President Milanović in Rome: Europe Consists of National States, There Is no European Federation
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended the 16th meeting of heads of state of European Union member states of the “Arraiolos Group”. They discussed current European issues, in particular the European Union’s responsibility and opportunities on its path toward strategic autonomy, and the European Union’s contribution to multilateralism in the world in the post pandemic period.
After the meeting, in his statement to the Croatian media, President Milanović said that there are no joint conclusions from the meeting of the heads of state of the “Arraiolos Group” since they are not an operative, executive body. He added that there was talk about multilateralism, about a Europe after the COVID-19 pandemic, but that each president said what they had to say, and that despite diversities between the states, there is always a common denominator.
“I said that the European bureaucrats in Brussels and all those agencies should be a little more flexible when they label states. I also told them that my values are not necessarily those shared by all of Europe, and that it is not sound that one group, in this case to be precise the far liberal and left, should be dominant. Not everyone is the same, things can change tomorrow, in Germany probably not, but in France it is possible”, President Milanović said, adding that we must be aware that we are not all the same, but certain things connect us.
“Therefore we can be together, with some states and regimes we cannot. That level of similarities is sufficient. There is no European federation or suprastate, it is a fantasy nurtured by some. Europe is founded on national states, big and small. On this point I agree with the Hungarians and the Poles and some others, however I do not agree with them in everything”, President Milanović concluded his address.
Joining Croatian President Milanović in Rome’s Quirinale Palace were the presidents of Austria, Greece, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Germany and the host from Italy.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas