PRESIDENT OF THE European Commission José Manual Barroso was largely positive in his State of the Union address this morning, kicking of the new parliament term with a focus on achieving a banking union and easing unemployment.

Speaking to members of the parliament, Barroso said that Europe has come a long way in the last five years but the “crisis it not over”.

“”The resilience of our union has been tested and will continue to be tested”, he said.

Let us not overestimate the positive results but let’s not also underestimate what has been done. One swallow does not make a summer, nor one fine day but we have good reason to be confident.

Barroso mentioned Ireland’s return to the markets, further growth expected in our economy this year and rehiring of staff in our manufacturing companies.

MEP Nessa Childers had something to say about this:

While the Commission president signalled positive signs in the most stricken countries, he said that the most pressing problem in Europe right now is unemployment. “The current level is economically unsustainable, politically untenable, socially unacceptable,” he told the parliament.

On the issue of the single banking mechanism, Barroso stressed that the parliament must do what is necessary to have it adopted during this term.

“We will not come back to the old normal – we have to shape the new normal,” he said.

Some will say we have given too much money to the most vulnerable countries, others will say we have given too  little. This kind of interdependence means an European solutions can work. When you are in the same boat, one person cannot say ‘your end of the boat is sinking’.

Barroso finished by telling MEPs that they will be “judged together” in the upcoming elections. “Let us work together for Europe with passion and determination,” he told them.

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