For the stakes of the European elections in June, the anti-European voices, but also the unique achievement of European integration in history talk to Euronews the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“I believe that these elections are particularly important for Europe as a whole, given the wider economic and geopolitical context. They are taking place at a time of great upheaval, with a war raging on the eastern side of Europe, with a major humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, as Europe emerges from a very difficult five years.”noted Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the “Global Conversation” program of the Euronews television network.

“The European Parliament is the most democratic of all our institutions and this is the reason why participation in the European elections is important” he pointed out.

Referring to essence of the functioning of the European Union Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized that “we must recognize that what we achieved in Europe is unique in world history. We have voluntarily delegated powers to a supranational entity and the right balance between European and national decision-making must be worked out on a daily basis. But, I’ll say it again, this may be the “price” in order to reap the benefits of our participation in the European Union”.

In detail, the interview of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Euronews and journalist Nicoleta Druga:

“Nicoleta Druga: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for receiving us.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Thank you.

Nicoleta Druga: The European elections will be held in less than three months. What are the biggest challenges for Europe, in your opinion, and what is at stake in this election?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I believe that this election is particularly important for Europe as a whole, given the wider economic and geopolitical context. They take place at a time of great upheaval, with a war raging on the eastern side of Europe, with a major humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, as Europe emerges from a very difficult five years.

I believe it is also an opportunity to take stock of what we have achieved during the last European election cycle and to highlight the significant successes of the European Union. Through the cooperation of all institutions, we managed to successfully defend ourselves against the pandemic.

We created “NextGenerationEU”, which is of particular importance for countries like Greece, as it helps us to stimulate growth, but also facilitates the green and digital transition. We are – despite the predictions of some of our opponents – united regarding Ukraine. And now we must focus on the next cycle and ensure that we are properly prepared to meet the new, upcoming challenges.

Nicoleta Druga: How troubled are you by the increasingly loud voices opposing Europe, anti-European voices?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I believe that there will always be voices that question the successes of Europe. Some of the complaints, I would say, may indeed be justified. However, in the end, if you look at the big picture, I still I am convinced that the future of the European Union is bright and that Europe has managed to deliver results for its citizens.

That is why it is important for us to list with arguments what we have achieved, but also what we must achieve in the future. Focusing on the next election cycle and the big issues ahead, there are three that I would personally like to highlight.

First, the need to transform strategic autonomy from a slogan into a real and effective policy. Look, for example, at defense. Not only do we need to spend more on defense, we need to coordinate our defense spending.

The second challenge has to do with European competitiveness as a whole, with how we can ensure that Europe remains competitive against China, the US and the Global South. This will mean better and better paying jobs for European citizens.

The third challenge is more specific and sectoral, it concerns the agricultural sector and our farmers. At a time when food security is very high on our agenda, we have to understand that some of the steps we have taken in the last five years in terms of the green transition have put too much pressure on our farmers, perhaps more than we expected, and how we must ensure that the green transition is implemented at a pace that will not significantly affect the income of our farmers.

Nicoleta Druga: Would you say that perhaps sometimes the biggest enemy of the EU is the EU itself?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Look, we are 27, and I am referring to the European Council, which meets several times a year. And we must all agree, unanimously. It is a process that inevitably takes time and involves compromises. Sometimes it requires us to take a step back in order to achieve the common European good. This is the nature of the European Union.

At the same time, as we consider EU enlargement, we also need to consider how to make the decision-making process more efficient. This is going to be a complicated exercise because any change will again require unanimity, the agreement of all member states.

We must recognize that what we have achieved in Europe is unique in world history. We have voluntarily delegated powers to a supranational entity and the right balance between European and national decision-making must be worked out on a daily basis. But, I will say it again, this may be the “price” in order to reap the benefits of our participation in the European Union.

Nicoleta Druga: You mentioned something about Europe’s defense autonomy as a future challenge. Would you also say that it should be the top priority, perhaps, of the next term of the European Commission and Parliament?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Defense is of existential importance, as we realized after the war in Ukraine. Perhaps some countries believed that the peace dividend that came after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union would last forever, but that turned out to be a delusion. We have never been in this position because we have always spent significant amounts on defense because of the particular regional geopolitical challenges.

But now we realize that we all need to take action and to spend more, but also to spend smarter: to be better coordinated, to streamline our defense procurement, to have perhaps more European “champions” who can offer advanced defense solutions at a more competitive level than is the case today.

Nicoleta Drouga: Mr. Prime Minister, in the past we have seen some EU member states, Greece not being among them, having difficulty convincing their citizens to participate in the European elections. Why would you say it is important for citizens to go vote?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Because what happens in Brussels and who represents us in the European Parliament matters. Because the decisions made in Brussels and Strasbourg are very important for our daily lives and we need to send people with the right qualifications to the European Parliament, as at the end of the day the European elections are about the European Parliament. In order to ensure that Parliament is made up of European citizens who represent society and to bridge the gap between the decision-making process in Brussels and what European citizens really want. The European Parliament is the most democratic of all our institutions and this is why for whom participation in the European elections is important.

We are a thoroughly pro-European party, so you wouldn’t expect me to say anything different. And, of course, we’re doing our best to mobilize people and make sure that in an election process where turnout has traditionally been low, the trend might be reversed and we have increased turnout.

Nicoleta Druga: Thank you very much for this discussion.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Thank you very much”.