Press trip of the Belgian presidency: official welcome
Good morning everyone,
A warm welcome to Brussels. Welcome home!
For many of you Brussels is not only the place where the European Union meets, it’s also the city, where you live and work. Still, I hope that in the coming days and months, you will discover some new things about our country.
In this room, ministers from all twenty-seven member states will discuss and seek solutions. Sometimes there will be obstacles and headaches. But there will hopefully be more breakthroughs and agreements. If you listen carefully, you can already hear the whispers of the solutions and compromises that are being crafted!
The Prime Minister just talked about our motto ‘Protect, strengthen and prepare’ and a couple of weeks ago we already outlined our detailed program. Later this morning you will speed date with ministers of all governments to delve into their priorities.
So, I will not repeat myself, or hijack your speed dates. But I would like to do is, briefly, as an introduction to your trip though Belgium, touch upon three things that make our country special.
First, we’re a country of “plantrekkers”. I am not sure if anyone here is familiar with the term – apart from our Flemish friends.
In English, the closest term would maybe be “self-starter”. But it’s more than that. It’s also about finding a solution to every problem. Not being intimidated when faced with big challenges. Being a problem solver, no matter the issue you need to tackle.
We Belgians, we always find a solution. You might have heard of “le compromis à la belge”, our mastery of compromise. In every challenging situation, we find solutions.
It’s this ability to find middle ground that will also help us during our Presidency. By the way, it’s no coincidence that two out of the three permanent presidents of the European Council have been Belgians.
So, remember: “plantrekkers” and “compromis à la belge”.
Second, we embrace and we embody diversity.
As you may have noticed, Belgium is a mix of languages and cultures, which makes us stronger, not weaker. On one condition: we have to open up to each other and avoid a bunker mentality.
We all see that the current times are challenging for diversity. In uncertain times, it’s a natural tendency to turn inward. But history has time and again demonstrated it is not the way forward.
This diversity is also our strength in Europe. “Unity in diversity” is the official motto of the European Union. It is who we are, it is our strength. On one condition: that we move beyond our differences, build bridges and look for common ground.
That’s what we’ve been doing in Belgium for nearly 200 years. And that’s what we’ll do in Europe in the next six months.
And third, and this is very personal to me, Belgium is a country that offers opportunities.
In Belgium, you don’t need rich parents to attend university and get a degree. Here, you can be gay and become Prime Minister. Or Minister of Foreign Affairs as the daughter of immigrants.
This afternoon, you’ll visit Charleroi, in Hainaut, the province where I was born as the daughter of two migrants and where my father worked as a miner. In many other countries, that would have defined my future. But not in Belgium.
We’re one of the most egalitarian countries in Europe. The wage gap in Belgium is the lowest of all OECD countries. And we rank consistently high in the Rainbow Index.
Some of you might wonder why this is important for our European Presidency.
There is one reason – and it’s an important one: because we need to put people first. The European Union is not about Brussels. It’s not about the meetings in this Palace. It’s about the 450 million Europeans who are concerned about their security, their income, and their future.
And that’s the real meaning of our baseline: Protect, Strengthen and Prepare.
Whether we discuss how to protect our continent, how to secure our borders, or how to strengthen our economy, in the end it’s all about a decent life and a positive future for 450 million Europeans.
So, I wish you three wonderful days. I’m very eager to hear your experiences. But don’t forget: “plantrekkers”, compromis à la belge and the power of diversity.
Thank you.
