President Niinistö at the meeting of the Arraiolos Group: We need the EU, we need cooperation

Photo: Office of the President of Bulgaria

Photo: Office of the President of Bulgaria

President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö participated in the meeting of the Arraiolos Group of EU presidents held in Bulgaria on 14–15 September. The meeting began on Wednesday in the historic town of Plovdiv and continued in the capital, Sofia, on Thursday. The presidents of 10 EU countries participated in this informal meeting between heads of state. 

The title of the discussions on the first meeting day was ‘How can we increase trust in the EU in a period of growing risks and an unstable international order?’ The subject of Thursday’s discussions was: ‘The Balkans and their historical transition: from a field of Great Power interests to an integral part of United Europe.’

At the press conference held afterwards, President Niinistö spoke about the crisis of confidence in the European Union: “We blame the EU and we blame Brussels, but what actually is the EU? We are all the EU. Which means that we can only blame ourselves if the EU does not succeed,” said the President before presenting another question: “Where would we be without the EU? We would be in trouble. We all need the European Union, we all need cooperation.”

The President mentioned that we may now be in a period of creative destruction. The EU has to wake up to and fix the current problems in its internal cooperation. It should also go back to basics: “Perhaps we have forgotten what the basic elements of life are: peace, freedom, security, democracy and human rights. Perhaps we have become accustomed to regarding these as self-evident. We now see that they are not. Fostering these is the most important thing that the EU can do for us.”

Federal President of Germany Joachim Gauck, President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Hungary János Áder, President of Slovenia Borut Pahor, President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis attended the meeting in addition to the host – President Rosen Plevneliev of Bulgaria – and President Niinistö. The Arraiolos Group has convened every year since 2003, for informal discussions at presidential level. The Group currently includes 12 countries.

President Rosen Plevneliev of Bulgaria received President Niinistö to the Arraiolos meeting on 14 September. Photo: Valentin Nikolov

President Rosen Plevneliev of Bulgaria received President Niinistö to the Arraiolos meeting on 14 September. Photo: Valentin Nikolov

Photo: Katri Makkonen/Office of the President

Photo: Katri Makkonen/Office of the President

Photo: Office of the President of Bulgaria

Photo: Office of the President of Bulgaria

The Presidents at a joint press conference. Photo: Valentin Nikolov

Presidents at a joint press conference. Photo: Valentin Nikolov