Maria João Rodrigues, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, the European Union must define an ambitious roadmap for the future. The European Parliament wants this to happen at the Rome Summit and, indeed, in the White Paper that is to be presented by the Commission. We should not wait for upcoming national elections. The European Union is being challenged right now by the combined effect of Putin, Trump and internal nationalistic voices, and we believe that this is the time for the European Union to assert itself as what it is already: a powerful democratic political and economic entity.

We need to translate this into a roadmap with better European solutions: better European solutions for growth with an investment strategy, a strong social pillar and completing economic and monetary union with a proper fiscal capacity; better European solutions to our security problems, certainly by advancing European defence and internal security, and also by ensuring a proper European asylum system and the proper management of migration, in cooperation with the European neighbourhood. But the European Union should also send a message to the world, saying that we, the European Union, are in favour of openness and cooperation based on a properly regulated global economy. The world is waiting for this positive message from the European Union.

Then we need to translate all this into new means of taking action. That has implications for the Community budget. We need a Community budget that is turned to the future. We believe that this offers the best way for citizens to take control of their lives, and that the best way to assure national sovereignty is to strengthen European sovereignty.