Metsola to leaders: “The EU Parliament must be fully involved in the competitiveness agenda”

Brussels – Now more than ever, the agenda for competitiveness is of the utmost strategic importance and cannot be ignored. It must be implemented swiftly and properly defined, and in this process, the Parliament must not be sidelined nor think that it can play only a secondary role. Robeta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is meeting with heads of state and government to warn leaders against intergovernmental temptations and ideas. 

The unpredictable geopolitical landscape makes it necessary to support and implement the Commission’s competitiveness agenda without delay, with “the full involvement of Parliament” in the decision-making process, Metsola makes clear. Parliament “is not and never will be a mere rubber-stamp body,” and woe betide anyone who thinks otherwise, she warns the leaders. In this process of revitalising competitiveness, great attention must be paid to “concrete actions and precise deadlines,” she adds, and in the broader discussion on competitiveness, Metsola brings the contribution of the European Parliament she represents, which translates into a proposal to explore a European model similar to the German Federal Agency SPRIND to finance high-risk projects. “People no longer accept a policy that merely describes the challenges. They expect solutions and results. And if Europe wants to take a leading role, we must be ready and able to take risks.”

 Moreover, Metsola continues, the European Union must be seen as a global economic force; this is the only way to carry weight and exert influence on the international stage. The President of the European Parliament sees the EU as sidelined, scarcely perceived as a player capable of making a difference, and therefore urges heads of state and government to implement the necessary reforms. “Of course, geopolitical challenges require a response, but if Europe wants to speak the language of power, we must assert ourselves and be perceived as an economic power,” acting decisively and in a united and coordinated manner. 

The President of the European Parliament has drawn the leaders’ attention to the needs of the banking and industrial sectors in France, Germany and Italy, whose representatives Metsola met personally in the run-up to the Brussels meeting. She notes that there is appreciation for the EU and its work, but at the same time, economic and financial operators see the need for tangible results in the short term. “They need a predictable, clear and reliable framework in which to invest, innovate, and grow,” is the message. With this in mind, “every possible effort must be devoted to the process of regulatory simplification,” which is considered an essential condition for supporting economic development and meeting the high expectations of industrial players. 

An example Metsola uses to emphasise the need to make a real shift in approach, adopt the announced competitiveness agenda and, if necessary, even go further: “We must be ready to think differently and find innovative solutions”, but always “respecting the prerogatives of the European Parliament.”