Europe, what next? Dealing with Dilemmas from Climate to War and Migration
Mette Frederiksen and Roberta Metsola in The Black Diamond: The EU has proven its worth in times of crisis, but migration will be the next big test
The EU has never functioned as well as it does today and should not be reformed for the time being, Mette Frederiksen stated when Think Tank EUROPA and the Royal Danish Library welcomed her and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Wednesday afternoon.
European cooperation has stood the distance during war, COVID and the energy crisis - but according to Frederiksen, Europe's next big test is now the growing migration pressures on EU's borders.
The external borders will themselves move further to the east during the next round of enlargement when Ukraine becomes a member of the EU, said Roberta Metsola - and emphasized that the support for Ukraine and the admission of new member states are not acts of charity, but essential for Europe's struggle to protect its values.
In several areas, Metsola highlighted Denmark as a role model for the EU and other member states, both in finding a balance between economic and environmental considerations and in ensuring a well-functioning political culture with high trust – a task that will be particularly important when Europeans next year vote at the European Parliament election in the shadow of QatarGate.
