Roberta Metsola calls for unity to protect democracy and peace in Dayton address

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has called for the protection of peace, democracy, and unity during her speech at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dayton, Ohio.

“Let’s work together for peace and democracy,” Metsola said.

Speaking from the historic site of the Dayton Accords that took place 30 years ago, Metsola said that democracies around the world are under threat, adding that when democracies deliver, “we are all strengthened.”

She also spoke about the shared duty of the European Union and the United States to stand up for peace and freedom.

Referring to the past, Metsola recalled how the S.S. Ohio played a key role in Malta’s survival during the Second World War. “Our grandparents were days away from surrender or starvation when a crippled US tanker limped into our harbour, lashed between two Allied destroyers, and somehow managed to dock. Its name was the S.S. Ohio. It meant we were able to live to fight another day. It saved us,” she said.

“For Malta, the name Ohio was always associated with beating impossible odds. That is the spirit we need to rekindle today,” she added.

The EP president said the world today is once again at a crossroads, just like Europe and the US were three decades ago. She called for courage and leadership to protect the values built over years of transatlantic cooperation.

“We need to act together, with that courage, conviction, and leadership that characterised our actions in this place three decades ago,” she said.

She warned against turning back to isolation and urged leaders to rise to today’s challenges with the same resolve that ended the war in Bosnia. “Democracy is not guaranteed. We must stand up against those who seek to chip away at everything we have built together,” she said.

Metsola also looked ahead to Europe’s enlargement, saying that the same unity and ambition should guide efforts, especially towards the Western Balkans. She said that visionary leadership is needed now more than ever to build on the peace achieved in Dayton.