From the 6th to the 9th of June, European citizens will participate in the largest supranational election in the world. They will be called upon to exercise their democratic right to vote. This is a decisive moment for Europe.
For us, free elections are the cornerstone of European democracy, but too many take them for granted. Voting matters for our freedom and rights.
Over the past five years, the European Union has delivered in an unprecedented way. We have come together in solidarity. We have procured vaccines for all European Union citizens. We are defending our values and our way of life. We are firm in our support to Ukraine. We are bringing our neighbours closer to us, and bolstering our collective security. Because we know that we are stronger, safer and get more, when we are together.
Our new historic EU migration deal will be fair with those in need of protection, firm with those not eligible for asylum and hard with traffickers who exploit the most vulnerable. Our new European climate laws will mean cleaner air, healthier rivers and seas.
Together with the digital transition, they will bring new opportunities, increase our competitiveness and bring much needed economic growth, as we keep addressing the cost of living crisis.
None of this was easy, particularly in a world where war is no longer unthinkable and fewer people live in a democracy than outside of one. But we have proven that Europe can deliver on the issues that matter to Europeans and that cannot be solved by any one country alone. That is not to say that Europe is perfect. We can still improve.
After the election, there will be 720 MEPs coming to Brussels. Who those people are and what they stand for is in the hands of the more than 370 million Europeans eligible to vote across 27 Member States. They will shape policies and adopt legislation that affect all of us. They will determine the direction of Europe for the next five years.
It is up to you to choose, to vote. Do not take Europe for granted.
Roberta Metsola is President of the European Parliament.