Stuttgart, 02.02.2021, report: editorial staff The tradition of the Stuttgart speeches on Europe began with the former Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Erwin Teufel and the former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.
Yesterday, the former President of the European Commission Jean-Paul Juncker was the speaker alongside Winfried Kretschmann. The speeches and discussions took place online. On this occasion remembered goodnews4.de to the last speech on Europe by Erwin Teufel in Baden-Baden on the occasion of the presentation of the Coeur de l´Europe during the Pierre Pflimlin Symposium 2019 at the invitation of goodnews4.de and the Brenner’s Park Hotel.
The message from the State Ministry in the wording:
“At the moment, all of Europe lives between hope and fear: Everywhere we are experiencing fear of the corona virus. But we also experience solidarity and togetherness. The European Union must stand together in the Corona crisis, ”said Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann on Monday, February 1, 2021, as part of the“ Stuttgart Speech on Europe ”event series. Welcomed by the Minister of Justice and for Europe Guido Wolf, the former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker gave the speech in a virtual event this year. Afterwards Jean-Claude Juncker and Winfried Kretschmann will discuss the present and future of the EU.
«In the midst of the Corona crisis, we lose sight of the big picture. Europe and the European Union are criticized, and not always wrongly, ”said Jean-Claude Juncker. «The European Union is and will remain a success story. Left on their own, their member states would only have limited capacity to act. “
«The European Union has shown great solidarity with the joint reconstruction fund. It has been shown: With a virus that does not stop at borders, European cooperation is more important than ever. I am also firmly convinced that the joint procurement of vaccines was the right one. Even if not everything went optimally in the execution, ”says Kretschmann.
An important signal would come from the USA during these times, said Kretschmann. «It comes from a new president whom we know as a friend of Europe. Who does not want to divide, but to bring together. And who turns things around right at the beginning of his term of office – especially when it comes to climate protection. “
What you can do for each other now is also important for the time after the Corona crisis, said Kretschmann. “Even then, we must work together to slow down climate change, take a self-confident European path towards digitization, fight right-wing populism and defend our democracy.”
One lesson from Brexit is that we would still need the old nation-state, said Kretschmann. “But relying on him alone in the global world leads to self-dwarfing. Sovereignty in the global world of the 21st century can only be spelled European. In Baden-Württemberg we see ourselves as the locomotive of European integration. It is no coincidence that our state constitution gives us the mandate to actively participate in European integration. That is why we felt called upon to actively participate in this debate after Brexit and the so-called White Paper process by Jean-Claude Juncker on the future of the European Union. With random citizen dialogues and experts, we have developed a model for Europe for the state government. And formats like the “Stuttgarter Rede” are part of a vibrant Europe.
The Minister of Justice and for Europe Wolf spoke at the start of the event. In his greeting he expressed the hope for a quick start to the conference on the future of Europe. “Now that the lengthy Brexit chapter is almost over, it is time to realign our strength and concentration. Even in the current situation, we see that the EU cannot develop its full potential in the existing structures and competencies. We have to improve here, ”said Wolf. “Nevertheless, the EU has repeatedly shown itself to be a stable anchor in recent months. I will mention the financial measures taken to combat the pandemic, but also the success in terms of compliance with the rule of law. This is about the EU’s credibility. If it does not enforce its values internally, it cannot enforce it externally either. “
“Jean-Claude Juncker has been a key player in the European unification of the past two decades and has been a tried and tested crisis manager,” said Winfried Kretschmann in recognition of his guest Jean-Claude Juncker. As a defender of free democracy and a staunch European, Juncker would always have taken a clear stance towards right-wing populists. “Juncker was and is always a mediator – not only between the different member states, but above all between people.”
The “Stuttgart Speech on Europe”:
The “Stuttgart Speech on Europe” series offers a platform for the exchange on fundamental questions of European policy. The series of events was opened by the State Ministry on the occasion of the country’s 50th anniversary in May 2002 with the then President of the European Convention and former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. Other guests were the then Spanish Foreign Minister Ana de Palacio in 2003, the then Hungarian President Prof. Ferenc Mádl in 2004, his Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper in 2007, the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso in 2011, the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz in 2013 and in 2014 the Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev. The “Stuttgart Speech on Europe” thus underscores the close connection between Baden-Württemberg and Europe.
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