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"The strength of the European Union (EU) lies in its unanimity. A unanimous EU will be respected internationally," said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Friday, 10 December, in her opening address at the online discussion "Conference on the Future of Europe: Exchange of Thoughts," where representatives of NGOs and the Saeima shared their ideas and opinions on the future of Europe.

"The EU and Western democracies in general, through their values-based policies, are a compass for societies in regions where democratic values have been ignored," said the Speaker of the Saeima, emphasising that EU Member States must protect the common values of democracy and freedom.

Mūrniece also stressed the need for Member States to be united in their response to the hybrid attack carried out by the authoritarian regime of Belarus in the East: "We are one of the EU eastern border countries, and it is necessary that citizens of other Member States perceive Latvia's border as their national border, because its security is in the interest of the entire EU."

The Speaker of the Saeima underscored that it was essential for civil society, in the form of NGOs, to actively participate in the exchange of ideas on the future framework of Europe. "When contemplating the future of Europe, we also think about the future of Latvia, about ways to preserve what has been achieved, improve the well-being of our fellow citizens, and get our messages across in other parts of the EU," said Mūrniece.

Vita Anda Tērauda, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, highlighted that the online discussion was an opportunity for civil society representatives to directly and personally share their thoughts, ideas, and positions on the form the EU should take in the future.

"The Conference on the Future of Europe shows that one of the values shared by the EU is openness to discussion, marked by diversity of opinion, viability of ideas, and engagement in their implementation," said Tērauda, adding that the Conference on the Future of Europe is a new and unprecedented format to combine representative democracy with civic engagement.

The online discussion "Conference on the Future of Europe: Exchange of Thoughts" was organised by the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima. The discussion brought together civil society representatives to share their ideas and views on how to shape the common future of the EU. Kristīne Zonberga, Director of the Civic Alliance Latvia, also gave an address at the opening of the event.

Parallel sessions were chaired by the MPs representing the Saeima at the Conference on the Future of Europe. The session on digital transformation was moderated by Vita Anda Tērauda, Chair of the Saeima European Affairs Commission. Igors Pimenovs, Secretary of the European Affairs Committee, chaired the session on education, culture, youth, and sports. Anda Čakša, Chair of the Social and Employment Matters Committee, was in charge of the session on health, and Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, lead the session on the EU in the world.

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Saeima Press Service