The Slovenian Prime Minister emphasizes the strength of EU unity and solidarity
On December 13, 2022, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob addressed MEPs at the seventh debate on This is Europe.
He emphasized the power of European unity, cooperation and solidarity in facing challenges such as Russian aggression against Ukraine and the energy crisis.
He said that the EU must deal with high energy prices and introduce a regulatory framework that will reduce speculation in the energy market for the benefit of consumers.
A green transition is the only way forward to address energy autonomy and climate change, he said, with the benefits of lower prices. With ambition regarding renewable energy sources and infrastructure EU could take an important step forward, he added.
Golob expressed his unwavering commitment to the rule of law in Slovenia and other EU member states, as well as media freedom, and said that the fight against hate speech and fake news funded by special interests and political opponents is imperative.
Regarding expansion, he emphasized the need to stabilize the Western Balkans, which is increasingly under pressure due to the start of the Russian war. Ukraine propaganda and influence and integrate them even more into the EU. He expressed strong support for granting candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina and providing a European perspective to its citizens, which would bring positive changes to the country.
In response to the Prime Minister’s speech, MEPs welcomed Slovenia’s European commitment and welcomed its engagement in the field of energy policy, the green transition and the expansion of the Western Balkans. Some MEPs expressed concern about media freedom and the rule of law in Slovenia.
Watch President Metsola’s introduction and Prime Minister Golob’s speech here.
You can watch the entire debate here.
Background
This was the seventh “This is Europe” debate held in the European Parliament to discuss with EU leaders their visions for the future of the EU; in previous iterations Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (in March), Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (May), Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin (at the first June plenary session), Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (at the second June plenary session) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (July) and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (in September).
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