2024 will therefore be a pivotal year. For the first time, we are not going into the European elections on the defensive. No-one can convincingly make the case that the role of the European Union in defending who we are and what we hold dear is anything less than vital. On the eve of the 2024 European elections, we must reaffirm the crucial importance of European political integration. Reinventing Europe is an arduous task that requires unshakable will, and that is our foremost quality. We must shape the future of Europe so that justice, unity and common values shine through