Speaking in Edinburgh on Saturday 1 November at the annual dinner of the European Movement in Scotland (EMiS), Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister and former senior Member of the European Parliament, said that Europe is facing multiple internal and external threats.
Verhofstadt talked of the rise of the political hard right across the globe, Russia’s territorial aggression, growing competition from China and India and the disruptive consequences of unpredictable American trade, defence and foreign policies. He called for moderate political forces to recognise that the world has changed dramatically, and that Europe must respond.
“We are at a turning point in Europe’s story. The European Union is one of the greatest political achievements of history. It brought 80 years or peace, stability, growing prosperity and liberal democracy to the continent. All the evidence is that the people of Scotland and of the UK wish they were still in the EU.
“In recent times, we have seen the rise of nations and movements whose primary interests are not a successful Europe of free peoples. Authoritarians, fascists and corrupt opportunists in and beyond Europe don’t wish Europe well.
“Europe today is a haven for free men and women, for decent values and the politics of partnership and cooperation. All that must be made secure, so Europe’s peoples are safe from the modern jackboot. Moderate political movements of Europe – the centre left and centre right – must work together to urgently find ways to counter the threats to our way of life.”
First Minister John Swinney, who attended the EMiS dinner, welcomed Verhofstadt’s remarks as “a wake-up call for all European nations to address our shared challenges together.”
He added: “The Scottish Government is strongly committed to the closest possible relations with our European neighbours, with whom we share the EU’s founding values – human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and respect for human rights.
“Scotland voted decisively to remain in the EU in 2016. Brexit has severely damaged Scotland and the wider UK’s economy and society. It has restricted freedom of movement, reduced opportunities for cultural exchange, harmed trade. Our position is clear: Scotland’s interests are best served by rejoining the EU as an independent member state. In the interim, we support rebuilding the deepest and most ambitious partnership possible with the EU.”
Richard Demarco elected Scottish European of the Year
Richard Demarco, artist, arts impresario, academic, writer and public intellectual has been elected Scottish European of the Year by the members of the European Movement in Scotland. The award was announced at the EMiS annual dinner.
The certificate awarded by EMiS reads:
“In recognition of his lifelong commitment to European culture, his championing of the values of free expression through the Arts, his numerous contributions to enriching the cultural life of Edinburgh and Scotland, his internationalism and his championing of unity and peace across Europe.”
Demarco is the only British citizen to be awarded the European Citizen’s Medal by the European Parliament. Born in Edinburgh, he is an Italian-Scot. Now 95, he has been at the centre of Scottish artistic and intellectual life since the 1940s. He was a founder of Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre and a central figure in the creation of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
More on politics:
Subscribe to our newsletters
Each of our Bylines sends a newsletter every month and we also send out a ‘Best of Bylines, featuring a selection of the best articles from across the network
