Speaking in the European Parliament’s debate in Brussels on the European Council conclusions of 23 October, ECR Group Co-Chairman Nicola Procaccini encouraged the EU institutions to stay the course on what he described as a visible shift away from self-imposed constraints, pseudo-environmentalism and political self-harm.

The Union’s renewed focus on “pragmatic” and “cost-efficient” solutions, he said, marked a long-overdue change of direction.

“Better late than never,” Procaccini noted, welcoming the Council’s conclusions. “The conclusions of the recent Council point to a new direction, one that we have been calling for for some time. We Conservatives are ready, as always, to lead this return to common sense.”

As a positive sign of this shift, Procaccini pointed to the EU’s cautious endorsement of the Gaza peace plan negotiated by US President Donald Trump, stressing that Europe should support the initiative not only rhetorically but through real commitment if circumstances require it. “Perhaps there is a lack of proper recognition of the role played by an American president surrounded by too many European prejudices,” he said.

Turning to defence, Procaccini warned that Europe’s credibility depends on avoiding structures that duplicate NATO or weaken national defence industries. “We cannot build Europe’s defence with superstructures that already exist elsewhere. It must be built in line with NATO and by strengthening our nations’ defence industries. The idea of creating a European intelligence service is, frankly, disturbing — and unnecessary,” he said.

On Europe’s competitiveness, he underlined that the Council’s call for a “pragmatic” and “cost-efficient” transition represents a significant shift compared with past approaches. “For years, the ECR warned that the Union was strangling itself with a pseudo-environmentalist, self-destructive impulse. We were called anti-European. Today, even the Council recognises the need for realism.”

Procaccini concluded by positioning his political centre-right and conservative family as the political force driving this renewed realism. “The ECR is the voice of this new-found realism. We want peace through security. We want prosperity through economic freedom. We want to protect the environment through technological neutrality. We want Europe through the cooperation of nations, not centralisation in a superstate.”

Procaccini’s full speech reads:

Thank you, Mr President, President von der Leyen,

The Council’s conclusions begin with an important acknowledgement of reality. The Council “welcomes” the peace plan for Gaza. Perhaps there is a lack of proper recognition of the role played by an American president surrounded by too many European prejudices. But never mind, you can’t have everything in life.

Let us hope that the other points of the plan will now be pursued, for the sake of Israelis and Palestinians. And if European commitment is needed to protect this fragile agreement, so be it, in whatever form and manner may be defined in the coming days.

There is also talk of accelerating our defence readiness. Fine. But this force cannot be built with EU-level superstructures that duplicate what already exists. It must be built in line with NATO and by strengthening our nations’ defence industries. Incidentally, I have read that you intend to create a European intelligence service. I would say that this is disturbing. I would say that we can do without it.

Competitiveness. For years, from these benches, the ECR has warned that the Union was strangling itself, driven by a pseudo-environmentalist self-destructive impulse. They called us anti-European, they told us we lacked ambition.

Today, even the Council is calling for a “pragmatic” and “cost-efficient” transition. Better late than never.

Madam President, the ECR is the voice of this new-found realism. We want peace through security. We want prosperity through economic freedom. We want to protect the environment through technological neutrality. We want Europe through the cooperation of nations, not centralisation in a superstate.

The conclusions of the recent Council point to a new direction, one that we have been calling for for some time. We Conservatives are ready, as always, to lead this return to common sense.

Thank you.