EPP wants reforms over slogans

Joseph Dual, the president of the largest political group in the European Parliament, the EPP-ED, said yesterday the EU needs to continue reforming itself in order to respond to the people's needs.

Addressing a two-day conference in Paris focusing on security in Europe, Mr Dual said the EPP-ED group wants to reaffirm the ideas and convictions of the Centre-Right, based on freedom and responsibility.

"Our political opponents choose to launch slogans rather than attack the real problems of European citizens. We prefer to speak to them in the language of truth," Mr Dual said.

"Our citizens are sending us clear signals of their concern, their anger, their incomprehension in the face of the new challenges brought about by globalisation. Our political family, our governments and our parliamentary groups are answering to these concerns with one voice and with measures driven by conviction and reason.

We are implementing crucial reforms, even if they might not always be popular, which shall strengthen our countries on the global scene and which will reinforce our social cohesion," he added.

The group's 288 MEPs, including Nationalist MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa, are discussing an array of subjects, from energy to food security in Europe, aimed at formulating policies to be pushed forward on the EU agenda by the EPP group in the coming year.