Tag: Donald Tusk

Below is the text of the speech made by Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, in the European Parliament on 4 July 2019.

Mr President, Members of the European Parliament, first of all I want to congratulate the Members of this House on their election and to congratulate the new President. I offer you my best wishes and I hope for good cooperation between our institutions.

To some, it is Parliament that represents genuine European democracy because of its directly elected Members, while to others it is rather the European Council because of the strong democratic legitimacy of the leaders. In fact, such disputes make little sense, as both institutions are democratic. In the end, we must respect each other and cooperate with each other, because only then can we build trust and change Europe for the better.

That is why, honourable Members, before the European Council proposed the new leadership of the Union, I met with your representatives many times. I did so not only out of respect for you but also, above all, to make sure that the decisions are truly common. We managed to make these decisions on time, and actually much more quickly than five years ago. I believe they are good choices. For the first time in our history, the European Council proposed two women and two men to lead the key EU institutions. I feel happy and proud that we have achieved perfect gender balance in the top positions. This is a very positive change. Europe is not only talking about women, it is choosing women. I hope that this choice will inspire many girls and women to fight for their beliefs and passions. I also hope that it will inspire the European Parliament in its decisions.

During the process of nominations, I was in close contact with the leadership of the Greens, especially with Ska Keller and Philippe Lamberts. I am fully confident that cooperation with the Greens and their presence in the EU decision-making bodies will benefit not only the governing coalition, but also Europe as a whole. Therefore, I will appeal to all my partners to involve the Greens in the nominations, even though there is still no European Council leader from this party. I hope that the newly nominated Ursula von der Leyen will also listen to my appeal and, in fact, I will pass this message to her directly later today. As you know, in many countries green symbolises hope and freedom. I have much faith in this symbol.

Speaking about different sensitivities in Europe, I would also like to mention unity and geographical balance on the continent. As you know, I have personally struggled to maintain European unity in recent years, whether on solidarity with Ukraine, assistance to Greece, the migration crisis or the Brexit talks. Sometimes we were more and sometimes less successful, but eventually we always managed to stay together. This is because the leaders truly understand the power of unity. It is clear that only when we are united can we counterbalance the most powerful global players.

At our last summit, we were also able to build consensus. It took us three days because I wanted to be sure that every Member State, big or small, from every corner of Europe, was on board when it came to the future leadership of the Union. Of course, there is still room for improvement, as regards representatives from the East, in the overall architecture of European positions. In particular, some Prime Ministers from the Socialist family were making commitments as regards geographical balance in this House.

The European Council also covered a number of other topics but, since you know our conclusions, I will not take up any more of your time. Thank you and good luck again.

Below is the text of the speech made by Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, following a meeting with Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach.

There are 50 days left until the UK’s exit from the European Union, following the decision and the will of the UK authorities. I know that still a very great number of people in the UK, and on the continent, as well as in Ireland, wish for a reversal of this decision. I have always been with you, with all my heart. But the facts are unmistakable. At the moment, the pro-Brexit stance of the UK Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition, rules out this question. Today, there is no political force and no effective leadership for remain. I say this without satisfaction, but you can’t argue with the facts.

Today our most important task is to prevent a no deal scenario. I would, once again, like to stress that the position of the EU27 is clear, as expressed in the documents agreed with the UK government – that is the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration – and the EU27 is not making any new offer. Let me recall that the December European Council decided that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for re-negotiation. I hope that tomorrow we will hear from Prime Minister May a realistic suggestion on how to end the impasse, in which the process of the orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU has found itself, following the latest votes in the House of Commons.

The top priority for us, remains the issue of the border on the island of Ireland, and the guarantee to maintain the peace process in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement. There is no room for speculation here. The EU itself is first and foremost a peace project. We will not gamble with peace; or put a sell-by date on reconciliation. And this is why we insist on the backstop. Give us a believable guarantee for peace in Northern Ireland, and the UK will leave the EU as a trusted friend. I hope that the UK government will present ideas that will both respect this point of view and, at the same time, command a stable and clear majority in the House of Commons. I strongly believe that a common solution is possible, and I will do everything in my power to find it.

A sense of responsibility also tells us to prepare for a possible fiasco. The Taoiseach and I have spoken about the necessary actions in case of no deal; I know that you will also be discussing this shortly with the European Commission.

By the way, I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. Thank you.

Below is the text of the speech made by Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, in the European Parliament on 5 July 2016.

First of all I would like to thank you for your contributions to today’s debate. It is fully understandable that events of the past days have produced a lot of negative emotions. But we cannot give in to these emotions. We have to preserve the ability to make sober assessments and rational decisions.

First, I would like to stress that the EU is ready to proceed with an amicable divorce with the UK even today. In this process we will stand firmly on the grounds of the Treaties, which have prepared us for such a situation. And one thing must be clear: the Treaties have left the decision on the initiation of the divorce proceedings to the member state that wishes to leave the EU. In other words we cannot effectively force this decision on the UK.

Secondly, before launching the divorce procedures, we will not undertake any negotiations on the future shape of relations between the EU and the UK. These future relations will be based on a balance of rights and obligations. I would like to reassure you that wherever there may be a conflict of interest, we will act in the interest of the EU, and we will do so effectively.

Thirdly, today we have heard a lot of severe and critical comments aimed at member states. I want to tell you that in our talks with the leaders of member states I always repeat that there is no EU without the EU institutions. In the current situation, attacks on the EU institutions, including the Commission and the Parliament, can only deepen the confusion. The national capitals must undertake an effort to stop accusing the EU and its institutions of weaknesses and failures. The referendum in the UK was lost, also because the political elites have for years been building a negative and often unfair vision of the EU. But there is no EU without the member states either. It is impossible to solve serious problems in the EU against the will of the member states. Taking responsibility for one’s own words applies also to representatives of EU institutions. Today we must combine all our efforts to agree on what is our common interest, as opposed to constantly demonstrating individual importance, in some kind of perpetual vanity fair.