It is difficult to understand the degree to which the world has changed since the last time we met. In just the wink of an eye, a virus that appeared at the other corner of the world has become a pandemic, killing across the world, including here in europe, from one day to the next. Our lifestyles have changed. Shelves empty,e the doors closed, and we have routine toa daily weigh fight for our life. At the moment, we have seen to a fight for our life. At the moment, we have seen the way in which we have come so fragile and substitutable. We have seen a tragedy of the heart of europe at the scale that is completely unimaginable that was completely unimaginable just a few weeks ago. My heart goes out to a of those victims and families. Ourwe would like to pass on best wishes to those who are fighting for their lives at this very point in time or for a land at home. But if the virus is hitting is hard, european citizens are just as resilient. And i would like to pay tribute to those men and women who are thinkinghat battle and of the nurses, doctors, and the people who are helping to care for people in italy, spain, across europe, who have run towards danger without asking a question. Are risking, who everything every single day to save our parents, to save our grandparents, to save our friends, colleagues, neighbors, people do not people they dont know, europe owes you a massive that the gratitude. Debt of gratitude. For those who empty the bins. For those who help in education. Those who drive, do cleaning work, to workers and bakers. All of those helping our world turn, you are due all a massive debt of gratitude. Is where every single one of us has a role to place. Everything the one of us can help repay that debt by keeping our distance. That debt. By keeping our distance, we can slow the spread of the virus. The last two days have shown we can bend the trend, but only if we all do our share. To stayt is painful away from our family, especially when we are worried about their Mental Health and physical health. And yes, it is painful for those is not happy or a safe place to be. It is painful for those who have plans on hold or have things they worked so hard forecast into that. This is why i am convinced that while we are sitting further must than usual, we work closer together than ever before. We must look out for each other. We must will each other through this. Because of there is one more thing that is more contagious than this virus, it is love and compassion. In the face of adversity, the people of europe are showing how strong that can be. Kindness, of compassion, solidarity, are helping to spread hope to all europe. From volunteering, to balcony singing, from sending postcards to the lowly, to shopping for the elderly, from Hotels Offering their beds for free, to restaurants donating their food, from luxury perfumers making sanitizing gel, to carmakers and sashion house producing masks. A little bit, we can help each other a lot. Our role as europes institutions, policymakers, and leaders is to show that same trust, that same unity, and that thing leadership. We all share this responsibility. None of us can do it alone. And certainly, no member state can handle this crisis on their own. Crisis and in this in our union more generally it is only by helping each other that we can help ourselves. But the story from the last few weeks is hardly a painful one to tell. When europe really needed to be many for each other, too initially looked out for themselves. Needed and really all for one spirit, too many initially gave and only for me response. When europe really needed to prove that this is not only a fair weather union, too many initially refused to share their umbrella. But it was not long before some felt the consequences of their own and coordinated action. And this is why over the last few weeks, we took exceptional and extraordinary measures to coordinate and enable the action that is needed. Aree then, thanks improving in Member States are starting to help each other to help themselves. Europe is now really stepping europe is now really stepping up, but the people of europe are watching what is happening next, and we all know what is at stake. What we do now matters. For today as well as for the future. Honorable members, the outbreak of the coronavirus is first and foremost a Public Health emergency and will stop at nothing to save lives. To do that, we are lucky to have and to be able to rely on the best Health Care Professionals in the world from milan to madrid and beyond. They are producing miracles every single day, but as we have seen, both there and elsewhere, the scale of the outbreak is stretching them to the breaking point. The equipmentneed the right equipment, the right amount of it, and they need it right now. But instead of that, what we saw was crucial equipment stuck in bottleneck or at borders for days. This is why we have to take matters into our own hands as far as we could to relieve these blockades. This is why we are creating the stockpile ofropean medical equipment such as ventilators, masks, and lab supplies. Launched several joint procurements with Member States for testing kits, ventilators, and protective equipment. Joined, and the good news since tuesday, we know that their demands for masks, gloves, goggles, face shields can be matched by the producers. The first delivery should start in the coming weeks. And because Knowledge Saves Lives in a pandemic, we set up a European Team of scientists, experts to help us come up with coordinated measures that we all can follow. Personally chaired these discussions twice a week. Doing so has only deepened my conviction that we will need to draw on all that makes us strong to get through this together and then to get back on our feet again. Stronger asset for this them our unique single market. A successful European Response can only be coordinated if our internal markets and our shenzhen area work the way it should a crisis without borders cannot be resolved by putting barriers between us. , this is exactly the first reflects that many European Countries have. This simply makes no sense. Single there is not one member state that can meet its own needs when it comes to vital medical supplies and equipment. Not one. The Free Movement of goods and services is therefore our strongest and, frankly, our only supplies can go where they are needed most. It makes no sense that some countries unilaterally decided , andop exports to others this is why the commission intervene when a number of countries block exports of protective equipment to italy. It is why we issued guidelines for border measures to protect health and key goods and essential services available. It is why we are calling for a priority green lane for transport of goods. These will ensure that crossing the border takes no more than 15 minutes, and they will help ensure that goods and supplies can go where they are needed and we all can avoid shortages. It pains me that we had to do this, but our coordinated approach is now bearing fruit. Market is already functioning better, and we all welcome the news that hospitals in saxony took patients from and others from france are being treated in luxembourg. This only goes to prove that it is only by helping each other that we can help ourselves. Members, the whole set of measures that we have taken reflects the unprecedented situation we are all in, but as i said earlier, the people of europe are watching what happens next. Doy, of course, want us to everything we can to save as many lives as we can, but they are also thinking about the day after. They are thinking about what job will they have to go back to. What will happen to their employers . D to their what will happen to their savings and their mortgage . They will worry about their parents, their neighbors, their local communities. They will know that their governments had to make difficult decisions to save lives, yes, but they will also remember who was there for them and who was not, and they will remember those that acted and those who did not, and they will remember the decisions that we and those we will not. The point is that sometime soon, there will be a day after, and our job is to make sure that on and all that follow it, the European Union is there for those that need it. What we do now really matters, and this is why we launched the Coronavirus Response investment initiative, to help mitigate the impact of the crisis, to save jobs, lives, and businesses. To enable Member States to give a lifeline to their businesses. The first cases were approved in record time within a matter of hours, and this is why for the first time in our history, we have activated the general escape clause and the stability and growth pact. That means Member States can use all the firepower they have to support those in work or those out of work to support businesses, small and big, and to support people through these tough times. Ladies and gentlemen, this is citizense but our should remember once this is over. This is the europe that is acting quickly because it feels as though everyone has pushed the pause button. This is the europe that is present, is acting for its citizens and Member States because they need it. Ais is a sympathetic europe, europe expressing sympathy above all. This is a europe and a time for emergency which is resistant and acts in an unselfish manner. That is a europe i wish to see. That is exactly the kind of europe where our Founding Fathers and mothers they founded europe in the ashes of we, asond world war, so we create new nations, it was painful to see how if you only had National Interest and self interest in mind, how bad things could work out. It was important to forge unions with one another of mutual trust and out of that mutual trust, we have growth and strength, and are the years we have been following for decades. We have this community which has been created in strength and in peace. Now today, keeping in mind this invisible enemy, these basic values of our union have been threatened. We have to be able to trust one another. We have to rely on one another. We have to help each other through these hard times, and at is our biggest obligation to save lives, to but atr way of living, this time in the future and i hope it will be soon there will be a day when we will look to the future, and at that time, we have to Work Together to create that future, and then we will learn our lessons. We will make decisions as to what kind of European Union we want in the future. We should so, then not be listening to the false debate as to if we need more or less europe. No, rather we should be focusing we can use this experience to ensure that we manage the next crisis in even have afashion because to resistant europe this, of course, affects all of us, north, south, east, or west. We all have to be aware of the fact that the decisions we make today are going to be recalled and remembered for decades. Basis of the European Union is going to be determined by the decisions we make now, so we are at a turning point. If we are going to simply let betweenus divide us wealthy and poor, are we going to end up with a stronger continent, an important Global Player . Perhaps from this situation, we can remove emerge stronger and better, perhaps keeping in mind this crisis, perhaps we will become closer as communities, and perhaps people will respect democracy even more. If you look at all of the kind acts, the acts of love, the acts of human decency throughout europe, when you look at those, we have reasons to be confident for our future. Everythinghas necessary available to it and we are willing to take every action to master this crisis. Members, in these recent days, recalled whatve jean rene set about creating europe, and i think it applies today, but there is another quotation, and this is a different founding father, which in my opinion summarizes where we stand today. History is the sum of those things that you could have avoided. History is looking at us at this moment, so lets Work Together and do the right thing, take the onection with a heart large heart and not 27 small hearts. Long live europe. [applause] cspans washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up friday morning, dr. William shatner, Vanderbilt UniversityPreventive Medicine and Infectious Disease professor discusses the latest developments in the coronavirus outbreak. Watch cspans washington journal, live at 7 00 eastern friday morning. Join the discussion. How the we will hear u. S. Army is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. This News Conference from the pentagon is an hour. Hey, everybody. 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