FEPS President on Euronews talk-show ‘Brussels, my love?’

FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues discussed NATO expansion, talks of a European defence industry plan, and the elections in Russia and Portugal alongside Marta Mucznik from the International Crisis Group and Sandra Pasaric from the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies on the Euronews talk-show ‘Brussels, my love?‘

Rodrigues stressed the need to build European defence capabilities, but the European peace narrative should not be undermined. She stated: “European societies are peaceful, we don’t want to invade others. When Putin is saying Russia is under threat of being invaded, we need to say out and clear to Russians that this is completely fake”.

On the cost of building defence, Maria João Rodrigues reminded that “we also need means to conduct the green and digital transitions; we need to be prepared to come up with much stronger financial instruments to finance these very important priorities that are unavoidable”.

On the Portuguese elections and the government led by Costa for the last seven years, she highlighted: “The record has been very positive, turning the page of austerity, raising salaries, and raising growth”. “It was possible to reduce public deficit public debt, with the Costa government using an interesting case of budgetary responsibilities that improved people’s life”.

Watch the segment here!