Schulz: Terrorism and populism 'should not blind us'
EU i's two political assemblies emphasise need to cooperate to revive trust in EU
The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz i, and leaders of the European Committee of the Regions rallied together on 6 April to find a response to the extremism and instability in Europe. They stressed that governments at all levels need to significantly strengthen cooperation in order to counteract the growth of populist sentiment in Europe. The EU, they argued, must demonstrate that it can meet the needs of citizens by driving local economies, promoting social cohesion and creating legislation that delivers locally.
"2015 hallmarked with tragic events in Paris, was followed by barbarian attacks in Brussels ten days ago. These attacks feed the populists' rhetoric. But although it is a serious threat it should not blind us in our actions," President Schulz said. "We need to continue with our common European solutions, starting from tackling radicalisation, promoting education and social inclusion, but also stepping up exchange of information. By acting together at every level we can make our common European project stronger and also closer to citizens."
The meeting between President Schulz and the CoR's political leaders came two weeks after terrorist attacks in Brussels, and one day before Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels Capital Region, discusses the events with members of the European Committee of the Regions at their plenary session.
During the discussion with President Schulz, Markku Markkula, President of the European Committee of the Regions, said: "The Brussels attacks and the refugee crisis have cast a shadow over the European project. Yet the only way to find resolve to such unprecedented challenges is to act together. Our cooperation with the European Parliament exemplifies just this: led by the principle of subsidiarity, governments at all levels are standing side-by-side, ready to make the EU work. From better investment to better regulation, we welcome the Parliament's commitment to working with regions and cities to make the EU deliver for our citizens."
Karl-Heinz Lambertz , the First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions, added: "Europe stands for cohesion between countries, regions and people. However, solidarity has been weakened by the recent crises, which has fed populism and Euroscepticism. We need to reverse this trend, bringing back trust and hope in the EU. This is only possible if all the EU's institutions and organs work closely in partnership, communicating together in our communities to demonstrate the real benefits the EU brings to citizens daily lives."
The meeting concluded with an informal understanding to build on the CoR and European Parliament's cooperation agreement signed in 2014.
The CoR political groups were represented by: the PES First Vice-President, Markus Töns, Member of the North Rhine-Westphalia Regional Parliament, Germany; the EPP President Michael Schneider, State Secretary, Representative of the Land of Saxony-Anhalt to the Federal Government, Germany; the ALDE President Bas Verkerk, Mayor of Delft, Netherlands; the EA president Stanisław Szwabski, Member of Gdynia City Council, Poland; and the ECR President, Gordon Keymer, Leader of Tandridge District Council, UK.
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