Europe is “in the best hands” with Cyprus having undertaken the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola said on Tuesday.
Speaking alongside President Nikos Christodoulides at a joint press conference in Strasbourg, she said Cyprus’ six-month term comes “at a time when Europe is being tested in terms of security, geopolitical issues, and competitiveness”.
“If there is one conclusion we can draw from today’s session … it is that Europe must respond with clarity and determination,” she said.
She added that one of the key priorities for the EU in the coming months will be its competitiveness, and that as such, the European Parliament will “continue to act in favour of simplification” and of “reducing bureaucracy” so that “it is easier for our businesses to be successful”.
“Focusing on competitiveness means that we must look outwards for new trade opportunities and strengthen the single market, which is why better cross-border integration, less fragmentation in markets is necessary, and we all know that in this effort, Cyprus will be a trusted partner,” she said.
She then turned her effort to the matter of defence, and said that “we will continue to increase Europe’s readiness and spending as we adapt to new realities”, and that the EU will “remain steadfast in supporting Ukraine”.
On this matter, she said that “we have done a lot, but we must continue to move forward with efficiency”.
She also spoke on the issue of Greenland, and said that “we will do everything we can to de-escalate the situation, find solutions, and work to strengthen the transatlantic relationship”.
In this vain, she made reference to remarks made by United States House speaker Mike Johnson in London earlier in the day, in which he had said that “all of us in the west, all of us together, are facing real challenges today that we must acknowledge and confront, and we do that best together”, and said she echoed those sentiments.
Nonetheless, she said, “any way forward must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Greenland and Denmark”.
“We will continue to support Denmark and the people of Greenland, and that will not change,” she said, before adding that she will attend Thursday’s extraordinary European Council meeting held in light of US President Donald Trump’s recent heightening of rhetoric regarding his personal claim over Greenland. Christodoulides is also expected to attend.
Metsola then added that “we will not apologise for standing up for what we believe in”, but stressed that “we are open to dialogue and finding a way to move forward”.
She then also made reference to ongoing anti-government protests in Iran, saying that they send “a very clear message that the people of Iran deserve to live freely and that they look to Europe to act”, before saying that the European Parliament has proposed “tougher sanctions”.
Those proposed sanctions, she said, include the designation of the Iranian revolutionary guard as a terrorist organisation.
“There will be progress on this soon,” she said, before then speaking about Cyprus.
She said that on the Cyprus problem, the European Parliament “will continue to work for a single, sovereign European state” on the island, and that the solution to the Cyprus problem must be “a bicommunal, bizonal federation based on United Nations resolutions and our common values and EU laws”.
“This is an issue for all of us. You are not alone,” she told Christodoulides, before praising his “exceptional leadership and cooperation” during the opening days of Cyprus’ six-month term as the holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency during “not so easy days”
“The coming months will continue to be challenging, but I know that we will make progress under your leadership, under the steady guidance of your country. I firmly believe that we have what it takes to overcome the challenges,” she said.
Christodoulides, meanwhile, said that the European Parliament “is essential for the success of our presidency”, and that it is “not only our co-legislator, but the democratic heart of our union”.
“We will work within our structured and substantive partnership to advance our common goals – namely a stronger union which delivers for its citizens, a union which remains a force for stability and credibility,” he said.
He added that during the six-month term, the relationship between the Cypriot government and the European parliament will be “based on transparency, mutual respect, and continuous dialogue”.
“Cyprus is taking on the presidency after two years of intensive preparations. This is not just a national milestone, but a European responsibility, especially in a time of global challenges, geopolitical, economic, and security-based,” he said.
He added that the government’s vision “is clear”, and that it is “an EU which is strong from within, which can protect its own citizens, and a union which remains open to the world with a credible global role”.
On the matter of this global role, he said that “Cyprus is determined to strengthen Europe from within and enhance its role as a force for stability, peace, and prosperity”.
He then closed his remarks by thanking Metsola for her “clear, firm support for our efforts to reunite the last divided EU member state”.
Metsola was then asked about what the EU’s response to Trump’s rhetoric on the issue of Greenland would be, and said that the matter will be discussed at Thursday’s European Council summit.
“I think that the point of autonomy, which is the main point of Cyprus’ presidency can answer the question, because if we have learned anything in recent years, it is that the EU has relied too much on third countries,” she said.
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