European Parliament must serve the citizen

MEP Helga Stevens has achieved the third-largest number of votes in the election for President of the European Parliament. Any way you look at it, she can look back on a successful, positive campaign: “I have been able to reach out to and persuade a great many people. In the service of our citizens, I will continue to work on a different sort of politics in the European Parliament in the years to come as well.”

Helga Stevens does, however, regret how shameless jostling for positions has this time once again played a significant part in the election for President: “While Europe is in crisis, people are quibbling about positions behind closed doors. And the content that’s on paper is miles away from what the citizens in Europe actually want. Nobody is sitting around waiting for European taxes or a European superstate government.”

Staying Eurorealistic

That’s why the N-VA continues to tell its Eurorealistic story. We do, however, have a clear plan for the reform of the European Union. The focus must not lie on an expanded Europe, but rather on safety, curbing migration and the creation of jobs. In the years to come, Helga Stevens is therefore going to give her unconditional and full backing to equal opportunities, a different perspective on Europe’s social agenda and the challenges posed by migration.”

Helga's colleague, MEP Sander Loones, also presented his views on the Presidential vote in an open letter to the presidents of the EPP and ALDE Groups: Manfred Weber and Guy Verhofstadt. You can read it here.