European Union

Good afternoon. I am happy to be back again in Stockholm. And thank you Stefan for your warm hospitality.

My visit to Stockholm this time is prompted by the result of the UK referendum. Our meeting in Bratislava next week will mark the beginning of the reflection process and I am currently consulting the 27 on their ideas and expectations.

In short, to me the aim of the Bratislava summit is to bring back the political control of our common future. We need to come up with a diagnosis of the Union's current shortcomings. And more importantly, the Union and its Member States must demonstrate our strong determination and ability to address the major concerns and worries of its citizens. Based on my consultations so far, I have no doubt that the three main challenges are uncontrolled irregular migration, terrorism, and the fears of globalisation. These three challenges are not unique for Europe but they are essential for understanding the increasing lack of trust in the European Union. My ambition is that in Bratislava we can agree on the main priorities and what we need to do about them in the next few months.

For me it is clear that our first priority must be to secure our external borders. This is also a necessary precondition for a common European asylum policy. In Bratislava I would like to see a critical number of Member States sending border guards and equipment to help Bulgaria protect its border with Turkey. This would be a concrete example of support to an EU country that is seeing more migrants trying to cross illegally into the EU. And it would be an important signal that we are serious and will not hesitate to act if and when needed. Never again can we allow our borders to be overrun by waves of irregular migrants as in 2015.

Fighting the threat of terrorism in Europe and elsewhere is another priority, and where there is no alternative to greater European cooperation and coordination. In Bratislava I want us to pledge that all persons, including EU citizens, that cross the Union's external borders are checked against the relevant databases. It is a question of our security.

In a wider sense we also need to bring back control of globalisation to make sure that it is an opportunity and not a threat. We need to find a way to safeguard the interests of our citizens while remaining open to the world.

This is how I see the situation and how I suggest solving some of our collective problems. I look forward to discussing this with you, Stefan. Thank you.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

I would like to thank Prime Minister Rõivas for his warm welcome and for taking time during what I know is an intense political season in Estonia.

I have travelled to Tallinn today to consult with the Prime Minister ahead of our summit of 27 leaders in Bratislava next week. We will be meeting to talk about what the European Union could and should look like after Brexit.

I know, that here, in Estonia the prospect of the UK leaving the Union is a shock, as the UK has been a great ally in questions you care about, such as free trade and the digital agenda, not to mention security policy. I am aware of questions that have arisen here because the UK will take the lead in deploying troops in Estonia as part of NATO's  reassurance measures. I talked yesterday with Prime Minister Theresa May and I can assure you that she shares our determination to keep the best and closest possible relations between the EU and the U.K.

The meeting in Bratislava, however, is not about Brexit per se but about how we organise the EU in the future. And this is exactly what I discussed today with Prime Minister Rõivas: It was important for me to hear your thoughts, Taavi, on how the EU could best respond to the concerns that so many Europeans have today: about irregular migration, the effects of globalisation, the slow recovery from the economic crisis, and the fear of terrorism, which has touched Estonia recently in a very direct way in Nice.

We need to show that we are aware, determined and capable of handling the biggest concerns. This is also why I will appeal to all 27 leaders next week in Bratislava to send concrete, operational support to Bulgaria to protect its border with Turkey, in the form of border guards and equipment.

To conclude, I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the Estonian government for having agreed to take on the task of the EU Presidency 6 months earlier than you had planned for. I am absolutely convinced that you will not only manage but will excel at it. The second half of 2017, when you will lead the work of the Council of the European Union, promises to be an intense and critical time for the EU. I can think of no one else I would rather have in my corner at that time. Thank you.

The European Central Bank has decided to leave the benchmark interest rate at zero percent, but contrary to expectations it is not extending its bond-buying programme for the time being. Some commentators criticise the bank's quantitative easing programme, pointing to the negative impact on savers. Others praise the ECB for curbing the banks' greed and pushing states to introduce reforms.

Speaking at an economic forum in the Polish city of Krynica, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński has called for a "cultural counter-revolution" to save the EU. Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán expressed similar ideas at the event. Some commentators note with an eye to the Brexit that the Eastern European leaders' critique of the EU is fundamentally correct. For others the two leaders are very much wide of the mark.

Croatians will go to the polls again on Sunday. The coalition between the conservative HDZ and the new Most party collapsed after a no-confidence vote toppled the independent prime minister Tihomir Orešković in June. Commentators see the country as deeply divided and fear that once again there will be no clear election winner.

The citizens of Hungary will vote in a referendum on October 2 on whether to accept mandatory quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rejects the quota system approved by Brussels. The outcome of this referendum could spell the end for the EU, commentators fear.