Sassoli says EU ready to work with Biden to help build stronger transatlantic partnership
European Parliament President David Sassoli has expressed the union’s readiness to work with the new US administration with the aim of building a stronger transatlantic partnership, after the inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.
“This new administration marks the beginning of a new era for transatlantic relations. The world needs a strong relationship between Europe and the United States,” Sassoli said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The two sides could work together to tackle the challenges societies face “in a moment of profound change and increasing uncertainty”, including climate change, digital transformation, inequalities and prominently, the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Working together, we can better tackle the challenges that we are faced with: the fight against climate change and the loss of biodiversity, responding to the digital transformation in a radically democratic way, and combatting unacceptable and increasing inequalities,” Sassoli said.
Whilst recalling the recent events in the US capitol, which demonstrated that “democracies are fragile systems, and “in order for them to function they must be defended,” the EU Parliament president said he has “faith in the US model of democracy and its institutions.”
He also welcomed Biden’s move to return to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and to rejoin the Paris Agreement, as Biden signed sweeping executive orders on his first day in the Oval office, reversing his predecessor’s decisions.
“Only together can we build a greener and fairer world,” Sassoli concluded.
