Dear Micheál, it’s a pleasure to be here in Dublin, as part of my round of visits to European capitals It is so valuable to talk to European leaders face to face and to listen to their priorities for the months to come. And for the upcoming European Council meeting.
It is particularly important for me to be here today as we look ahead to Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026. We will have many important issues on our common European agenda and our good collaboration will be key to ensuring that we make swift effective progress.
Ireland is seen by other member states – and rightly so – as a pro-European country and an honest broker. And that will be very useful for the success of your Presidency. Our political priorities are and will continue to be centred around two core and very much interlinked priorities: Europe’s competitiveness and security.
At a time of rising global tensions, it has never been more crucial to guarantee Europe’s security and to strengthen our defence readiness.
Protecting our continent means supporting Ukraine. We are working on all fronts to stop Russia’s war of aggression, to stop the killing and to achieve a just and lasting peace for the people of Ukraine. Our commitment to supporting Ukraine in building a prosperous future as a member state of the European Union is unwavering.
We continue to do this through diplomatic efforts, through sanctions, through security guarantees, and through financial support to Ukraine. Whether at war or in peace, Ukraine will require substantial support.
At the October European Council, we committed to deliver it. And in the December European Council next week, we will decide on it. The Commission has now presented concrete proposals to put this commitment into practice – and provide the necessary support over the next two years.
After considering several options, we are now focussed on designing a Reparation Loan to Ukraine based on Russian immobilised assets. Work is now ongoing to define a solution that can bring every member state on board, or at least that gathers the broadest possible support. Europe will remain Ukraine’s strongest and most reliable partner. And that is why the European Council will deliver next week.
As we work on reinforcing the security of our continent, we need to push our efforts on making our Union more competitive. We share the need to focus our efforts on digital sovereignty, deepening the single market and reducing red tape for citizens and companies. It is about fostering innovation, growth and better jobs for our citizens.
I have invited Leaders to an informal “brainstorming” on 12 February which will be centred around these issues. The focus will be strongly on developing our single market – because the single market, together with the euro, is Europe’s main economic superpower
The European Council needs to address the real concerns of Europeans from Dublin to Warsaw and from Athens to Helsinki. The lack of affordable and sustainable housing – of housing in general – is exactly one such issue. And I know how urgent it is here also, in Ireland. All levels have a role to play, including the European Union. That’s why I put this issue on the agenda of the last European Council. And the discussion we had showed that the European Union can play a crucial role in supporting housing policy at national, regional and local level. I will keep this issue on the European agenda, because housing is essential for social cohesion – and social cohesion is essential for the health of European democracies, and both for our competitiveness.
Before concluding, a final point on my side. Next week, we will have the first discussion at leaders’ level on the next EU’s long-term budget. This is a fundamental instrument, because it defines the priorities and the means for EU action from 2028 to 2034.
We know it will be a difficult negotiation. We are all conscious that the EU needs to adapt to a new geopolitical reality and our budget has to reflect that. We need to reach an agreement by the end of next year and the Irish Presidency will play a crucial role in making it happen. I am very encouraged by my exchanges with you today, dear Micheál, and our joint commitment to deliver on this ambitious objective.
Once again, thank you Micheál, for welcoming me here today.