Posted by Pope pushes integration upon EU leaders on Tue, 07 Jun 2016 13:51 | #

        FT, “Pope urges EU leaders to renew push for integration,” 6 May 2016:

During The Charlemagne Prize award ceremony held in Rome on the 6 of May 2016, the Pope met with Presidents of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and of the European Council, Donald Tusk.

In a speech at the Vatican that was partly a pep talk and partly an admonishment for the top ranks of EU institutions gathered in the audience, the 79-year old Argentine pontiff warned that such a transformation was becoming increasingly urgent as “selfish interests” risked taking over the European “dream”.

“The founding fathers were heralds of peace and prophets of the future. Today more than ever, their vision inspires us to build bridges and tear down walls,” said Pope Francis. “That vision urges us not to be content with cosmetic retouches or convoluted attempts at compromises aimed at correcting this or that treaty, but courageously to lay new and solid foundations,” he said.

Pope Francis’ speech came as he accepted the prestigious Charlemagne award in recognition of his efforts to foster European integration from the leaders of the EU institutions — Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU Commission, and Donald Tusk, president of the EU Council. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, who had a private meeting with the Pope on Friday, and Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, also attended.

Pope Francis’s strongest words were on the migration crisis, which has torn the EU apart as different member states have struggled to mount a joint response to thousands of refugees seeking protection and better lives on the continent.

The head of the Catholic Church has emerged as one of the most high-profile advocates for immigrants, and warned on Friday that attempts to exclude them from society ran counter to Europe’s traditions.

Posted by Juncker: We’ll Never Give Up On Open Borders on Wed, 27 Jul 2016 14:23 | #

Breitbart, “Juncker: No Matter How Bad Migrant Crisis, Terrorism Gets, We’ll Never Give Up On Open Borders”, 25 July 2016: Jean-Claude Juncker has vowed that no matter how bad terrorism or the migrant crisis gets, the European Union (EU) will never give up on open borders. The European Commission president said terrorism could be countered with better intelligence-sharing between member states.

Posted by Jean Claude Juncker on Sat, 27 Oct 2018 00:57 | #

Defend Europa, “Juncker: ‘Europe will continue to be a place of asylum”, 26 Oct 2018:

     

The president of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, said this Thursday, October 25th, during his visit to Tunisia, that Europe will continue to be a place of asylum for those who seek it while adding that a way to deal with legal migration must be somehow reached.

During his speech in the historic El Bardo museum, on his 2-day visit to Tunisia, the Eurocrat said that to end migration, the problems must be fixed at their source too.

“I have not come to give lessons to the Tunisians, we must act on the causes of migration.”
“Our strategic initiative for Africa is the way forward, Europe will continue to be a place of asylum,” Juncker told a large assembly of politicians and diplomats, to which he pointed out the need to define “a milestone for legal migration”.

Mr Juncker remembered as well the demographic projections that indicate the African population will reach a whopping 2.5 billion people in 2050, most of the young males that will need a job and hopes in the future beyond migration.

“The partnership between [Sub-Saharan] Africa, North Africa and the European Union must be equitable. That is why we have launched the idea of a new alliance that could lead to a true free trade area between Africa and the European Union,” he further added.

Free trade would also entail free movement of the workforce…