President of the EU Parliament Roberta Metsola has stressed the need to work together for peace and democracy, while speaking in Dayton, Ohio during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
Democracies are under threat, she said, adding that when democracies deliver, "we are all strengthened."
Speaking from the symbolic site of the Dayton Accords that took place 30 years ago, Metsola emphasized the enduring importance of transatlantic unity and the shared responsibility of Europe and the United States in safeguarding democracy and peace.
She said that just like diplomacy, democracy and peace were chosen while the two continents were at crossroads, today, there is only one path left: moving forward and together. President Metsola said that the EU and the US need to act together "with that courage, conviction, and leadership that characterised our actions in this place three decades ago. Stepping up to today's moment of reckoning together, not stepping back into fractured isolationism. And building up this one big beautiful transatlantic relationship that protects the democratic values we cherish. We must stand together."
Metsola recalled how S.S. Ohio saved Malta during the second World War. "Our grandparents were days away from surrender or starvation when a crippled US tanker limped into our harbour, lashed between two Allied destroyers, and somehow managed to dock. Its name was the S.S. Ohio. It meant we were able to live to fight another day. It saved us," she stated.
President Metsola said that for Malta, the name Ohio was always associated with beating impossible odds. "That is the spirit we need to rekindle today," she underlined.
Recalling the spirit of cooperation that brought an end to the conflict in Bosnia, Metsola highlighted the need for similar resolve in the face of today's global challenges. "Democracy is not guaranteed," she stated. "We must stand up against those who seek to chip away at everything we have built together." Looking ahead, Metsola stressed that unity and ambition must continue to guide Europe's enlargement efforts, particularly toward the Western Balkans, and the need for visionary leadership that builds on the peace forged in Dayton three decades ago.