On Tuesday 8 July, MEPs expressed their support for the priorities of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union – “A strong Europe in a changing world” – during a debate with the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, in Strasbourg.
“Europe is facing the greatest challenges since the 1940s. Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, migratory pressure on Europe’s external borders, conflicts in the Middle East, the risk of a trade war and rising tariffs, growing competition over the future of strategic technologies and, above all, the climate and biodiversity crises. Our security, our values, our economies and our way of life are under pressure. We need to meet these challenges head on. Together”, the Prime Minister summed up before an almost empty Chamber.
Although she belongs to the Social Democrat political family, Ms Frederiksen received strong support from the EPP Group represented by Jeroen Lenaers (Dutch), who felt that it was necessary to invest in defence capabilities, cooperation with the Allies to support Ukraine, and competitiveness. “Europe risks suffocating under its own regulations. We need to make it easier to do business, innovate, grow and compete, especially for our SMEs and family businesses”, he stressed.
According to Billy Kelleher (Renew Europe, Irish), the ‘Draghi’ report should be applied “in terms of competitiveness, the ‘Green Deal’, deepening the single market, and managing energy costs”.
“We support the priority given by this Presidency to a safe, competitive and green Europe. Because we see competitiveness not as a race to increase inequalities, but as the ability to build economies that innovate without excluding, that manage without polluting, that protect jobs without sacrificing social justice”, added Iratxe García Pérez (S&D, Spanish).
She and Billy Kelleher felt that the right to housing should also be a priority for the Presidency.
According to Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Greens/EFA, Danish), “it is a good thing to use this Presidency to speed up the green transition”. “Denmark is proof that it can be done, that climate security, a strong economy, and a society of well-being can go hand in hand”, she explained, calling on Denmark to reach an agreement on climate targets for 2040 (see other news).
Support for Ukraine “by all possible means, for as long as necessary”, a priority of the Danish Presidency, was welcomed by the MEPs. However, several of them hoped that the Presidency would look beyond Ukraine to the situation in the Middle East.
Iratxe García Pérez praised Ms Frederiksen’s programme and personality, but failed to mention the bone of contention between her and her Social Democrat partners: migration.
The Danish Prime Minister is taking a firm line. Migration “is a challenge for Europe. It affects people’s lives and the cohesion of our societies. (...) European citizens have the right to feel safe in their own country”, stressed Mette Frederiksen. In her words, “we need to strengthen our external borders, reduce the influx of migrants into Europe, help stabilise the EU’s neighbouring countries and make return procedures easier and, of course, more effective”.
A position that delighted the EPP. My Group “has been calling for a fair, firm and effective system for a long time”, summarised Jeroen Lenaers.
While Ms Frederiksen called for a restructured post-2027 EU budget that would be more flexible to deal with unforeseen circumstances, simplified, with more private capital and refocused on political priorities, Iratxe García Pérez advocated “a European budget that is equal to the challenges, fair, with own resources and a strengthened autonomous ‘European Social Fund+’ focused on individuals” and that does not pit social and territorial cohesion against new challenges.
On behalf of The Left Group, Denmark’s Per Clausen criticised his country’s programme. “But where are the real ambitions for tackling the climate crisis? Where are the targeted efforts against cross-border social dumping? And for the weakest and most vulnerable in Europe? (...) Why should we continue to depend on the United States? And why is respect for international law not at the heart of the Presidency?”, he asked.
Similarly, Kristoffer Storm (ECR, Danish) felt that the Danish programme was “superficial” and lacked “concrete solutions”. The Danish Presidency now has six months to convince him otherwise.
See the Danish Presidency programme: https://aeur.eu/f/HFO (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)