"Europe was never born as one nation. It was born from many countries, cultures and histories.

What first unified us with the values of the enlightenment: reason, human dignity, freedom and the rule of law.

They were the rope. The rope that bound many sticks into something impossible to break.

Overtime, we strengthen that rope through research, innovation, regulation, and the single market.

Today, it can all change.

Great powers know that if they can loosen the rope, the sticks become easy to break.

That is why trust is attacked.

That is why facts are made "alternative".

That is why trade is weaponized.

Security is therefore not only about borders or weapons.

Security is about building cohesion, strengthening competitiveness, protecting a healthy environment and investing in resilience.

This is how we strengthen the rope today.

So to you who lead Europe, this is what we say: strengthen the rope."