'People expect courageous decisions to lower bills' - Roberta Metsola

Courageous decisions are needed to address rising prices especially amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Roberta Metsola said on Thursday.

The President of the European Parliament told European Union leaders at a European Council meeting that increasing prices are having a direct impact on families and businesses.

Referring to the fact that Europe is not immune to price shocks, Metsola highlighted in particular the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as “a clear example of how quickly instability elsewhere can affect us at home”.

She also called for urgent action on simplification, pointing out that in order for companies to grow in Europe, they need targeted legislation and clear deadlines.

“We need to be ready to think differently and come up with out-of-the-box solutions,” she added.

Addressing journalists before and after the European Council, Metsola stressed that competitiveness and geopolitics are two sides of the same coin.

“Europe needs the weight of an economic force that reflects the role we must play — especially in a world where geopolitical tensions only seem to be growing,” she said, referring to the instability caused by Iran as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.