Thanasis Bakolas is the Secretary-General of the European People’s Party.
Our priorities at the European People’s Party (EPP) have always been the people’s priorities.
Honest pay for honest work, social and economic security, affordable housing, access to quality education and health care — this is our political purpose and what we strive for as a party. And in this grand European project we’re all a part of, the brainchild of Christian Democrats like Robert Schuman and Alcide De Gasperi who chose democracy, solidarity and progress over nationalism, alienation, and fear, the EPP remains true to these values.
So, make no mistake about it, we will unquestionably continue to apply a cordon sanitaire around any party that violates the rule of law and disrespects European values and Euro-Atlantic orientation.
Our friends in other political parties know this all too well. Nonetheless, they’ve made a very conscious decision to question our democratic credentials by waging a smear campaign, trying to associate the EPP with the far right. And though the superficiality of their accusations is obvious, what’s truly remarkable is that in doing so, they haven’t just taken a page out of the populist playbook — they’ve adopted it in full. They are “crying wolf,” and it is deeply irresponsible and dangerous for Europe.
The race for the 2024 European Parliament elections is clearly well underway, and I understand the dilemma our friends are faced with. Unable to challenge the EPP on the policies that matter most to voters, unable to appeal to the center, they will try to push our party to the edges of the political spectrum in an effort to create the political space to win. Although I’m flattered by their early admission of weakness, this is merely a reflection that they don’t have the cohesion, the platforms, or the policies to appeal to a wide spectrum of voters across the EU27.
Currently, only the EPP can appeal beyond its ideological base. This is because we believe in a social market economy that serves both the people and business — you can’t have one without the other. We want a strong, competitive digital economy that provides jobs for Europe’s Generation Z. We want to protect our precious environment and achieve a green transition that leaves no one behind.
And as the people’s party, we can deliver.
We will continue building bridges with dialogue and understanding to enhance cooperation, not only across the proverbial political aisles of the European Parliament but across the European landscape as well. We don’t label people or distinguish between them. Rather, we try to unite them under a common future defined by the values and principles of the European Union and our member countries.
It’s easier, of course, to hide behind a supposed moral superiority and advantage; to lightheartedly define who’s good and who’s bad and hope that, driven by fear and anger, people will buy into it; to assume the role of judge, jury, and executioner; to create conditions in which the choices people make can be ignored.
But we won’t follow them, no matter what the cost may be.
We do hope, however, that before it’s too late, our political friends start looking at us —and at each other — as guardians of a common future. Or, as De Gasperi said, not as politicians looking to the next election, but as statesmen looking out for the next generation.
