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Ladies and gentlemen,
Honourable colleagues and partners,
It is a great pleasure to stand here today in these historic halls where generations have shaped the course of European thought.
The University of Copenhagen has witnessed countless waves of ideas, theories and beliefs. Cultural movements, conflicts and wars.
Through it all, the university has stood for knowledge, dialogue and enlightenment.
Today, we gather in that same spirit. To reflect on and to reaffirm our shared commitment to Europe’s future. In a time that calls for unity and action.
We are living in a time of immense change – and not for the first time.
Denmark last held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union 13 years ago – in 2012.
13 years is a long time
To give you a sense of how long ago this was. This was around the time the Korean pop video, Gangnam Style, went viral on a scale the world had never seen. Uniting people in an unexpected moment of global joy and pretty weird dance moves.
Back then, Europe was recovering from the global financial crisis.
Confidence in our institutions was shaken. Youth unemployment in several member states was dangerously high. There was talk – serious talk – of whether the eurozone would survive at all.
The agenda of the Danish presidency was dominated by economic recovery, stability, and laying the groundwork for what would later become the Banking Union.
It was a time of decisions and determination.
Across the Atlantic, Barack Obama was preparing for re-election. In London, Boris Johnson was mayor.
And in the eastern part of Europe, Spain was celebrating having just beaten Italy in the European football Championship finals in Kyiv.
In many ways, 2012 feels like a different world.
Since then, the course of history has not slowed down. If anything, it feels like it has accelerated.
We have witnessed Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing war in Ukraine since 2022. This has tested the resilience of our security, our unity and our values.
We have seen the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union. Yet here you are, Patrick, sitting with us and other valued associated countries in the spirit of good cooperation. I really appreciate that.
We have watched global politics become more fragmented, more fragile.
We have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested our healthcare systems and our societies.
Borders closed. Schools shut. Economies stalled. Reminding us of how deeply connected we really are.
It also showed us that science and solidarity moves faster than ever before. In record time, vaccines were developed. Massive recovery funds were launched.
Still standing
Through everything that has happened in the last 13 years, we have learned something important:
That Europe’s strength lies not in avoiding crisis – but in overcoming them together.
In 2012, few imagined the transformations we would undergo.
And yet here we are – united, resilient, and perhaps more aware of our mutual dependence than we were back then.
The challenges we face today are serious: war in Europe, economic pressures, threats to democracy and a planet in distress.
But if history has taught us anything, it is this:
We have faced adversity before. We have stood together before.
And we will stand together again. Why? Because the future of Europe depends on it.
Thank you.