The Lehendakari calls for a strong and more integrated Europe in Paris, in view of “the change of era” we are living through

• Iñigo Urkullu was one of the speakers at the panel of experts organised by the Jacques Délors Institute, in which he presented the document The Basque Country before the Conference on the future of Europe
• “The re-foundation of Europe requires the definition of a new scheme of relations with neighbouring countries to create a European Political Community, as well as a review of the governance of the Union,” he said

The Lehendakari has once again defended a “strong and more integrated” Europe, with both internal and external policies and has assured that the time has come to give a new impulse to configure Europe “as a relevant actor in this change of era that we are living”. Iñigo Urkullu has participated in a roundtable of experts organised by the Jacques Délors Institute held in Paris, where he is on an official trip, at the head of a delegation of the Basque Government.

In this forum and after thanking him for his participation in “one of the most prestigious European think tanks”, the Lehendakari presented the main lines of the document The Basque Country before the Conference on the future of Europe, which includes the future challenges, the answers that we should give as Europeans and the contribution of the Basque Executive to the future European project.

As he explained, the refoundation of Europe involves the definition of a new scheme of relations with neighbouring countries to create a European Political Community, as well as a review of the Union’s governance. He called for a Europe based on the principle of subsidiarity, which “builds its consensus from the bottom up” and gives a space “to the peoples, nations, societies and governments that make up European sociology”.

With these premises, Iñigo Urkullu set out the pillars that—in his opinion—should be taken into account in the debate that will presumably be opened in the European Convention for the reform of the Treaties and has gone through the contributions that the Basque Country has made in each one of them: Social Europe, European Health Union, Competitive Europe, Economic and Monetary Europe, Geopolitical Europe, Sustainable Europe and Political Europe.

The Lehendakari ended his speech at this roundtable debate by endorsing an idea of one of the founding fathers of the European project, Jean Monnet, who said: we are not forming coalitions between states, but a union between peoples.

“We will continue to work for a Europe based on the Union among the peoples that make it up,” he concluded.