 President Johannes, President Ludovic Orban, the Secretary General, Dono, Mr. Schneider, from the Committee of Regions, your colleagues from the European Parliament, Theodor, Marian, Adina, and all the other friends who are today with us. Welcome, and thank you so much for the welcome today here in Bucharest. And I want to tell you, I think there is having this event in mind, having this position that we are based with a lot of mayors here in mind, I cannot imagine a better place to present the future initiatives of the European People's Party for our continent, for the European Union, than here in Bucharest. It's great to be here. Thank you for the warm welcome. Let me, first of all, underline that PNLA is one of the driving parties inside of the European People's Party. Under the leadership of Ludovic Orban, we saw today, when we saw the candidates, when we saw the presentation how PNL is performing, we see that PNLA is the driving force, included in a big party. We are located on the front, on the mayor's level, and we are also dealing with the European issues in the European Parliament. We are a party who can really influence on all levels of politics the decision-making process in the interests of the citizens of Romania. And that's why let me thank the strong leadership of your party. Let me thank also Ludovic for his support for my candidature last year in Helsinki. PNLA is strong. PNLA is the future of Romania. Thank you, Ludovic Orban, for this strong leadership. And ladies and gentlemen, when I think about Romania, then I must tell you that in the previous years, Romania was mainly seen as a country where we were discussing about rule of law, where we were discussing about the fight against corruption, where we were discussing about the questions internally. Romania was not anymore seen in the first row of the European decision-making process, having in mind that Romania is one of the most pro-European countries in the European Union when we focus on the people of Romania. Then it's a tragedy to see that Romania is not anymore the front-runner in the European decision-making process. We see fresh air, we see fresh spirit of a young member of the European Union. And you know the reason. The reason is today's government in Romania. They are more thinking about the interests of their party leader and not so much about their interests of Romania for the future of Europe, ladies and gentlemen. That is a negative thing, which we have to mention when we are in Bucharest. But the positive thing is that there was one person who gave the rest of the European Union the clear indication that we still can trust in the future of this country, that we still can trust in Romania as a reliable partner for us on European level. And that is your president, Claus Johannes, who was always a great leader. And you can be proud that you have such a great president. Thank you so much, Claus Johannes. Ladies and gentlemen, when we speak now about the future of Europe, then it is really great to understand that it starts with listening, what also Tonno said in his welcome speech. Ladies and gentlemen, Europe and politics, especially on European level, must start listening, is taking the concerns of people into consideration. And not first of all with some elites or some bureaucrats or some diplomats who are thinking in Europe, in Brussels, what they want to do. No, it starts with listening to people. And that's why I can, again, Mr. Schneider, not imagine a better place than the Committee of Regions, where I really respect our mayors in their daily life. Our job is sometimes far away from citizens because the due legislation is more distant to people. But as a mayor, as a representative of the local level, you're every day close to the citizens. So to listen to our mayors is the most important thing. And what I want to, yes, yes. And I always imagine how a mayor would do campaigning. That is always what I have in mind when I prepare myself. And I would say when a mayor wants to be reelected, the first main message what he has, what he must tell his citizens, his friends and his community, the first message is, yes, I did my job. So you have to present what have you achieved during your mandate. And that's the same for us, because we are today governing in the European Union. We have all the three presidents of the European institutions in our camp. And that's why we have to tell people what we achieved. And ladies and gentlemen, in the last 10 years, we created in Europe 13 million new jobs. We have now a gross rate in the European Union of 2%. And also on another aspect, which was very critical in the last five years on the migration side. We reduced the number of illegal migration in the last four years for about 95% in the Mediterranean Sea. And having the Brexit in mind to keep Europe together that the 27 are united in the talks towards the Brits. Having all these three points in mind, I want to tell you that EPP under the leadership of Jean-Claude Juncker of Donald Tusk and also Antonio Taiani and also of myself, we managed to keep Europe together. We have a good record of what we did and we can be proud about what EPP achieved in today's European Union. And the second aspect is also important, ladies and gentlemen, because sometimes we are focusing when we speak about Europe. We focus so much about the concrete issues on the table, but sometimes we forget the broader perspective. And I want to come back to the words of President Johannes. I am 46 years old. Ladies and gentlemen, I grew up in Bavaria and I'm the first generation on this continent. It's the first generation on this continent who can say that I live today and my generation can live today in a Europe where we have all over Europe freedom and peace. My father's generation was born in the year 1947, two years after the Second World War. He grew, he was living in Bavaria, so he enjoyed freedom, but half of our continent was under communistic regime and didn't enjoy freedom. And my grandfather's generation went to war and the generations before also. So ladies and gentlemen, please have in mind that we are, that I am the first generation who can say that I live for my whole life in a Europe which is unified with the principles of freedom and peace. And why do I underline this? Because that was only possible because leaders from our party, from the EPP, from the European People's Party, Christian Democrats and those who led in the last years the European Union managed this and that's why I fight against all those who wants to destroy today's Europe, all populists, all egoists, all nationalists. This Europe was made by us. We are proud and we will defend it for the future. Ladies and gentlemen, that is the first aspect. To tell people what we achieved and to think we are living today in the best Europe we ever had, that does not mean that everything is okay. We have still a lot of issues to do and Ludwig was referring to these points in his contribution. The first message from our program, what we want to do for Europe is that I dream about a Europe and I want to work for a Europe as next commission president where nobody in Europe is anymore forced to live his home region only to economic reasons only to get a better job and only to get better salaries. We have to work for a Europe where everybody can enjoy the same living conditions on this continent. Ladies and gentlemen, and that has a lot to do with Romania. 3.5 million people left the country in the last years. One third of the young generation left. That is what is not any more acceptable. That's why we have to do more work and more to create equal living conditions. That's why I want to give today as a candidate a clear commitment that I am a commission president who is strongly in favour of agriculture policy and of regional policy because that is a tool to invest in the future of Europe to build up infrastructure and to give young people a good future in the rural areas especially. I want to share with you that we have to be open for trade as Europeans. I also want to give you a figure on this. 1.1 million Romanians are working today in sectors where you produce products for the EU export, so for external export, not for domestic, EU internal, but for export. 1.1 million Romanians. There's a lot. And that gives us a clear indication that we can only have a good economic future if we believe in trade policy. And that is a problem because the socialists and the Greens and all the left politicians are very skeptical about future trade agreements. This week we voted in Strasbourg about the EU-U.S. with Donald Trump trade agreement, a very important issue on the table. And I tell you that the socialists are opposing to this. The socialists don't want to have further trade agreements. And I tell you, they want to do what Donald Trump is doing. They want to block trade. They want to stop trade. They want to build up walls. And I tell you, on economic side, I don't want to build up walls. I want to build up bridges because that is the only way to achieve trade policy and good economic developments for the future. Another aspect for this economic growth. We know that we enjoy today's economic growth. Why? Because we have good products. Innovation is key. Fresh good ideas. And I visited a few minutes ago the stands from the regions and also from the young entrepreneurs. And it's amazing to see what our young generation in Europe has in mind, how much good ideas they have. Ladies and gentlemen, to activate innovation, to activate Zeus who are producing new good services and products. That is what we have to do. And I want to give you one example. Donald spoke already about this. I want to give you one example. 40% of the people here in this room, 40% of the Europeans will experience in their life cancer. And everybody who has in his family and in his friends such a case knows how you feel with cancer. Without any hope for the future. And imagine if we can combine all our research capacity all our money we have on European level all the databases we have in Europe and we would do a big master plan in fight against cancer that we Europeans would achieve to give an answer on cancer to cure cancer in the future nobody can say whether this will take 5 years or 7 or 10 years but if we Europeans would give an answer on cancer would make this world a better place then I think people would be proud to be on European and I want to present such a master plan in fight against cancer dear friends. Innovation is a key field. Ladies and gentlemen there is a second key issue on European level. One aspect is jobs but a second issue is still the migration discussion. Whenever I am traveling all around Europe I see this that people are still worried what is going on there with the migration field and I want to give you a short answer what our EPP point of view is. The first point the precondition for everything when we talk about migration is that we can control our external borders. I was last year in August in Bulgaria, neighbour country I visited with Boyko Borisov the Bulgarian-Turkish border. There is a small river marking the border on the one side there is a 50 meter high Turkish flag on the other side a 50 meter high Bulgarian and European flag. Two continents meet there. And Boyko Borisov was building up on this border a fence, technical measures to protect the border against illegal migration and when you have a passport you can easily cross the border there is no doubt about this but for illegal migrants for the business of smugglers for the business of the mafia in this region illegal migration is reduced nearly to zero and ladies and gentlemen I must tell you that all those politicians who are ready to defend our external border and make clear that on the external border all those politicians have not received has not to be criticised those politicians have the full support of the EPP party because we want to win back control about our border and the second aspect ladies and gentlemen the second aspect is we are a continent of values, we are a continent of basic principles, of humanity and that's why we also have to care about those who really need our help a Marshall plan for Africa to assist the Africans to have also a good positive development Romania and Europe cannot have a good future when our neighbouring continent Africa is for the long term in a chaotic situation that's why we have to care there are the two sides of our answer towards the migration thing responsibility and strict border control ladies and gentlemen there are several of other issues for example today Europe is already a continent which is economically strong when Jean-Claude Juncker is travelling to Donald Trump to America and speaks about trade then he speaks on behalf of 440 million Europeans we are strong but ladies and gentlemen we are not strong on political issues economically we are strong but politically we are still weak and that's why we have to find a way when the external affairs are mentioned when it is about the question how we behave towards China when the question on the table is what are we doing now with Vladimir Putin what are we doing with the American friends with Donald Trump in some of the questions what are we doing with President Erdogan in Turkey when external affairs is concerns then I want to guarantee that Europe is not only economically a giant that Europe is also becoming politically we have to find a way to speak on global level with one voice as Europeans ladies and gentlemen only a few considerations for what do we have to do in the future of Europe let me only mention one small point on this field of concrete actions finally and that is again the rule of law which has a lot to do also with Romanian socialist government finally let me say that I am surprised that is the first time we are establishing on European level chief prosecutor who has the opportunity the chance to implement the rule of law the fight against corruption not only on national level but also on European level and for this post the first time we nominate now a person for this post a Romanian personality is proposed by the European Parliament ladies and gentlemen it is a surprise for me that the Romanian government is not supporting this lady this candidate so I think Romania should be proud that the first chief prosecutor of the European Union can be a Romanian personality a Romanian citizens that is why we fully support the nomination of the lady full support on this ladies and gentlemen one aspect in the campaign is to say what you have achieved one element is to tell people what you want to do in the future and one element is and that is needed in Europe to look on our fundamental principle on our roots what do we have in mind as Europeans when we speak as EPP as Penale and we speak about Europe ladies and gentlemen when you flies through Europe and fly to Dublin when you start in Lisbon and you fly to Helsinki then you have crossed Europe two times and you will find a lot of diversity on culture, on food on some have good beer some have good wine the Romanians have both so you see this all of Europe ladies and gentlemen a lot of diversity but you will see one thing all over Europe in common with some small exemptions you will find in every village and in every city in the middle a Christian church and that's why I believe that this continent is based on Christian principles and we should be proud of this ladies and gentlemen that we have this common basic values another basic thing is that I think we have to define the final composition of the European Union who belongs to Europe for sure the countries of the western Balkan must have a chance to join the European Union for sure, no doubt about this but ladies and gentlemen we have ongoing talks with our Turkish friends about membership and let me be frank in this regard let me be honest in this regard the last years in Turkey were not years where Turkey showed engagement with the principles we believe in and that's why Turkey is distancing himself from Europe is going away from Europe and that's why I think the best thing what we can do today is the relationship to practice an honest approach among each other, what does this practically mean that means practically let's tell our Turkish friends that we want to have strong relationship we want to have strong friendship among us but a full membership of Turkey inside of the European Union will not work and cannot work so I promise you as commission president I will stop the enlargement talks between Turkey and the European Union because finally we have to define the borders of Europe and the last point ladies and gentlemen friends the question of nationalism is back in Europe you know the lady Le Pen she's from France she's a right populistic and nationalistic politician when she is doing campaign in France she stands in front of people and tells to the people be proud about your nation and to hell with Europe that is what populists and nationalists are telling people all over Europe and what is our answer what is our answer let me quote the former president of my party it was Franz Josef Strauss he said already in the sixties of the last year he said Bavaria is my home Germany is my nation and Europe is my future he said that there is no contradiction thank you so much he said and that was his political message and also what president Johannes said there is no contradiction between the national and even the regional proudness about your nation and your region and to be also proud to be a European for us these three identities belong together and I don't allow any nationalists any populists to tell the people that this is in contradiction for us it belongs together ladies and gentlemen that is what we will offer to the Europeans in the next weeks and month in the campaign we will tell the people what we believe in, what we will stand for as the real Europeans as those who don't blame Europe for all what is going wrong like the socialists and others are doing this we are the real Europeans and we have a plan for the future so we show people that we deliver if we have the trust of people we have a plan for the future on content where we believe in where we believe that Europe is built on and that's why the campaign can be finally a good success you in Romania you showed now with the rise of sea poles where PNL is now number one in Romania you showed that we can win so let's stand together let's fight together let's campaign together for a better Europe for a Europe which is in our hand thank you so much for PNL