News Press – Member of the European Parliament Sandro GOZI “Every day for ten months I think about the Ukrainians who are fighting to defend our values ​​of freedom and democracy”

The year 2022 will be forever etched in world history. February 24, marked by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, marked a new historical break on our continent. This Westernism and Slavophilism, assumed since the 18th century, turned back and forth between the authoritarian regime and our democracies.

Every day for ten months, I think of Ukrainians who are fighting to defend our values ​​of freedom and democracy in the face of the unthinkable. In my eyes, these people are invincible…William Ernest Henley Invictus wrote the words he memorized in his teenage years that bring back to me today with power and emotion:

Invictus… This should be our mantra for the new year, free Europeans.

The era of globalization will inevitably slow down. Faced with challenges, energy shocks, and rapid inflation, our path will be narrow… More than ever, we must also be masters of our own destiny. Take back control to protect our institutions. The case of Qatargate, which hit the European Parliament, is proof of this: we can be attacked from within.

This issue reminds us more than ever of the fragility of Europe and the need for effective tools to strengthen it. It is good to react because cooperation with Belgian police and justice is possible; we also have to protect ourselves. With Renaissance, we support the establishment of a financial transparency system for MEPs, inspired by the French model and new rules on political advertising and European political parties.

Our continent and our institutions are under attack. But as a six-century-old proverb says, “Misfortune is good for everything.” This war in the heart of Europe has tragically awakened our democracies from lethargy.

“This war in the heart of Europe has tragically awakened our democracies from their lethargy.”
That is why we are pleased to see that Member States are still mobilizing to support Ukraine and have approved €18 billion worth of new aid.

We are happy to have passed the carbon tax at the borders proposed by France for thirty years. This tax is designed to protect not only the environment, but above all our companies and jobs in Europe.

Finally, let us welcome the collective work that allowed us to reach an important agreement to impose a 15% tax on large multinationals.

Europe exists, it functions, and it is precisely for this reason that it must protect itself more. In the environment of competition with China, USA and other big powers, the veto of certain countries is unacceptable. It debilitates us, and worse, it can paralyze us.

We must make every effort to move towards energy, industrial and food independence. At the same time, we must defend our European sovereignty in the technology, armaments and agricultural sectors.

Let’s join forces to face the challenges ahead… the most important of which is energy, the cornerstone of the whole building. Admittedly, we have reached an agreement to limit the price of gas and get out of the clutches of Russian dependence, but we need to go further. For example, we need to quickly find a compromise with Germany regarding the reform of the electricity market. Otherwise? Otherwise, we should not be surprised to see the emergence of new populisms in the heart of our continent in the coming months. Legislative elections in Sweden and Italy are cautionary tales…

Tensions between member states are grounds for nationalists. The European Union has no alternative but to reinvent itself in order to regain its place as a major player on the international stage. These events led to the creative deconstruction dear to Schumpeter… Bringing change and harmony to all conditions in all European territories will wipe out populism: this is my dearest wish at the beginning of the new year. »