«The European model is under attack. Dictators see the European model as a threat to themselves“Emphasizes the Vice-President of the Commission, Margaritis Schoinas noting that “has nothing to do with missiles or NATO membership. It has to do with the fact that our values are getting closer to them».
In an in-depth interview given in Athens and published on the eve of the Summit in the largest Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant, Margaritis Schoinas emphasizes that The end of Vladimir Putin’s rule is coming. «I am pleasantly surprised by the unity between the 27 Member States, including the usual suspects. But more importantly, we are witnessing the end of Putin’s rule. Whatever the outcome of the war, it is not going to survive it, Putin’s system is at the end of his life. The question for us is: who comes next? “Democracy in Russia is the guarantee of security for Europe.” At the same time, the Vice President of the European Commission stated that Europe’s greatest enemy is stagnation and complacency. “I hope European success stories are the result of careful planning, that I work more as an architect rather than as a firefighter. But the EU is the fire departmentHe adds.
«After many years, the stars for Europe are aligned in exactly the right place. First, because of external pressure: Russia, the war, rising energy prices, geopolitical earthquakes. Second, and it is an essential ingredient to any successful European recipe: Berlin and Paris have leaders ready to deliver, with a new four-year political mandate. Third, the South, for years a source of European instability, now has responsible, pro-European leaders: Draghi, Sanchez, Costa, Mitsotaki. Fourth, little was observed: Brussels acquires more players and fewer regulators. People who can buy vaccines, borrow money, set up refugee centers. I do not want to sound overly optimistic, but this is a unique opportunity. Now we have to grab itMargaritis Schoinas added.
Asked about migratory flows from Ukraine and those from SyriaMr. Schoinas underlined that “in Ukraine we have war at our door, the country borders four EU countries Five million people have come this way in recent months. Five million. This is a completely different size than in Syria and Afghanistan, where a gradually burning avalanche gradually brought people closer to us. The scope is different, the principle is the same: everyone leaving the war is welcome here. Skin color and religion play no role».
Finally, when asked about if Ursula von der Leyen is the rightful President at the momentthe Vice-President of the Commission replied: “For sure! Is it not remarkable that in 2019 the heads of government elected a doctor, who was also Minister of Defense, as the new President of the Commission? As if they knew what was coming! During the coronavirus pandemic, there was no need to explain to Ursula von der Leyen how vaccines work and why international co-operation is important. He did it famously. And with the Russian invasion: he knows what he’s talking about, he knows the right people, he has access to the White House and a great sense of political timing».
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