Speech by the Taoiseach Mr Enda Kenny
in acceptance of the
Golden Viktoria European of the Year Award 2012 by
German Magazine Publishers Association
Dr Burda, Vice-Chancellor, Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen
I’m honoured to accept your European of the Year Award.
And I’m privileged to accept this Golden Viktoriaon behalf of the Irish people at home and overseas.
Ireland’s commitment and contribution to Europe far exceed our 40-year EU Membership.
In the Sixth and Seventh Centuries Irish monks Colombanus and Killian among them left our island to bring the light of learning to the European mind the hope of Christianity to the European heart.
500 years on Ireland still keeps faith with our continent.
Voting more often more positively on Europe than any other EU member.
Through six EU-presidencies bringing a distinctive clarity insight resolve to negotiations.
Endorsing strongly the Fiscal Treaty despite our domestic difficulties.
We keep faith because of our particular idea of Europe. One that says despite our national differences we as a people live best and deepest always in the shelter never in the shadow of the other.
It’s the idea of Europe as family. The idea that our Union must work hard and together to renovate restore renew.
EU Membership transformed Ireland. In 1973 our exports primarily agricultural went primarily to Britain.
Today Irish companies export high-tech goods and services around Europe the world.
Indeed we enjoy a trade-surplus with Germany. Ireland hosts over 1,000 foreign companies critical to our capacity to recover.
Since history deprived us of the Irish-owned, multi-nationals to drive that recovery, attracting high-quality, foreign-investment is critical for jobs for our growing population.
Yes, we made mistakes.
Our ‘property-boom-foundations’were in fact built on sand.
Since 2008, unemployment rose sharply, job-loss affected almost every home.
With our people, bearing the crushing-burden of bank-related debt in November 2010 we entered an EU-IMF support-programme.
So, for me in accepting this Golden Viktoriain the name of the Irish people
It’s clear the words do not exist to describe their courage their dignity their generosity in how they have faced and are now facing-down such difficulties.
Be in no doubt it is because of them, and their outstanding qualities that mean I bring good news to Berlin tonight.
Ireland is on the road to recovery.
We’ve honoured our EU-IMF commitments. Last year our economy started to grow again, our exports climbed to record-levels.
We’re bringing government spending under control. Internationally investors are showing new confidence in Ireland
Resulting in lower yields on Irish government bonds. We’re determined to exit the EU-IMF programme on schedule next year.
Today we have two key priorities
Firstly, relieving a bank-debt burden equalling 40% of our GDP.
We welcome the June-commitment to break the destructive circle of banking/sovereign debt.
We’re encouraged by the discussions to implement this commitment.
We’re heartened by Chancellor Merkel’s recognising our unique circumstances, our special case, due to the weight of bank-related debt.
Our second priority? Tackling unemployment.
Our experience means we appreciate the urgent need to bring new hope to the 18-million members of our European family who are unemployed throughout the EU.
For 50 years we have built our European Union not for politicians. But for our people.
We built it so we could rear our families live our lives, fulfil our destiny, our dreams, in peace - opportunity - prosperity.
It’s time to rededicate our Union to our people and to that cause.
Time to reconnect them to the WHY of Europe. Time to convince them by our decisions. But principally palpably by our actions
That we’re committed to working with them heart and hand and voice to solve Europe’s latest crisis, this time economic.
I believe that’s the only good, just and moral way to guarantee the inclusive idea of ‘Victory’ we celebrate tonight.
Be assured this is the outstanding task for our generation.
It ‘s why Ireland’s forthcoming EU Presidency will be all about, Stability, Jobs, Growth.
Finally, as Taoiseach and as a proud Irishman I’m ambitious not only for my country but for our Union.
I’m determined Ireland’s success-story will be Europe’s success-story. Our resurgence achieved with and through and for this united, generous European family.
I’m determined, too, our economic emigrants will come home. Home to an Ireland restored renewed economically.
But equally an Ireland convinced confident that its true abiding value is alive sacrosanct in the proud territory of our people in the transforming currency of the Irish heart, imagination, soul.
Our peaceful Europe rose from the ashes of war. One of Germany’s noble laureates, Heinrich Bohl wrote of an Ireland before the European Union in his wonderful book Irisches Tagebuch.
One of Ireland’s Nobel laureates Seamus Heaney wrote in his famous poem written to mark the enlargement of the European Union – Beacons at Bealtaine – of Fionn Uisce, of clear waters that will flow from courageous leadership. Leading to a prosperous Europe built on hope, heart, diversity, respect, generosity, love.
That would be our true ‘Victory’. Vielen dank