'Promoting stability should be the number one priority for all of us'

Your Excellencies, 
Ambassador Vassy,
It’s a pleasure to see you all. Being here at the French embassy residence brings back countless fond memories. 
I’ve visited your beautiful country so many times that I’ve simply lost track!

One of my dearest memories is the sight of the majestic Château de Fontainebleau, close to where I studied. It’s a place that offers valuable insight into Europe’s history. In the sixteenth century, Italian painters and sculptors worked there at the invitation of the French king, together with the best architects and craftsmen in France. And so Renaissance art blended with French traditions, strongly influencing the evolution of art, not only in France, but all over Europe.

I believe this is one of Europe’s unique strengths. Together, we co-design and share so many innovations… not least our Union itself.

Your Excellencies, 
Seeing you here today, face-to-face, feels like both a fresh start and a bit like a homecoming. Or phrased more eloquently, it offers a sense of relance, puissance, appartenance. Revival. Power. Belonging.

These words not only echo our rich history; they also refer to  welcome qualities at this key moment for Europe. Ambassador Vassy, I believe the French Presidency’s motto is spot-on. 

Today, I’d like to share some thoughts on why this period is so critical for Europe. And what we must do, together, to make it a success. How we must use our power more effectively. And how we must develop our inner strength as well. 

After these remarks I look forward to discussing the issues with you in more detail, during the Q&A.   

First let me share one small fact about myself. My birth year: 1975. I’m part of a Dutch generation that had unprecedented opportunities and choices. That’s what we’re known for. We had boundless opportunities. Literally. My generation was the first to be able to travel the world for work, study, love and fun.   

And I am very grateful to be given that chance. Grateful to learn from other cultures, and meet people that inspired me. As a high-school student in the US, for example. Or during a road trip, partly hitchhiking, through India, Nepal, China and Australia. 

But Europe is where I actually travelled most. And where I worked, lived and studied. In Berlin, I arrived at Ostbahnhof twenty years ago with a large suitcase and many expectations. A place that was off-limits when my parents were young. Shortly before that, I studied in Rome, on an Erasmus grant. And not long after, I arrived in France in an ancient Peugeot, without having to show my passport anywhere. I have to be honest: I was unable to bring it back! The car didn’t make it.

It was during this period that I began to learn about the rich history of our continent. Yet, at that time, I was perhaps less aware that many of these opportunities in Europe were made possible by Europe. Enabling my generation to live in freedom and safety. To make our own choices and to enjoy the luxury of taking normal life for granted. Going to school, buying groceries, visiting the doctor and never experiencing war on our own soil.

Your Excellencies, 
Last week I was confronted with history in a different way, when I looked into the eyes of many men and a few women. Some about my age, many younger. Some determined, others hopeful, full of energy. But all unaware of the fate that awaited them. All of them died fighting for their country. 

Last week I visited the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv. It left a deep impression on me. Perhaps because it shows us, in the simplest of ways, how destructive war is. To the lives of young men and women. To their hopes and dreams.
 
At the same time, the Wall tells us something about our own  history. That of my generation, and of younger ones, too. And about how that history is an anomaly. Not only when you look back in time, but also when you look around you. And when you look at the statistics. 

Democracy is shrinking. Today only ten per cent of the world's population lives in a country that is truly democratic. The balance of power is shifting. Unfortunately, instability is growing. Not just in Ukraine, but also in the Western Balkans. And in parts of North Africa and the Middle East. Climate change… migration… many key issues of our time are contributing to that instability. And so are countries like China and Russia, as they challenge the balance of power that has fostered stability since the Second World War. 

They challenge our institutions. And they challenge our values. And not just in traditional ways. Power politics is not only about security. It also has an economic and social dimension. Trade instruments, technological dependencies, migration flows… these are the new tools of power being used against us. And they affect us on many different levels. 

Just consider: This Monday the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service reported that China and Russia are using social media to spy on Dutch companies and steal information. On a macro level, this hurts the Dutch economy and our global competitiveness. But equally important, on a micro level, this hurts the employees who face blackmail and threats on LinkedIn. On both levels, this is morally unacceptable! 

And this brings me to the core point I want to share with you today. Promoting stability should be the number-one priority for all of us. And as like-minded countries, I believe we have the power to do so, together. For these reasons, I believe this could be a key moment for our Union. 

Geopolitics has arrived at the doorstep of the EU. And it’s up to us to address the military challenge. We can be effective, only if we manage to unite. And only if we manage to act decisively and assertively. Not just by making future plans. Not just by debating how we should change. But by taking action. Now.
 
Taking action, first and foremost, on the situation in Ukraine. Because ultimately, we define ourselves not by talking, but by doing. In the case of Ukraine, that means saying a firm ‘no’ to aggression against an independent country and European neighbour. It means making clear that further Russian aggression will have severe political, economic and strategic consequences. And it means refusing Russian demands regarding spheres of influence in Europe.

The situation in Ukraine is truly a test of our unity. The truth is that Russia is trying to play Europe and the US off against each other. We can’t let that happen. And I'm glad that the US is firmly supporting us. Those sceptics who said the US only looks towards its own West these days were wrong.

And yet, this crisis is also a test of our decisiveness. We must show that we are willing and able to do what’s needed to help ensure stability on Europe’s borders. That’s why we must use all diplomatic means to prevent further escalation and why we must prepare robust sanctions.

In all honesty, truly effective sanctions will hurt us, too. But as far as I’m concerned, all options have to be on the table. Because preventing disaster comes at a price. If we hesitate… if we step on the brakes, this will be a cue for Russia to push the pedal to the metal. 

Alongside sanctions, we must also work on NATO’s deterrence and defence, and review our stance on NATO’s eastern flank. And we must continue exploring ways to provide Ukraine with the means to defend itself.

Geopolitical stand-offs like this make it clear that we need to take more responsibility for our own security. For our European security. And that we need to strengthen our Common Security and Defence Policy. The adoption of the Strategic Compass later this year is a crucial step. The Dutch government is ready to do its part. Our cabinet has committed to investing in defence.

At the same time, the current crisis in Ukraine underlines the importance of even closer EU-NATO cooperation. That’s why we need a new joint EU-NATO declaration as soon as possible.

Your Excellencies,
The EU is an economic power house second to none. But we need to do more to translate our economic might into political soft power. And even in the economic domain, there is significant room for improvement. Our job is to address these challenges. By building our capacity for growth and innovation, and by protecting our shared values.
 
In every aspect of the EU, it’s crucial that we all stick to the rules we’ve agreed on and challenge ourselves to achieve the best possible results.
When it comes to the rule of law.
When it comes to our climate ambitions.
When it comes to economic growth.
When it comes to public finance and monetary union. 
Because the higher the standards we set for ourselves, the more that future generations will profit. 

In order to assert our power, we must also become less dependent. Recent supply-chain shortages have shown how vulnerable we are. Especially when our dependencies are used against us: the gas that warms our homes and powers our industry. This artificial tightness has a very real impact on us. 

Here too, we must show unity. And I believe we can. By investing in open strategic autonomy. After all, we all believe that the EU should be able to safeguard its public interests.

The Netherlands believes that cooperation with like-minded international partners is a key aspect of this. And so is commitment to an open economy. It’s important that we keep seeking common ground. Because we won’t change the world if we get caught up in a semantic debate and just focus on our differences. Indeed, 27 separate standpoints achieve a lot less than a single, unified position.

This too is a defining moment. One where we can show others who we are, instead of telling each other what we should be. For this, we need to strengthen our single market. We need to deliver on our digitalisation and technology agenda. And we need to get rid of undesirable dependencies. What’s more, we need a smart industrial policy that upholds the free market in full and at the same time allows governments and the EU to create a level playing field and set criteria for success.  

Take semiconductors, for example. It’s crucial that we bolster Europe’s position in this key industry. So we welcome the recently published EU Chips Act. Because the future depends on having leading-edge technologies: the oil and gas of the future.

Your Excellencies, 
The Dutch football coach Leo Beenhakker, who worked for Ajax and Real Madrid, once described his young players as the Patatgeneratie, which loosely translates as the ‘fast-food generation’. To be clear, that was not a compliment! A generation that subsisted on fries and was a little lazy. 

And this is how all of us born between 1970 and 1985 became known: A generation blessed with choice and freedom, but without ideals. Supposedly, we didn't have to fight for anything, because we already had everything. 

Even a humorous insult can contain a grain of truth, and the ‘fast-food generation’ was no exception. It’s the same in Europe, where we’re surrounded by so much privilege that we’re unable to see how unique it is. And that can make us complacent, quarrelsome and indecisive.

A while ago I was in Berlin with my family. I wanted to show my children Europe’s rich history, as my parents did when I was young. 
‘Was there really a wall here, Dad?’ my kids asked me. 
‘A wall that you were not allowed to pass?’
They could hardly believe it. And I understand why. It’s hard to grasp something that isn’t there… or no longer is there. The traces of dictatorship and war are fading, and so is our collective memory.

Yet while we build monuments and museums to commemorate the hardships of the past, the prospect of new adversity is right on Europe's doorstep. 

In this key moment for Europe, we must protect our most valuable treasures. Our security and liberty. Our democracy and constitution. Our prosperity and values. 
We can only do so by making stability our number one priority.
And by taking action now, together.

Thank you.