"Stupid nationalism"

Last presidency: Karas bids farewell to the EU Parliament

Othmar Karas (ÖVP): The outgoing Vice-President of the EU Parliament made his last appearance as Chair of a plenary session on Friday.

(Bild: Screenshot/Twitter.com)

Othmar Karas, Vice-President of the European Parliament, bid farewell to the EU Parliament at his last plenary session as President in Strasbourg on Friday. "Shape honest politics! Act according to your convictions, not according to party tactics. Fight against stupid nationalism!", the ÖVP politician appealed to his colleagues. 

A "more courageous Europe" is needed, wrote the European politician on Friday on X.

Karas, an MEP since 1999, will no longer be standing in the elections in June, not for the ÖVP, but also not with his own list, as had long been speculated, following the open break with his own party.

"United in diversity": Karas recalls EU motto:
In the last 25 years in this House, he has learned, experienced and witnessed a lot, Karas emphasized in his speech on Friday. "My answer to the question of what the European Union is has changed over the last few years and over time. But in 2000, the European Union gave itself a motto. And I am realizing more and more how aptly it answers this question: 'United in diversity'. Because we are not all the same - and that is a good thing."

We need a bolder Europe, a more efficient Europe, a strong Europe. Thank you very much for all your encounters, for all your support. All the best.

EU-VIzepräsident Othmar Karas (ÖVP) in seiner letzten Rede im EU-Parlament

Appeal to colleagues in the EU Parliament
The EU makes rules for 450 million citizens, with different languages, traditions, cultures, histories and experiences. Karas: "Let's never forget that. Let us be aware of this responsibility. His appeal to his colleagues: Shape honest, upright and courageous politics. Stand up every day and act according to your convictions and not according to daily party politics and fight with all your might against stupid nationalism!"

In his last press conference at a plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the 66-year-old took stock and ventured a look ahead: "The EU is currently only running at 70 percent performance. The really big reforms are not succeeding. In these times, we need an EU that runs at 100 percent."

"Watching will not make it better"
He praised some of the proposals from the report on improving the internal market presented last week by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta: "We need a Europe that is capable of acting. Standing by and watching will not make it better."

Karas has Ursula von der Leyen's back
He "hopes that Ursula von der Leyen will lead the EU Commission again", said Karas. She had been a successful president. Despite increasingly loud criticism in recent weeks, for example due to personnel decisions, Karas expects the German to be re-elected "if the EPP becomes number one again, which I assume it will, and if the cohesion of the political forces in the center is strengthened again, who want to do something together - and I assume that."