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Understanding 9/11tv State of the European Union CSPAN September 16, 2017 7:03pm-8:01pm EDT
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atch "washington journal," 7:00 a.m. eastern sunday morning. join the discussion. >> next on c-span, the annual state of the european union address. in strasburg, france, the european commission president talked about new proposals to create a european defense unit and cyber security agency. his remarks to lawmakers are just under one hour. >> mr. president, honorary members of the european parliament, when i stood before you this time last year, i had a somewhat a -- easier speech to give. it was plain for all to see that the reunion was not in a good state. it was battered and bruised by a
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shook our very foundations. we only had two choices. either come together around a positive european agenda, or retreat into our own corners. choice, i argued for unity. i proposed a policy agenda, a europe that protects, and powers, defense. empowers, and defends. worked withght, you an agreement on doubling the european investment. thank you for that.
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i want to thank 27 leaders of our member states, this after , and-- my speech last year the agenda that my summit in bratislava. together, we show that you can deliver for citizens when and where it matters. ever since, we have been slowly but surely gathering momentum. it helped that the economic outlook swung in our favor. now in the fifth year of an economic recovery that really reaches every single member state. hasth in the european union outpaced that of the united states.
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unemployment is at a nine-year low. almost 8 million jobs have been created during this mandate so far, with 235 million people at work. more people are employed in the european union than ever before. the european commission cannot take the credit for this alone. although i am sure that had 8 million jobs been lost, we would have taken the blame. europe's institutions played their parts and helping. we can take credit for our european investments, which has 225 billion dollars
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worth of investment. over 450,000 small firms and more than 270 infrastructure projects. for the factredit that thanks to determined action, european banks once again have the capital firepower to lend to companies so they can grow and create jobs. we help to bring public deficit down. intelligentks to application of the stability and growth act. we ask for fiscal discipline, but are careful not to kill growth. this is working very well, despite criticism. the european economy is finally bouncing back.
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our 27 leaders, the parliament, and the commission are putting the union back into our union. in the last year, we saw all 27 ,eaders walk up to the capital one by one, to renew their votes to each other and our union. believehis leads me to is back in our sales. we have a window of opportunity, but it will not stay open forever. us make the most of the momentum, catch the wind in our sales -- sails we must. do two things. we still have 60 months in which progress can be made. we must use this time to finish
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what we started in bratislava and deliver from our own positive agenda. secondly, we hurt the direction for the future. years from now, we will be more disappointed by the things we did not do then the things we did. -- is the time to be more build a more strong, and democratic european union. [speaking foreign language] members, together we have set the projection of achieving an energy union, the security
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aion, capital markets union, banking union, and a single market. we have already traveled far on this road and the parliament has said the commission has already presented 80% of the proposals that were set at the beginning of the mandate. we now have to work together in order to ensure the proposals become legislative acts, and that these acts are made concrete in practice. it is still the case that some consensus -- concessions will have to be made for the commission to reform the commoners island system, our solid rules on the posting of , which are controversial issues. we will get good results if everyone builds their part of the bridge so that we can meet.
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i would like to say that the commission is open to compromise starting from the moment that the result is good and fair for the member states. we are made to submit the remaining set of initiatives by may 2018. i spoke to the president of the european parliament and the prime and sent a letter of intentions, setting out the priorities for the upcoming year. cannot hear all of the proposals, but allow me to mention five which are particularly important. first, i would like us to
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ourforce and strengthen european trade programs. , bute is open to trade there has to be reciprocity. we have to get as much as what we give. trade is not an abstract concept. trade is jobs. trade is new opportunities for european businesses, whether large-scale or small. every million in export we had equals 14,000 extra jobs in europe. trade is also exporting our social and environmental norms in terms of the protection of data and food safety. europe has always been an attractive economic space, but partners allar,
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over the world are knocking at our door to sign trade agreements with us. thanks to the help of this parliament and the trade agreement with canada, which will be applicable starting next week, we found a political agreement with japan on a new future economic partnership, and by the end of this year, we had a very good chance to achieve the same with mexico and the countries of south america. today we aren't suggesting that we open trade negotiations with australia and new zealand. i would like all of the agreements to be finalized by the end of our mandate. this opening has to go
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hand-in-hand with increased transparency for our decision-making process. the european parliament will have the last word on all of these trade agreements. if members like national and regional partners have to be kept up to speed and informed from the first day of negotiations. from now on, the commission will publish all the mandates, which it will present to the council the citizens have the right to know if the commission is -- what the commission is putting forward. we will finish with rumors and that theintention complaints of the commission has already -- always been the the recipient of. [applause]
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i would like to say one thing for all, that we are not naive supporters of free exchange. got a say inways strategic interests. this is why we set a new framework for the eu on how we examine investments. in english, it is called investment screening. its defense technology will be bought, it can only happen through deep examination and debate. this is our political responsibility to know what is happening here in order to
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be able to have security. [applause] secondly, the commission wants to make our industry stronger and more competitive. this is particularly for industrial base, and 32 million workers who make up its back on -- backbone. they make first-class products. it explains where we are ahead of others. industry, of our car but i am shocked when clients and consumers are intentionally tripped -- tricked.
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i invite the automobile industry to make proper amends and correct what they are doing .ather than trying to trick clean cars are those of the future. we are going to present a new industrial strategy for europe today which will allow our industry to remain and become the very first in the area of and de-carbonization. i also want to be in the vanguard in the fight against climate change. climater, we set global
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norms with the ratification of the paris agreement in this very assembly. i'm confronted by the reduction of the ambitions the u.s. has shown, but europe will ensure that the planet remains great and -- the commission will shortly present a proposal to reduce carbon in the transport sector. i want this to protect european areas. we have made progress in the securitization of the internet. there have been new rules put forward by the commission which will protect property, cultural diversity, and private personal data. we have strengthened the struggle against terrorist propaganda and online
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privatization, but europe remains confronted by cyber attacks. are sometimes more dangerous for the stability of gunsracy in economies than and tanks. only last year, we noted more cyberware.ttacks by do not knowattacks nobody. and spare this is why the commission is a european cyber security agency to better defend us against these attacks. and migration remains on our radar. if the questions around
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-- we haveave also managed to make progress. the externaltect frontiers in a more efficient manner. more than 1700 officers of the border guards and coast guard national guards in all member states. withve common borders states on the front lines, like greece, and they must not be alone. we have to have common frontiers and common protection. theave managed to slow down growth of the regular migrants -- a regular migrants --
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irregular migrants. we have reduced the numbers thanks to the agreement with turkey. this summer, we managed to better control central mediterranean roots. the arrivals have come down by 81% in august compared to the same month last year. in this way, we have considered -- considerably reduced the number of human lives lost in the mediterranean. i cannot talk about immigration homage a heartfelt to italy for its generosity. [applause] during the summer months, the commission worked in harmony with the prime minister and his government.
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we did it and continued to do it, because in the mediterranean, italy is saving the honor of europe. improved living conditions of refugees in libya. here, europe has a collective responsibility. the commission will work hand-in-hand with the united to put an end to this dangerous situation that cannot continue. [applause] >> even if it saddens me that not all of our member states showed the same degree of , we have continued to
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show solidarity at home. ast year member states gave silence over 700,000 -- a sign asylum to over 700,000 refugees. europe is not a fortress, and must never become one. europe is and will remain a continent of solidarity where people have to be able to find if people are being pursued for unacceptable reasons. [applause] i am particularly proud of those young europeans who are volunteering to give language refugees, and all of
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those young people who, by the thousands, have joined our rps.pean solidarity co [applause] today, we have to double our efforts. the commission will present a new series of proposals focused about africa and the opening up of paths of legal migration. those who have no right to stay in europe have got to go back to their country of origin. only 36% of migrants are sent back.
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it is obvious we have to strengthen our activities in this area. this is the only way europe will toable to show solidarity the refugees who really need protection. [applause] solidarity cannot be an trs-european -- intra-european problem. our trust fund from for the has the possibility of jobs all over the african continent. while the budget of the eu is carrying the weight of the financing, the contribution of
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all of our member states is only at 150 million euros. the trust is now getting to its limits. ithave to know the risks of being a lack of financing. in 2015, many migrants wanted to get to europe when and because the food from the u.n. ran out. statesto remind member to ensure that the trust fund for africa does not suffer that fate. we are also going to work toward the opening of legal migration routes. onlyular migration will
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stop when migrants have another option from undertaking a .arentless journey we have refugees coming from turkey, jordan, and lebanon. there will be the reinstallation andther refugees from libya other countries. europe is a continent getting older. this is another reason for having a legal migration system, which is an absolute necessity. this is why the commission put forward proposals to facilitate access for migrants. i want to thank the support of the parliament for this proposal.
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>> mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, honorable members, i have just listed a small number of initiatives that we want to by the end of next year. even that is not enough if we are to win the hearts and minds of the people of europe. the time has come to set the march for the future in -- for the future. in march, the commission published its white paper on the future of europe with five different scenarios, setting out how europe might look in 2025. debated,narios were sometimes superficially, sometimes in-depth. they were analyzed and sometimes torn apart. that is the way things should
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be, because that's what they were for. we have to set a process that will allow the people of europe themselves to determine their future. the future of europe is not something that can be dictated from above. any such decision must be based on a broad consensus in the wake of democratic debate. this house has made an active contribution to this debate, and i would like to thank all of those concerned. i would also like to thank those inbers who have taken part the more than 2000 public stakeholder consultations, which the commission has organized around europe since march. the time has come to draw the first conclusions from this debate. the time has come to take the next step from reflection to
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action, from debate to decision. -- that outit out of the way i see things. you are about to hear my own scenario x. -- number six. this is out of decades of personal experience. the european project through my entire life. i have fought for it and worked for it. i have been through good times and bad times. on various sides of the negotiating table as minister, prime minister, president of the euro group, and of the commission. i was there when the european union expanded. i have always fought for europe.
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i have sometimes suffered with europe and agonized over europe. sinve been through sick and with the european union's. thin with the european union. never have i lost my love for the european union. as we all know, there is no love without disappointment. europe, i mean what i say, because the european union has achieved so much in this divided world. inward and outward peace, prosperity, not for all, but still for many. in 2018, we should consider what it means to have a european union of cultural heritage and celebrate our diversity.
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these three principles, freedom, equality of opportunity, and rule of law have to remain the foundation of our ever stronger and ever more united and more democratic union. for the people of europe, but they are looking for is not new treaties or institutions. they are a means to an end. stitch is, treaties are perhaps of interest to us -- new institutions and treaties are perhaps of interest to us here in strasburg. one day, there will be treaty change, but the busy ourselves means first and foremost that we have to understand that democracy is based on compromise, not winners and losers.
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if we have the right compromises, everyone is a winner in the european union. compromises are neither god nor ugly. compromises are an art. a way of bridging differences and finding our way to one another. people who struggle with compromises struggle with democracy and struggle with europe. [applause] have a stronger european union, it needs to be more inclusive, too. if we want to bolster our , and rightlyers so. then it is high time to bring bulgia and told area -- aria in. [applause]
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> and incidentally, croatia also reserves -- deserves as soon as all the criteria are met. if we want the euro to unite our continent rather than dividing it, it needs to be more than just the currency of a select group of countries. euro is destined to be the common currency of the entire european union. all but two member states are to join the euro area as soon as they have met the conditions. for that to be possible, these member states need the support ,f a euro accession instrument which i propose here today,
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which will offer assistance in technical and financial forms. the banks to operate by the same rules and under the same supervision, then we should encourage all member states to accede to the banking unions. that means we must reduce the remaining risks in the banking unions of certain member states. the banking union will only work if risk reduction and risk mitigation goes hand in hand.for us to be able to ensure that is the case, a certain number of preconditions have to be in place as proposed by the commission in november 2015. we can only have a common deposit guarantee scheme when all the member states have done their homework. and -- to seecnn
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dumping, wecial should agree on the european pillar of social rights. national social security systems are going to continue to have differences and will continue to be separate, but we should still at least agree on a european union of social standards to ensure we have a consensus about what is socially fair and what isn't socially fair on our single markets. a successful europe must not give workers the cold shoulder. greaternt to have stability in our neighborhood, then we need to offer a credible
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enlargement prospected the countries of the western balkans . [applause] during the term of office of this commission and this parliament, there will be no new thessions, because conditions for accession will not be met. however, in the future, the european union will have more than 27 member states. in the case of all accession countries, the rule of law, justice, and fundamental values have top priority in the negotiations. that rules out e.u. membership for turkey in the foreseeable future. [applause] >> for some considerable time, turkey has been moving away from
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the european union in leaps and bounds. officessts in editorial -- belong in editorial offices amidst debate, not in prison. [applause] to the powers that be in turkey, let our and not just our journalists. stop calling our member states of has of states-- heads zis.es fascists and na [applause] matureis a continent of democracies. those who knowingly offend poll up the drawbridge. sometimes i get the impression there are those in turkey who the drawbridge
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and later blamed the european union for the failure of accession negotiations. from our side, there will always hand,outstretched outstretched to the great people of turkey and all of those willing to work with us on the basis of our shared values. ladies and gentlemen, honorable members, i would like to see our .nion stronger that means it needs a stronger single market. in matters of the single market, we need more frequent and simpler decision-making on the basis of a qualified majority with the european parliament code decision. that doesn't necessitate treaty change. the existing treaties have clauses that make it possible to
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decide in council on the basis of qualified majority, as long as it is decided by unanimity in the european council. i am thinking in terms of decisions about sarah taxation of the digital economy and the , allcial transaction tax decided by majority. takee needs to be able to decisions more rapidly and more efficiently. we need to see more agile economic and monetary unions. the euro area is more resistant years ago.han it was we have a european stability mechanism, which i believe
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should gradually be turned into a european monetary fund that needs to be anchored in the european union. will be specific proposals coming from the commission in december of this year to that effect. we need a european minister of economy and finance, a minister to promote structural reform in states, who- member can build on the work done by the commission for structural reform support. the minister of economy and finance should coordinate all you financing instruments and step in whenever a member state is facing the threat of action or fundamental crisis. we are not calling for a new position.
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for efficiency reasons, i the future commissioner responsible for the economy and the vice president, should carry out this role. the european minister of economy and finance must be accountable to the european parliaments. we do not need parallel structures. we do not need a separate euro budget. we need a strong euro zone budget line within the existing eu budget. [applause] nor do i see great merit in the idea of a separate euro parliament. the parliament of the euro area is this one, the european parliament. [applause]
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the european union also needs to be stronger in how it fights terrorism. in the last three years, a great deal has already been done, but we are still not reacting quickly enough in the case of cross-border terror threats. i therefore plead for the setting up of a european investigating body that would make sure that the data on terrorists are automatically exchanged between our services. i also believe that there is reason enough for the newly set up european public prosecutor to be responsible for the prosecution of cross-border terrorist crimes.
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should also union have more influence on the world stage, but it needs to be able to take its foreign policy decisions more swiftly. if the time comes to take policy decisions in certain cases, a qualified majority should be allowed under the existing long as there as is a unanimous decision from the council. there is reason to believe it would make work more efficient. in the field of defense, more efforts are required. the setting up every european defense fund is on the agenda. permanent structured corporation in the defense field is well on the way. by 2025, we will need a functioning european defense union. we need it and nato would like us to have it.
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the union should continue to do what the commission has sought to do, which is to concentrate on important things. we should not annoy the people of europe with nitpicking and nitty-gritty. on big things and keep away from small things that can be dealt with by member states. this commission has tried to play a great role in the big things, and to take a backseat on the small things. forwardr, it is put fewer than 25 new initiative. the previous was putting out more than 100.
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this month, we are going to be --ting up a sincere deary subsidiary and proportionality task force. the first vice president has already done a job of lawmaking and will leave the new tax force -- task force. it will report in one year. ladies and gentlemen, our union needs a democratically. i hope european political parties will kick off next campaigns earlier than in the past here at all too often, european electoral campaigns have been reduced to a simple cutting up of national electoral proposals, and european democracy deserves more than that. is settingcommission
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out new rules on the funding of parties and political foundations. it is not a question of boosting treasuries of extremists against europe. it's a question of allowing european parties to better structure themselves. [applause] ideam well aware that the is contested by a number of people, but i have to say that i have quite a lot of sympathy for transnationalving lists for the european elections. convince thend leader of my parliamentary group to try and follow this idea, because it will lead to more clarity and democracy for our elections. i also think over the next few months, we should involve
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national parliaments and civil at the national, regional, and local levels. we should involve them in the work we are doing on the future of europe. over the last few years, members have visitedsion national parliaments more than 650 times. they participated in more than 300 meetings, talking to citizens in more than 80 cities. and 27 member states. i support president n's idea of organizing unions in 2018. , i willebate develops be attaching a great deal of importance personally to estonia, latvia, lithuania, and
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romania in 2018. 2018 is the year were these four countries will be celebrating their 100 birthday. those who have the ambition to shape the future and our continent need to know about and honor our history, our joint history. so the history of the four countries i mentioned are also without parcel of that, which europe will not be complete. this means to reinforce democracy and transparency. also this has implications for the european commission. today, i am handing out to the european parliament a new code of conduct for commissioners. first and foremost, this conduct
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specifies that commissioners can stand in european elections under normal conditions. obviously, the new code will shore up the obligations of commissioners when it comes to integrity during and after their mandate. whoever wants to boost european democracy should never accept that the major democratic in the systement would never go along with that not being renewed, because it was an innovation that led to more democracy. i'm convinced that the future president will make the most of this experience. you can stand if you like, but you will not be elected. [applause] >> more democracy, that's what we need.
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that means more efficiency, of course. would be aticiency an advantage if we were to merge together with the european council. this proposal does not target in my excellent friend donald tusk, who i have been working with harmoniously for three years, right from the start of the mandate. this is not aimed at myself and not aimed at donald, but all it does is ensure that the european landscape would be clear and more understandable if the by then ship was speared same captain at the helm. if we had a single president, it would better reflect the true nature of the union, a union of
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states and a union of citizens. [applause] colleagues, the vision of a more moreed europe, a democratic europe, this is what i'm presenting to you today. it involves all the different scenarios i set out for last month, but our future cannot remain a mere scenario, some kind of draft. tois today that we have start preparing for the union of tomorrow. this morning, i sent president tusk and the future presidencies fromouncils of the council now until march 2019, i send them a roadmap setting out the direction i need to follow.
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one of these is the budget the commission will be presenting in may 2018. there will be a choice to make. theer we ensure that union's ambitions are given a budget commence it to those ambitions -- comments are it to those ambitions, which i am in favor of. we shouldn't be making any cuts that would be any other option i would not be in favor of. in march, that will be the day when the u.k. will leave the union. this will be a sad and tragic moment in our history. we will always regret this, and i think you will regret it as well, if i might say -- [applause]
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>> -- nonetheless, we have to respect the will of the british people. but we will make progress. we will keep moving. brexit isn't everything. it is not the future of europe. it is not the be-all and end-all. on that date will be -- we will be a union of 27, and i suggest we prepare very well. the european parliamentary election will have been in one year. ensure european box,ens go to the ballot having a very clear vision of the way in which the european union will develop in the ways to come. that is why i am calling on
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president tusk and romania, which will have the presidency during the first half of the to organize a special summit in romania on the 30th of march 2019. i would like that summit to be held in the magnificent ancient .ity that would be the right moment to take very important essential to save europe, a more united europe, a stronger and more democratic union. my hope is that in 2019, europeans will wake up in a union where they know we are defending their values, where all member states vigorously wherect the rule of law, being a full member of the euro zone, and the banking zone have
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become a standard for every member state of the european .nion defend to ensure that we our single currency in all circumstances, good and bad, without having recourse to external aid. our single market needs to be fairer for workers in the east and the west, and i hope they up in a world like that. we also need to agree on a ,edrock of social standards where terrorists find no fault where weexploit, and will have agreed on the creation of a true european defense union, where a single president will be at the helm of the work of the commission and the council.
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in theaving been elected wake of a pan-european electoral campaign. on the 30th of march 2019, our citizens will wake up in that kind of union. if that is the case, they will need to take part in the elections to vote. they need to realize our union is working for them. i was taught that europe will only advance if it shows courage. the single market, the single thingsy, all of these were projects when they were , and they were first thought of as flights of fancy.
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but all of those projects are now a reality. europe is faring better now and people are telling me one should not overload our european ship, but at the same time, this stage dictates we should not be overcautious. it is not enough to make minor repairs. what we should do today and tomorrow is patiently, , from oneep inspiration to the next, moving onwards and complete not just the roof of our european house, but proceed in building and completing all of the floors of that house, we need to finish the job as a whole. now when the sun is shining, this is when we need to do it.
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when the next storm brews, it will be too late. let's raise anchor, let's get going, let's set sail, let's get going and catch the wind in our sales. ourk you very much -- in sails. thank you very much. [applause] >> c-span, where history unfolds
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daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television companies and is brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. 2008 interview's with new mexico senator pete domenici, who passed away this week. then deputy attorney general rod rosenstein talks about the attorney -- the importance of the constitution. after that, a conversation with the president of the federal reserve bank of dallas. former new mexico senator pete domenici died wednesday in albuquerque at the age of 85. just before leaving the senate in 2008, he sat down with c-span2 to talk about his life and career. susan: you are in your
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