European Union

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Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, at the European Parliament.

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Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

I want to congratulate you warmly on your election as President of the European Parliament, and to wish you and all the Members of the House well for 2017.

No-one can have any doubts that it will be an extraordinary year for Europe and the European Union. Last year, we managed to make progress on migration, security and the economy in spite of the unprecedented difficulties we faced. This was thanks, in great part, to your hard work and sense of responsibility in responding to events. Similarly,  I trust that we will rise together to meet the challenges of the next months.

I would now like to briefly outline the main results of the December European Council. Leaders discussed our efforts to regain control on migration. The radical drop in irregular migration on the Eastern Mediterranean route was possible thanks to our decision to get back to Schengen, the closure of the Western Balkan route and Turkey's co-operation. In this context, leaders stressed their commitment to implement the EU-Turkey Statement, which also requires efforts from the Turkish side.

As regards the Central Mediterranean route, High Representative Mogherini reported on the progress with African countries. Last year, one hundred and eighty thousand  migrants arrived irregularly to Italy. This is a situation that cannot continue. That is why Libya and our approach to the Central Mediterranean route will be the key point of the next informal summit in Malta.  As you know, the EU supports the Government of National Accord and its efforts to consolidate peace and stability in Libya. We stand ready to step up the EU's engagement to strengthen the capacity to address security issues and consolidate institutions, in full respect of Libyan sovereignty.

As for Ukraine, we adopted a legally-binding decision of the leaders to facilitate the ratification of the Association Agreement in the Netherlands. This decision addresses the concerns expressed by the Dutch voters last year. Now, the responsibility lies with the Netherlands. The ratification is important not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe's geo-political standing and credibility. We did what we could to help save the Association Agreement already ratified by 27 Member States and the European Parliament. Now the ball is in the court of the Dutch.

On the Minsk agreements, Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande gave their assessment of the Normandy process for resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Their clear recommendation was, that since Russia has still not implemented the Minsk agreement, sanctions should be prolonged. They are now in place for a further six months.

The world has become a more dangerous place, whether we talk about open conflict, terrorism or so-called hybrid war in the form of cyberattacks and public disinformation. Therefore, leaders agreed to step up work on defence, in partnership with NATO. They have also agreed to increase co-operation on external security across the board - from research to how we develop military capabilities, right down to how we conduct our missions and operations. More resources will be needed, most importantly at the national level on defence spending, but also  through funds from the European Union. Your support to this work will be critical, given the institutional and financial questions involved. The objective is clear. European countries should do more in the face of immediate security threats facing our citizens, and so should the European Union.

Leaders also discussed internal security. The political agreement on the EU's Counter-Terrorism Directive, which criminalises foreign fighters and their activities throughout the European Union, is a right step forward, but we need more. Leaders called for the remaining decisions which can prevent future terror attacks to be swiftly finalised and implemented, such as for example tougher legislation on firearms. We have called on the co-legislators to agree by June on an Entry/Exit System, and by the end of 2017, on a European Travel Information and Authorisation System. This will ensure that visa-exempt travellers are screened systematically. These are tough deadlines, but the situation requires that we work more quickly than normally.

Leaders also discussed several initiatives aimed at making the European economy work for everyone. We had an exchange with President Draghi, who underlined that the improved economic situation still needs reform efforts. The statistics are better, but the important thing is for ordinary people and businesses to feel confident about the future. This is why the European Fund for Strategic Investment will be extended, our trade defence instruments will be modernised, and the Youth Guarantee will be continued. To strengthen our recovery, 2017 needs to be a year of great ambition for the Single Market, both in terms of deepening and modernisation. The Parliament's role is obviously vital here.

Finally, on Brexit. The EU27 had a short informal meeting where we agreed procedural arrangements and reconfirmed our principles, namely the indivisibility of the four freedoms, the balance of rights and obligations and our rule of 'no negotiations without notification'.

The European Council will maintain political control over the process, while ensuring that the Commission is the Union's chief negotiator. The leaders fully realise the important role of the European Parliament in the process. With this in mind, they invited the chief negotiator to keep the Parliament closely and regularly informed, and agreed how the European Council will interact with the Parliament throughout the coming months. With this work now done, the EU stands ready to start the negotiations when the UK notifies its departure.

Lastly, let me make one comment. Yesterday's speech by Prime Minister May proves that the unified position of 27 Member States on the indivisibility of the Single Market was finally understood and accepted by London. It would be good if our partners also understood that there will be no place for pick-and-choose tactics in our future negotiations. At the same time I want to underline, that we took note of the warm and balanced words of Prime Minister May on European integration, which were much closer to the narrative of Winston Churchill than that of the American President-elect Trump. 

Even in a world of uncertainties, some things are certain.

We know the year ahead is going to be a rollercoaster ride. We’ve learned to expect the unexpected, knowing that opinion polls and experts will once again get it wrong in forecasting election results.

And across the world, there will be even more venom, racism and hate directed at refugees, migrants and minorities – led, unfortunately, by the United States and Europe.

US President-elect Donald Trump and Europe’s far-right populists have already made Muslim-baiting their favourite sport. Their anti-Islam rants have unsurprisingly triggered a surge in real-life hate crimes and online hate speech against Muslims, migrants and refugees. Anti-Semitic attacks and social media posts are also on the rise.

It’s going to get worse. With Marine Le Pen in France, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Frauke Petry of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany seeking even more headlines and voters in upcoming polls, there will be no let-up in anti-Muslim hate-mongering in Europe.

“Truth, courtesy and facts are out. Lies, insults and dishonesty are in”

Migrants and refugees in Europe are getting a large share of the poison. The EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency warns that the arrival of asylum seekers and migrants in large numbers, combined with reactions to terrorist attacks in a number of European Union countries, has contributed to a “more open manifestation of racism, xenophobia and intolerance in public discourse”.

Social media has, of course, made hate crime and incitement to hatred much easier. Statements posted online spread quickly and widely, making it difficult to challenge them and to remove them completely.

Overnight, we have become used to a post-truth world of lying politicians. Truth, courtesy and facts are out. Lies, insults and dishonesty are in. Bullying and hate-mongering represent the ‘new normal’.

It’s time to start practicing the necessary art of say no to spreading hate.

It won’t be easy. But many people are taking up the challenge. Just this month, three high-level conferences are taking a closer look at ways to stop the ‘hate game’.

The EU, Canada, the United States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hosted a high-level forum this week on combating anti-Muslim discrimination and hatred. The event, held at the United Nations in New York, looked at government policies to combat anti-Muslim hate, stressed the need for coalition building and discussed new narratives to promote pluralism and inclusion.

“Conferences and codes of conduct – even legislation – are not enough. Everyone has to pitch in”

The Maltese government, which holds the presidency of the EU Council, and the European Commission will hold an event in Brussels on 25 January to explore ways to change negative perceptions of migration through an evidence-based, forward-looking and balanced narrative.

And a day later the European External Action Service and the UN Alliance of Civilisations will focus on improving the quality of media coverage of migrants, promoting ethical journalism and preventing hate speech on the internet.

But conferences and codes of conduct – even legislation – are not enough. Everyone has to pitch in to ensure that anti-discrimination laws are enforced, xenophobic politicians are taken to task and media – social and traditional – stops inciting hatred.

The forum in New York underlined that civil society has a key role to play in building inter-faith and inter-ethnic coalitions to combat discrimination and create positive stories of societies built on pluralism, diversity and inclusion.

Hate and discrimination may be just something that happens to ‘them’, those ‘others’ in our midst. But when xenophobia goes mainstream, society and democracy are endangered. And everyone suffers.

Related content

• Friends of Europe: Beware clashes of big-power nationalisms in 2017 – with Europe stuck in the middle, by John Bruton
• Europe’s World: Why we should resist the idea and practice of ‘post-truth’, by Emmi Itäranta
• Debating Europe: Will 2017 be a better year than 2016?

IMAGE CREDIT: CC/Flickr – SAJV CSAJ

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Plenary sessions : MEPs discussed the priorities of the Maltese Council Presidency with Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs discussed the priorities of the Maltese Council Presidency with Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

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