually, we have been really overwhelmed and really struck by just how positive and engaged such a large number of organisations have been.

But nonetheless, we want to make sure we engage as many men, as many organisations and as many different types of men and different parts of the country from different communities as we have.

Which is right.

We have to look at the data and we will take an evidence-based approach.

But as we know, statistics paint a picture to an extent, but what we also need to do is understand the story that we want to tell.

We’re talking about the experience of men and boys today and how we’re going to make it so much better, so we could do with more insight as well as data, especially from those grassroots organisations in this room and beyond, in a range of communities across the country, whether on physical health or mental health, whether we’re talking about White men or Black men, whether we’re talking about class inequality as well, which is at the heart of a lot of mental health. Any serious attempt to address mental health must confront these inequalities head on.

So, we’ve got our work cut out for us. Doing is a lot more important than talking.

We’ve done the easy bit, in my view.

We’ve committed to having a strategy to making a difference and making sure that we’re proud of the impact.

But in order to be successful, this isn’t just a challenge that government can address.

This is about government playing its part, but working in partnership with civil society, with businesses, with all of us as citizens to try and tackle what are a wide range of challenges and problems facing men and boys.

And that’s why this gathering is really important to me, the department and the government, because we need to do this with you rather than to you. And with this level of enthusiasm, this level of energy, we genuinely think we can do something impactful that we’ll be able to look back on for the rest of our lives with pride, knowing that we were prepared to confront the problems and the challenges head on, and make sure that boys growing up in this country today, whoever they are, whatever their background, can achieve their fullest potential and look forward to a life well lived, rather than experience the deep anxiety and despair far too many boys in our country are experiencing today.

So thank you very much in advance.

May 16, 2025
Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments at the Immigration White Paper Press Conference (Island of Strangers Speech)

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 12 May 2025.

[This text is from the civil service and so has the political text redacted]

Good morning.

Today, we publish a White Paper on immigration, a strategy that is absolutely central to my Plan for Change. This strategy will finally take back control of our borders and close the book on a squalid chapter for our politics, our economy, and our country.

“Take back control.” Everyone knows that slogan and what it meant for immigration, or at least that’s what people thought. Because what followed from the previous Government, starting with the people who used that slogan, was the complete opposite. Between 2019 and 2023, even as they were going around our country telling people, with a straight face, they would get immigration down, net migration quadrupled. Until in 2023, it reached nearly 1 million, which is about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city. That’s not control – it’s chaos.

And look, they must answer for themselves, but I don’t think you can do something like that by accident. It was a choice. A choice made even as they told you, told the country, they were doing the opposite. A one-nation experiment in open borders conducted on a country that voted for control. Well, no more. Today, this [political content redacted] Government is shutting down the lab. The experiment is over. We will deliver what you have asked for – time and again – and we will take back control of our borders.

And let me tell you why. Because I know, on a day like today, people who like politics will try to make this all about politics, about this or that strategy, targeting these voters, responding to that party. No. I am doing this because it is right, because it is fair, and because it is what I believe in.

Let me put it this way: Nations depend on rules – fair rules. Sometimes they’re written down, often they’re not, but either way, they give shape to our values. They guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to one another. Now, in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.

So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you’re not championing growth, you’re not championing justice, or however else people defend the status quo. You’re actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart.

So yes, I believe in this. I believe we need to reduce immigration significantly. That’s why some of the policies in this White Paper go back nearly three years, [political content redacted]. It’s about fairness.

Migration is part of Britain’s national story. We talked last week about the great rebuilding of this country after the war; migrants were part of that, and they make a massive contribution today. You will never hear me denigrate that. But when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration, to learning our language, and our system should actively distinguish between those that do and those that don’t. I think that’s fair.

Equally, Britain must compete for the best talent in the world in science, in technology, in healthcare. You cannot simply pull up a drawbridge, let nobody in, and think that is an economy that would work. That would hurt the pay packets of working people – without question. But at the same time, we do have to ask why parts of our economy seem almost addicted to importing cheap labour rather than investing in the skills of people who are here and want a good job in their community. Sectors like engineering, where visas have rocketed while apprenticeships have plummeted. Is that fair to Britain? Is it fair to young people weighing up their future to miss out on those apprenticeships, to see colleges in their community almost entirely dedicated to one-year courses for overseas students? No, I don’t think it is. And truth be told, I don’t think anyone does. And yet that is the Britain this broken system has created.

So, as this White Paper sets out, every area of the immigration system – work, family, and study – will be tightened up so we have more control. Skill requirements raised to degree level. English language requirements across all routes – including for dependents. The time it takes to acquire settled status extended from five years to ten. And enforcement tougher than ever because fair rules must be followed.

Now, make no mistake – this plan means migration will fall. That’s a promise. But I want to be very clear on this. If we do need to take further steps, if we do need to do more to release pressure on housing and our public services, then mark my words – we will. But it’s not just about numbers. Because the chaos of the previous government also changed the nature of immigration in this country. Fewer people who make a strong economic contribution, more who work in parts of our economy that put downward pressure on wages. So perhaps the biggest shift in this White Paper is that we will finally honour what “take back control” meant and begin to choose who comes here so that migration works for our national interest.

You know, this is where the whole debate is skewed, as if some people think controlling immigration is reigning in a sort of natural freedom rather than a basic and reasonable responsibility of government to make choices that work for a nation’s economy. For years, this seems to have muddled our thinking, but let me be clear – it ends now. We will create a migration system that is controlled, selective, and fair. A clean break with the past that links access to visas directly to investment in homegrown skills so that if a business wants to bring people in from abroad, they must first invest in Britain. But also, so settlement becomes a privilege that is earned, not a right, easier if you make a contribution, if you work, pay in, and help rebuild our country.

Now, some people may even be against that, but I think for the vast majority of people in this country, that is what they have long wanted to see. An immigration system that is fair, that works for our national interest, and that restores common sense and control to our borders. That is what this White Paper will deliver: lower net migration, higher skills, backing British workers, the start of repairing our social contract, which the chaos and cynicism of the last government did so much to undermine.

Thank you.

May 12, 2025
Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments at Press Conference in Kyiv

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, in Kyiv on 10 May 2025.

Volodymyr, friends, it is a real pleasure to be here in Kyiv with you all. With Emmanuel, with Friedrich, and with Donald.

This is Europe, stepping up, showing our solidarity with Ukraine, and also showing during this week when we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day that we understand the lessons of history.

The lesson that any veteran of Normandy, of North Africa or any other campaign will tell you but that Putin has not yet grasped:

There is no glory in aggression and conquest – glory comes from fighting for your country, defending your people, and winning the peace.

And that is the message of this moment.

Volodymyr, we stand with you to secure the just and lasting peace that Ukraine deserves.

It’s almost two months now since you agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire. In that time Russia has launched some of the most deadly attacks on civilians of the entire war. Including here in Kyiv.

Normal lives, homes, families destroyed.

This is what Russia offers in place of peace along with delays and smokescreens – like the current 72 hour ceasefire.

And so all of us here – together with the US – are calling Putin out.

If he’s serious about peace then he has a chance to show it now – by extending the VE Day pause into a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire with negotiations to follow immediately, once a ceasefire is agreed.

No more ifs and buts. No more conditions and delays. Putin didn’t need conditions when he wanted a ceasefire to have a parade. And he doesn’t need them now.

Ukraine has shown their willingness to engage again and again. But again and again Putin has refused.

So we are clear – all five leaders here, all the leaders of the meeting we just had with the Coalition of the Willing – an unconditional ceasefire rejecting Putin’s conditions. And clear that if he turns his back on peace, we will respond.

Working with President Trump, with all our partners, we will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine’s defence to pressure Russia back to the table.

And that’s what we have been discussing today – as well as securing Ukraine’s future for the longer term.

Convening the latest meeting of the Coalition of the Willing with partners joining virtually from around Europe and across the world – lining up to support Ukraine’s future strength and security, discussing operational plans and making concrete commitments of support across land, air and sea.

We want to help Ukraine look to the future with confidence – so we’re working to boost Ukraine’s economy.

And as a vital step, I’m pleased that UK experts have been on the ground leading work to support the resumption of flights into Ukraine, once a ceasefire is achieved.

It will take time – but this will be a huge moment in reconnecting Ukraine’s economy, boosting investor confidence, and helping to reunite families separated by this war.

Ukraine secure and thriving – that is what we all want to see.

With our 100-year partnership, the Critical Minerals deal with the US, and our Coalition of the Willing, we are building the framework for peace in Ukraine to support a better future for the Ukrainian people.

And to pledge once again, in our all interests, and on this anniversary, that aggression will never prevail on our continent.

Thank you.

May 12, 2025
Ursula von der Leyen – 2025 Statement on Election of New Pope

The statement made by Ursula von der Leyen on 8 May 2025.

We sincerely congratulate His Holiness Leo XIV on his election as Pope and head of the Catholic Church.

We wish that his pontificate be guided by wisdom and strength, as he leads the Catholic community and inspires the world through his commitment to peace and dialogue.

May 8, 2025
Ursula von der Leyen – 2025 Speech at the Choose Europe for Science Event

The speech made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 5 May 2025.

It is an honour to be here in the Sorbonne – surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the world. Dear Emmanuel, you once said that before being a university, the Sorbonne was an idea. An idea of scientific excellence, collaboration and – if I may add – of opportunity. And no story encapsulates this better than that of Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, also known a Marie Curie. In her homeland of Poland, then under Russian occupation, women were barred from universities. So, she and her sister joined underground night schools, dreaming of freedom through knowledge. That was at the end of the 19^th century. Her journey would eventually bring her to La Sorbonne. Here she was allowed to study and do her research. She ultimately revolutionised medicine and physics. Maria Skłodowska-Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields. And her discoveries and her work on radiation saved millions of lives. I start with this story not just because we are here in the Sorbonne – or even because it shows how scientific excellence can change the course of destiny. But because this is also a story about freedom. Freedom to learn and invent. It is a story about openness. Openness to turn ideas into groundbreaking discoveries. And it is a story about collaboration beyond borders. And this is exactly what Europe and the world need more today. Because I am convinced that science remains the fuel of progress and growth for our societies. Without the ideas and breakthroughs that come from scientific research, progress sooner or later stagnates.

Unfortunately, as your discussions have shown today, the role of science in today’s world is questioned. The investment in fundamental, free and open research is questioned. What a gigantic miscalculation. I believe that science holds the key to our future here in Europe. Without it, we simply cannot address today’s global challenges – from health to new tech, from climate to oceans. And as I look around the room – and at all the young people here – I know we are far from having run out of new ideas or bright minds. In fact, the truth is we have barely scratched the surface of the knowledge that science can offer us. So more than ever we need to stand up for science. Science that is universal – shared by all humanity – and that is unifying. Because the pursuit of knowledge and the yearning to understand how things work are values that bring us together as people, as it has done today. We can all agree that science has no passport, no gender, no ethnicity or political party. And as such it does play a crucial role in connecting people and creating a shared future in today’s fractured world. We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science. It is one of the most valuable global goods and it must be protected.

That is why I am here today, to say that Europe will always choose science. And Europe will always make the case for the world’s scientists to Choose Europe. Scientific endeavour runs deep through European history – from Pythagoras and Aristotle in Ancient Greece to Galileo and Copernicus in the Renaissance period or to Koch or Pasteur in latter centuries. The oldest university in Europe was founded in Bologna, where teaching started as far back as 1088. And Europe was the home of the Scientific Revolution which saw one of the most consequential transformations in human history – thanks to breakthroughs in mathematics, astronomy, biology and much more. That tradition lives on today. Europe already has the second highest scientific output in the world. It is home to over 2 million researchers – one quarter of the world’s total. We lead in green tech, health, economics, business and social sciences. We excel in areas of scientific research and technologies that are pivotal to our future – from aerospace to robotics, from automotive to engineering, from biotechnologies to pharmaceuticals, just to name a few.

And we have a huge number of natural advantages that help set us apart. The first is sustained and stable investment from Europe and its Member States. Europe runs the world’s largest international research programme, Horizon Europe. It has a firepower of over EUR 93 billion. Over the last 40 years, the European Union has funded 33 Nobel Prize laureates. European support has made possible breakthroughs in genome sequencing and mRNA vaccines. It spurred the development of cutting-edge microchips, and even led to the first image of a black hole. These examples show what we all know – the return on investment in science is unparalleled. We have worldclass research infrastructure. From particle physics to molecular biology, and from space exploration to nuclear fusion. This helps make Europe a leader in fundamental research.

We have a world-leading supercomputing infrastructure, EuroHPC, and we are investing massively in AI, quantum and digital research. Finally, we also have a proud tradition of open and collaborative science. We uphold the principles of open science, open education and data sharing. Our European Research Council is run not by politicians, but by scientists, for scientists. Our Horizon Europe programme is a magnet for global cooperation. From the UK to Switzerland, from Canada to South Korea, more and more countries want to join it. We see scientists from across the world collaborating here in Europe. Take CERN as a case in point. Founded 70 years ago to carry out cutting-edge research that no individual nation could do alone, it is today the world-leading laboratory for high-energy particle physics and related technologies. Researchers from over 100 nationalities working together for the good of humanity. This is how science should work, and it is why scientific freedom and collaboration must always be at the heart of our institutions and our infrastructure.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Europe has everything that is needed for science to thrive: we have the stable and sustained investment; we have the infrastructure; we have the commitment to open and collaborative science, we have a social market economy that delivers access to good schools, education and healthcare for all. But at the same time, we have to be alert and work on our deficiencies. We know that researchers still face too much – or too complex – bureaucracy here in Europe compared to some other parts of the world. We know that the path from fundamental research to business and to market is not straightforward or fast enough here in Europe. We know that we need to offer the very best a longer-term perspective. We are ready to tackle this head on.

We want Europe to continue to be at the forefront of fundamental research. We want Europe to be a leader in priority technologies from AI to quantum, from space, semiconductors and microelectronics to digital health, genomics and biotechnology. We want scientists, researchers, academics and highly skilled workers to choose Europe. And this is why today I am presenting the first elements of our Choose Europe Initiative.

The first priority is to ensure that science in Europe remains open and free. This is our calling card. We must do everything we can to uphold it – now more than ever before. We want to strengthen the free movement of knowledge and data across Europe – just as we do for goods, talents and capital across our Single Market. And we want to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law in a new European Research Area Act. Because as threats rise across the world, Europe will not compromise on its principles. Europe must remain the home of academic and scientific freedom.

The second element of Choose Europe is financing. Science is an investment – and we need to offer the right incentives. This is why I can announce that we will put forward a new EUR 500 million package for 2025-2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers. This will help support the best and the brightest researchers and scientists from Europe and around the world. We aim to create a new seven-year ‘super grant’ under the ERC to help offer a longer-term perspective to the very best. Through the ERC, we are already supporting researchers who relocate to Europe with a top-up beyond their grant. We are now doubling the amount they can receive this year. And I want to extend this support for 2026 and 2027.

At the same time, we must also focus on the next generation. This is why we are also increasing support to early career scientists through our Choose Europe pilot under Maria Skłodowska-Curie. Those that choose Europe will benefit from higher allowances and longer contracts. We will expand this support over the next two years, with targeted incentives in frontier fields, like AI. For the mid- and long-term: together with our Member States, we want to reach the 3% of GDP target for investment in research and development by 2030. And we will put forward ambitious proposals on research and innovation funding in the next long-term budget. Because we know that an investment in science is an investment into our future.

The third part of Choose Europe is the need to fast-track the pathway – from breakthrough science to transformative innovation and business opportunities. This is why we will put forward a first ever European Innovation Act and a Startup and Scaleup Strategy, to remove regulatory and other barriers, and to facilitate access to venture capital for innovative European startups and scaleups.

Last but not least: We have to make it easier and more attractive to come to Europe for research. We will better link up researchers with research institutions. We will speed up the process around entering and staying in Europe. We already have an excellent platform that links researchers worldwide with thousands of jobs in Europe, as well as providing visa support and career guidance. We now want to support public and private institutions to better link up to highly skilled workers and researchers, and to speed up and simplify the entry for top researchers. Because bringing the best from across the world is about bringing out the best of Europe.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Europe has made its choice. We are choosing to start a new age of invention and ingenuity. We are choosing to put research and innovation, science and technology, at the heart of our economy. We are choosing to be the continent where universities are pillars of our societies and our way of life. We are choosing to be the continent where innovation serves humanity, where global talent is welcomed. Because as the history of the Sorbonne and our excellent universities show, progress thrives on freedom, openness and collaboration. So, to every researcher, at home or abroad, to every young girl and boy who dreams of a life in science, as Maria Skłodowska-Curie once did, our message is clear: Choose Science. Choose Europe.

May 8, 2025
Donald Tusk – 2025 Statement on Election of New Pope

The statement made by Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, on 8 May 2025.

Habemus Papam! Evil will not prevail. Zło nie zwycięży. Ił male non prevarrà. The optimism and hope that the world needs.

May 8, 2025
Emmanuel Macron – 2025 Statement on Election of New Pope

The statement made by Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, on 8 May 2025.

A historic moment for the Catholic Church and its millions of faithful. To Pope Leo XIV, and to all Catholics in France and around the world, I extend a message of fraternity.

On this May 8th, may this new pontificate be one of peace and hope.

May 8, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2025 Statement on Election of New Pope

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 8 May 2025.

Congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex on his election to the See of Saint Peter and the beginning of his pontificate.

Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians.

At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine’s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace.

I wish His Holiness Leo XIV wisdom, inspiration, and strength—both spiritual and physical—in carrying out his noble mission.

Ad multos annos!

May 8, 2025