If countries in Eastern Europe continued to refuse solidarity on migration, borders would be back in Europe sooner or later where they did not belong, PES candidate for European President Frans Timmermans said during a debate between the lead hopefuls on Wednesday.
This, he said, would be to the detriment of every citizen in Europe. “We need to prevent that, we need solidarity.” Solidarity, he said, was not just on things one liked but also on things one did not like.
Asked about migration, Mr Timmermans said that every time someone died in the Mediterranean Europe lost a bit of its soul.
“We’re losing who we are by not solving this problem. Once there are people on boats in the Mediterranean we have to take care of these people and one shouldn’t put fines on fishermen or people on boats who rescue these people, like the Italian government is doing.”
He said people had to be prevented from getting on those boats and agreed with EPP candidate Manfred Weber, who spoke earlier and called for a Marshall plan for Africa, that a huge plan was needed for the continent.
Mr Weber (EPP) said there was no doubt that a European solution was needed.
States, and not smugglers, had to control...
