Dear Federal Chancellor,
Dear Alexander Schallenberg,
I am very pleased to welcome you here to the European Commission. I believe it sends a strong signal that your first foreign trip since taking office brings you here to Brussels, the heart of Europe. You’re a proven expert in all things European. If my sources are correct, you studied at the College of Europe, in Bruges. In other words, you know Europe inside out. I look forward to us working together.
We have a great deal to be getting on with. The broad lines have been laid down: the European Green Deal, digitalisation, sustainability. We have the NextGenerationEU recovery programme. Everything has been passed into law. Now is the time for implementation. This is the task that now lies ahead of us. And for that to succeed we need, above all, motivated and active governments. In that regard, I know you are on our side. We need all sectors of the economy and we need civil society.
And with those words: welcome. All those issues are on the agenda for today. In the coming weeks, months and years, I look forward to us working together.
Once again, welcome to Brussels.
Source – EC: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_21_5262
Additional sources: CV of Alexander Schallenberg (German language, only)