2023年PM Tony Blair39;s speech to EU Parliament.docx

2023年PM Tony Blair39;s speech to EU Parliament 英语演讲稿 Mr.President,collegues,distinguishedguests: ItisanhonourtobehereintheEuropeanParliamenttoday.Withyourpermission,IwillcomebackaftereachEuropeanCouncilduringtheUKPresidencyandreporttoyou.Inaddition,IwouldbehappytoconsulttheParliamentbeforeeachCouncil,soastohavethebenefitoftheviewsoftheEuropeanParliamentbeforeCouncildeliberations. Thisisatimelyaddress.WhateverelsepeopledisagreeuponinEuropetoday,theyatleastagreeononepoint:Europeisinthemidstofaprofounddebateaboutitsfuture.Iwanttotalktoyouplainlytodayaboutthisdebate,thereasonsforitandhowtoresolveit.Ineverycrisisthereisanopportunity.ThereisonehereforEuropenow,ifwehavethecouragetotakeit. ThedebateoverEuropeshouldnotbeconductedbytradinginsultsorintermsofpersonality.Itshouldbeanopenandfrankexchangeofideas.AndrightattheoutsetIwanttodescribeclearlyhowIdefinethedebateandthedisagreementunderlyingit. Theissueisnotbetweena"freemarket"EuropeandasocialEurope,betweenthosewhowanttoretreattoacommonmarketandthosewhobelieveinEuropeasapoliticalproject. Thisisnotjustamisrepresentation.ItistointimidatethosewhowantchangeinEuropebyrepresentingthedesireforchangeasbetrayaloftheEuropeanideal,totrytoshutoffseriousdebateaboutEurope''''sfuturebyclaimingthattheveryinsistenceondebateistoembracetheanti-Europe. ItisamindsetIhavefoughtagainstallmypoliticallife.Idealssurvivethroughchange.Theydiethroughinertiainthefaceofchallenge. Iamapassionatepro-European.Ialwayshavebeen.Myfirstvotewasin1975intheBritishreferendumonmembershipandIvotedyes.In1983,whenIwasthelastcandidateintheUKtobeselectedshortlybeforethatelectionandwhenmypartyhadapolicyofwithdrawingfromEurope,ItoldtheselectionconferencethatIdisagreedwiththepolicy.SomethoughtIhadlosttheselection.SomeperhapswishIhad.Ithenhelpedchangeourpolicyinthe1980''''sandwasproudofthatchange. SincebeingPrimeMinisterIsignedtheSocialChapter,helped,alongwithFrance,tocreatethemodernEuropeanDefencePolicy,haveplayedmypartintheAmsterdam,theNice,thentheRomeTreaties. Thisisaunionofvalues,ofsolidaritybetweennationsandpeople,ofnotjustacommonmarketinwhichwetradebutacommonpoliticalspaceinwhichweliveascitizens. Italwayswillbe. IbelieveinEuropeasapoliticalproject.IbelieveinEuropewithastrongandcaringsocialdimension.IwouldneveracceptaEuropethatwassimplyaneconomicmarket. Tosaythatistheissueistoescapetherealdebateandhideinthecomfortzoneofthethingswehavealwayssaidtoeachotherintimesofdifficulty. ThereisnotsomedivisionbetweentheEuropenecessarytosucceedeconomicallyandsocialEurope.PoliticalEuropeandeconomicEuropedonotliveinseparaterooms. ThepurposeofsocialEuropeandeconomicEuropeshouldbetosustaineachother. ThepurposeofpoliticalEuropeshouldbetopromotethedemocraticandeffectiveinstitutionstodeveloppolicyinthesetwospheresandacrosstheboardwherewewantandneedtocooperateinourmutualinterest. Butthepurposeofpoliticalleadershipistogetthepoliciesrightfortoday''''sworld. For50yearsEurope''''sleadershavedonethat.Wetalkofcrisis.Letusfirsttalkofachievement.Whenthewarended,Europewasinruins.TodaytheEUstandsasamonumenttopoliticalachievement.Almost50yearsofpeace,50yearsofprosperity,50yearsofprogress.Thinkofitandbegrateful. ThebroadsweepofhistoryisonthesideoftheEU.Countriesroundtheworldarecomingtogetherbecauseincollectivecooperationtheyincreaseindividualstrength.Untilthesecondhalfofthe20thCentury,forcenturiesEuropeannationsindividuallyhaddominatedtheworld,colonisedlargepartsofit,foughtwarsagainsteachotherforworldsupremacy. OutofthecarnageoftheSecondWorldWar,politicalleadershadthevisiontorealisethosedaysweregone.Today''''sworlddoesnotdiminishthatvision.Itdemonstratesitsprescience.TheUSAistheworld''''sonlysuperpower.ButChinaandIndiainafewdecadeswillbetheworld''''slargesteconomies,eachofthemwithpopulationsthreetimesthatofthewholeoftheEU.TheideaofEurope,unitedandworkingtogether,isessentialforournationstobestrongenoughtokeepourplaceinthisworld. Now,almost50yearson,wehavetorenew.Thereisnoshameinthat.Allinstitutionsmustdoit.Andwecan.ButonlyifweremarrytheEuropeanidealswebelieveinwiththemodernworldwelivein. IfEuropedefaultedtoEuroscepticism,orifEuropeannationsfacedwiththisimmensechallenge,decidetohuddletogether,hopingwecanavoidglobalisation,shrinkawayfromconfrontingthechangesaroundus,takerefugeinthepresentpoliciesofEuropeasifbyconstantlyrepeatingthem,wewouldbytheveryactofrepetitionmakethemmorerelevant,thenweriskfailure.Failureonagrand,strategic,scale.ThisisnotatimetoaccusethosewhowantEuropetochangeofbetrayingEurope.ItisatimetorecognisethatonlybychangewillEuroperecoveritsstrength,itsrelevance,itsidealismandthereforeitssupportamongstthepeople. Andaseverthepeopleareaheadofthepoliticians.Wealwaysthinkasapoliticalclassthatpeople,unconcernedwiththedailyobsessionofpolitics,maynotunderstandit,maynotseeitssubtletiesanditscomplexities.But,ultimately,peoplealwaysseepoliticsmoreclearlythanus.Preciselybecausetheyarenotdailyobsessedwithit.