In his keynote address at the opening of the 2023 European Week of Regions and Cities, ECR Group and Abruzzo President Marco Marsilio stressed the need for the European Union to address critical challenges in the context of the future of Europe including demographic decline, illegal migration and the lack of strategic autonomy.

"As Conservatives, we believe that the EU has fallen short in its mandate to address some of the most fundamental crises confronting our continent"- he began. He recalled that a continent with a declining population in around half of its Member States cannot sustain its economic development medium term. President Marsilio advocated for family-friendly policies as a solution to reverse the demographic decline, providing an example from his region Abruzzo, Italy, where measures have been introduced supporting young families to combat depopulation.

President Marsilio called for the reinforcement of the Union's external borders to regain control over illegal immigration. He stressed the importance of dismantling illegal international organisations that threaten national stability and ensuring that traffickers do not dictate Europe's immigration policies. 

The President also underlined Europe's vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chains, especially in the energy and technology sectors, calling for an increase in Europe's strategic autonomy to ensure a robust response to future challenges.

He concluded by advocating for a more subsidiarity-based European Union, one that "does fewer things but executes them better", pointing out the significance of respecting Member States and their territories to foster a more cohesive and resilient European Union in the future.