Barroso Commission: when we stand united, we can achieve things

Speaking on behalf of the EPP Group at the European Parliament's last debate with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, the EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber MEP warmly thanked Barroso and all the Commissioners for their dedicated work. “You were a good Commission President, a real driving force behind Europe”, he told José Manuel Barroso.

Weber praised the outgoing European Commission for its commitment to making Europe stronger: “On climate policy, on economic regulation, the EU is the world’s avant-garde”, he said. “You led the European Commission in very difficult times, amidst a deep financial and economic crisis. Faced with this crisis which came from the Member States, the EU, under your leadership, took decisive actions that led to stronger governance, strong financial regulation, and sustainable budgets”, he underlined.

Stressing Mr Barroso’s “solid work behind the scenes”, Manfred Weber recalled that the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to the EU in 2012, was a turning point in history, a recognition that “peace is not the absence of war, peace is a value, which the EU is about”.

“The lesson to draw from your impressive results is that when we stand united, we, as Europeans, can achieve things”, Manfred Weber concluded.