Citizens' Dialogue online with High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell You can watch it here Saturday 9 May 2020, 11:30 - 12:45 (CEST)Online only SpeakersJosep Borrell FontellesHigh Representative/Vice-President Practical information WhenSaturday 9 May 2020, 11:30 - 12:45 (CEST)WhereOnline only Report On the occasion of Europe Day on 9 May, Josep Borrell, the High Representative and Vice-President for foreign affairs and security policy, and Arancha González Laya, Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, held an online dialogue on the European response to COVID-19 and the need to relaunch the EU’s big strategic priorities.Questions were selected from several Europe Direct Information Centres around Spain and from social media. Many concerned solidarity between member states in responding to the crisis, and the resources the EU has at its disposal to aid in the recovery.Borrell and González Laya mentioned the need for common action for a common interest. “Solidarity does not mean charity, but common investments in a common interest, just as Robert Schuman intended it 70 years before. We have never had such solidarity before in EU History, but is not enough. We need a strong EU budget, and a solid recovery fund”, said the Spanish minister. The coordinated return of EU citizens stranded around the world was one of the concrete examples mentioned by the speakers.The protection of strategic sectors in these unstable times, and the impact of the Corona crisis on EU relations with external actors, such as China and Latin America, were also discussed. A question from schoolchildren in Malaga expressed their worries about the impact of the crisis in mobility programmes such as Erasmus.Turning to the relaunch of the EU’s big strategic priorities in the recovery from the current crisis, some participants brought attention to the digital divide and social problems made evident, for example, by the closure of schools. Borrell and González Laya highlighted the role of sustainability and digitalisation to boost EU competitiveness in the way out of the crisis.Looking further into the future and EU reform, a participant asked about the viability of federalisation or some minor adjustments instead. Borrell said that there would be a deep rethinking about our future with the Conference on the Future of Europe. “We now have enough instruments to deal with it, but we need to use them properly. The rest will come later”, he said.
On the occasion of Europe Day on 9 May, Josep Borrell, the High Representative and Vice-President for foreign affairs and security policy, and Arancha González Laya, Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, held an online dialogue on the European response to COVID-19 and the need to relaunch the EU’s big strategic priorities.Questions were selected from several Europe Direct Information Centres around Spain and from social media. Many concerned solidarity between member states in responding to the crisis, and the resources the EU has at its disposal to aid in the recovery.Borrell and González Laya mentioned the need for common action for a common interest. “Solidarity does not mean charity, but common investments in a common interest, just as Robert Schuman intended it 70 years before. We have never had such solidarity before in EU History, but is not enough. We need a strong EU budget, and a solid recovery fund”, said the Spanish minister. The coordinated return of EU citizens stranded around the world was one of the concrete examples mentioned by the speakers.The protection of strategic sectors in these unstable times, and the impact of the Corona crisis on EU relations with external actors, such as China and Latin America, were also discussed. A question from schoolchildren in Malaga expressed their worries about the impact of the crisis in mobility programmes such as Erasmus.Turning to the relaunch of the EU’s big strategic priorities in the recovery from the current crisis, some participants brought attention to the digital divide and social problems made evident, for example, by the closure of schools. Borrell and González Laya highlighted the role of sustainability and digitalisation to boost EU competitiveness in the way out of the crisis.Looking further into the future and EU reform, a participant asked about the viability of federalisation or some minor adjustments instead. Borrell said that there would be a deep rethinking about our future with the Conference on the Future of Europe. “We now have enough instruments to deal with it, but we need to use them properly. The rest will come later”, he said.
