In this issue of The Global Conversation, Nicoleta Drougka receives Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
It is in June that the first European elections will take place since the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy crisis and the start of the war on Europe’s doorstep. New challenges that come on top of those that already exist, like global warming.
Nikoleta Drougka, Euronews – Mr Prime Minister, thank you for being with us. The European elections will be held in less than three months. What, in your opinion, are the most difficult challenges for Europe and what are the stakes of these elections?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek Prime Minister – I think these elections are particularly important for Europe in general, given the economic and geopolitical context. They are taking place in a context of great turbulence, with a war raging on our eastern flank, a major humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and as Europe emerges from five particularly difficult years.
I think this is also an opportunity for us to take stock of what we accomplished during the last European mandate, and to highlight the significant progress made by the Union. Thanks to the cooperation of all institutions, we were able to defend ourselves against Covid.
We have put in place major recovery plans with the “Recovery and Resilience Facility” (RRF), which, for countries like Greece, is of particular importance, to help us boost our growth and facilitate the transition. ecological and digital.
Against all odds, or contrary to what some enemy countries predicted, we remained united when it came to Ukraine. We must now focus on the next phase and ensure we are ready to meet the new challenges that will arise.
To what extent do the voices raised against Europe, which are becoming louder and louder, worry you?
I think there will always be voices that question Europe’s successes, and some of these criticisms may be justified. But ultimately, looking at the bigger picture, I remain firmly convinced that the future of the European Union is bright, and that Europe has been able to meet the expectations of its people.
This is why, for us, it is important to explain what we have accomplished, but also what we still need to do in the future. Because if we consider the next mandate and the major challenges that await us, I would highlight three, in particular. First of all, move from words to action with a concrete and effective policy regarding strategic autonomy.
If we take the example of defense, not only must we increase our spending on this aspect, but we must also coordinate it. Secondly, when it comes to Europe’s overall competitiveness, we must ensure that it stays in the race against China, the United States and the Global South. This will result in more qualified and better paid jobs for European citizens.
Thirdly, there is a more specific and sectoral challenge which is that of agriculture and our farmers, at a time when food security is at the forefront of our concerns. We must understand that certain measures we have taken over the last five years regarding the ecological transition have exerted much greater pressure on our farmers than we perhaps imagined, and we must ensure that this transition is applies at a speed that does not significantly impact their income.
Would you say that the European Union is sometimes also its own worst enemy?
There are 27 of us, and if we take the European Council, which meets several times a year, we must agree unanimously in a room.
This is a process which inevitably takes time, which also involves making compromises, and sometimes letting go, to achieve the general European interest.
This is the nature of the European Union. As we consider Europe’s enlargement, we must also look at ways to make our decision-making process more efficient. It will also be a complicated exercise, because any change requires unanimity once again, and the agreement of all member states. We must recognize that what we have achieved in Europe is unique on a historical scale.
We have voluntarily conferred powers on a supranational entity, and we must ensure that this fair balance, between decision-making at European level and that at national level, works every day. But once again, this is, in quotation marks, the “price” to pay to reap the benefits of our membership of the European Union.
You mentioned Europe’s autonomy in defense as one of the next challenges. Would you say that this should also be the top priority of the Commission and the future Parliament?
Defense is vital, as we saw following the war in Ukraine. Some countries may have believed that the peace dividends that followed the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union would last forever.
But this was denied. We have never been in this configuration, because we have always maintained high defense spending, because of certain regional geopolitical problems. Today, we realize that we all need to move up a gear and spend more, but also more intelligently, be more coordinated, rationalize our purchases in this area, perhaps have more European flagships capable of offering advanced defenses, and in a more efficient manner than today.
Mr Prime Minister, we have seen in the past that some EU member states – even if not Greece – had to fight to convince their citizens to participate in the European elections. Why do you think it is so important for citizens to vote?
Because what happens in Brussels matters, and who represents us in the European Parliament matters too.
The decisions taken in Brussels and Strasbourg are very important for our daily lives, and we need to send qualified people to the European Parliament – because ultimately European elections are about the European Parliament – in order to ensure that the European Parliament is made up of representative European citizens and that it will bridge the gap between the decisions taken in Brussels and what European citizens really want.
The European Parliament is our most democratic institution, which is why it is fundamental to participate in the European elections. We are a decidedly pro-European party, so you won’t hear me say anything else. And, of course, we’re doing our best to mobilize people and ensure that what is usually a low-turnout election perhaps defies the odds with increased turnout.
