EPP Congress in Malta: Highlights of the Final Day
St. Julian’s, 30 March 2017
The European People’s Party (EPP) has concluded the second and final day of the XXIV EPP Congress in Malta. Today’s plenary session featured addresses by the EPP’s EU heads of state and government, leaders of the EU institutions – European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber – as well as EPP leaders.
 
The Congress outlined the EPP's vision for how to secure Europe’s future for the next decade. EPP President Joseph Daul made the following statement:
 
“To bring results to the European people, we need to preserve European unity and move forward together. We can move at different speeds; but we all need to look in the same direction, without leaving anyone behind.
 
We are providing solutions for how to make our Union more secure. We have put forward bold proposals to make our Union more prosperous, more sustainable and more fair. We have set the path for our Union to be an inspiring leader, both regionally and globally. But above all, we want a Europe close to its citizens, a Europe that acts where it can make a difference. This is the biggest political challenge ahead of us, and we are determined to reconnect with European citizens.”
 
On the second day of the EPP Congress, the delegates also adopted a resolution entitled "On a cohesive society: Countering Islamic extremism."
 
EPP President Daul stressed the following:
 
“We cannot accept divisions in our societies. We need to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Muslims form an integral part of our societies. We are fighting radical Islamic extremism, not Islam. A theocratic ideology that aims to dominate society as a whole has no place here. Freedom of religion protects all beliefs, but this freedom ends when it collides with the laws of our society and the security of our citizens. As the European centre-right, guided by our Christian-democratic roots, we have a responsibility to put forward sensible and respectful solutions which will offer a sense of belonging to everyone.”
 
Following the Congress, EPP heads of state and government, as well as opposition leaders, met for an EPP Summit, where the situation in the Western Balkans was extensively discussed.
 
“The Western Balkan countries are our closest partners -- geographically, historically and economically -- and the EPP strongly supports their aspirations to join the EU. We will do our utmost to further strengthen our relationships with the countries of the Western Balkans. To bring a better life for the citizens in the region, the Western Balkans must continue the implementation of rule of law and an independent judiciary; and their fight against corruption remains crucial. The Western Balkans belong to Europe, and the EPP will work every day to support our member parties in delivering the reforms that these countries need, so they can take the place which they deserve at the heart of the European project.”
 
Finally, Europol, represented by its director, Robert Wainwright, was awarded the EPP Merit Award for its work in protecting European citizens and in making Europe a safer place. At the same time, EPP thanked all the police forces across Europe for their extraordinary service in order to keep the European people safe and secure.
Note to editors:
The EPP is the largest and most influential European-level political party of the centre-right, which currently includes 79 member parties and partners from 41 countries, the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament, 7 EU and 7 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament.
 
For more information:
Siegfried Muresan, EPP Spokesperson, Tel. +32 22854147
Karine Milheiro, Senior Press and Communication Adviser, kmilheiro@epp.eu, +32 491 61 23 69
Ecaterina Casinge, Press Relations Officer, ecasinge@epp.eu, +32 488 58 59 08