Speech by An Tánaiste & Minister for Finance Leader of Fine Gael, Simon Harris T.D. at the Youth of the European People’s Party Council Meeting

A chairde, delegates, dear friends,

 

It is a real pleasure for me, as Leader of the Fine Gael party, to welcome the Youth of the European People’s Party Council here to Dublin.

 

Let me thank the YEPP Board for the kind invitation to address you here this morning.

 

In particular, I want to acknowledge Sophia Kircher, President of YEPP, Edelmira Ferri, Secretary General, and of course Ireland’s Eoin Scarlett, Deputy Secretary General of YEPP.

 

Thank you for your leadership, your energy, and your commitment to the EPP’s future.

 

And I have to say – it’s great to see so many familiar faces here in Dublin City Hall.

 

 

Friends,

 

This is a very special year. Fine Gael was a founding member of the European People’s Party in 1976.

 

This year, we celebrate 50 years of that partnership, 50 years of shaping Europe together. That legacy is something we are proud of, but more importantly, it is something we must now build upon.

 

As we look to the next 50 years, I look to you – the Youth of the EPP.

 

Because the truth is this: Europe is at a moment of profound challenge and profound opportunity.

 

We meet at a time of real geopolitical instability. The ongoing energy crisis, driven by conflict and volatility in the Middle East, has once again exposed Europe’s vulnerabilities.

It has also reminded me of a simple but important principle for parties like the EPP and Fine Gael, which value security and stability, and which now bear the responsibility of holding the centre ground together: in an uncertain world, where developments outside our control are challenging, we must be bold in controlling what we can control.

 

In Ireland, that has meant taking decisive action in supporting households and businesses from sudden and real price shocks.

 

Across Europe, farmers, fishers, hauliers and businesses face a real challenge.

 

We must pull together during this crisis – it must mean deepening our energy union, strengthening our resilience, and ensuring that we are never again overly dependent on external actors for something as fundamental as energy security.

 

We said this after the illegal invasion of Ukraine – in my opinion we did not fully learn our lesson then and, as an EPP leader, we have a duty not to make the same mistake now.

 

Here in Ireland, people know reducing reliance on fossil fuels puts more money in their pocket.

 

But we must also recognise that this transition has to be fair and practical.

 

Households and small businesses cannot be expected to carry the burden alone. Governments must help.

 

This means targeted grants, accessible financing, and continued investment in infrastructure – from retrofitting homes to expanding renewable energy and improving our electricity grid.

 

 

Are there additional practical supports or once-off measures we can introduce to help people transition at their own pace whether that’s upgrading home heating systems, including hybrid heat pumps or lower-emission fuels like HVO where appropriate, or moving towards more efficient vehicles?

 

A centrist approach is about balance: protecting the environment while safeguarding livelihoods, encouraging ambition while maintaining realism, and ensuring that progress is both economically sustainable and socially inclusive.

 

If we get this right, Ireland can lead by example – lowering costs for families, strengthening our energy security, and building a cleaner, more resilient economy for the future.

 

We must – at national and European level – now seek to incentivise people to make the changes we need to reduce reliance on imported fuels, to reduce their energy bills and to help Europe and Ireland become energy independent.

 

That will be a priority for me and my colleagues in Fine Gael at national and European level.

 

During times of crisis the centre and centre right must lead and give hope. If we fail to do so, we will cede ground to extremes and jeopardise social cohesion.

 

So while we respond to crises, we must also look ahead.

And that brings me to the theme of your conference: Getting Growth Going – Driving a European Economic Revival.

 

Let me be very clear: Europe’s economic model works. The Single Market has delivered prosperity, stability, and opportunity for hundreds of millions of people but there is always room for improvement.

 

We face structural challenges – competitiveness gaps, demographic shifts, technological disruption, and an increasingly fragmented global economy.

So, the question is not whether Europe should change. The question is how.

 

From Ireland’s perspective, the answer lies in three key areas.

 

First, we must unlock investment.

 

Europe has capital but we do not always deploy it effectively or in many cases it is sent across the Atlantic to the United States.

 

That is why I strongly support the development of a European Savings and Investment Union. We need to unlock capital and channel it into productive investment – into innovation, into infrastructure, into the green and digital transitions.

 

Progressing the SIU and finalising a Council position on the Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP) will be a priority for me during our upcoming Presidency and I will speak more to that later.

In Ireland, we are taking practical steps in this direction from the bottom up also.

 

I am advancing proposals for an investment account in Ireland – designed to encourage citizens to invest their savings in ways that will deliver returns for themselves and their families.

 

I am currently developing the proposals for an Investment Account and looking at the Swedish model among others as a basis for our development of the framework.

 

I recognise that access to investment must be matched by understanding. That is why I will, in the coming weeks, appoint financial literacy ambassadors – people who can help communicate to individuals the benefits of investment. Because an inclusive economy is not just one that grows, it is one in which people feel empowered to participate.

 

 

 

Second, we must back enterprise and innovation.

 

Ireland’s experience shows what is possible when you create the right conditions, when you invest in education, maintain an open economy, and support entrepreneurship through smart taxation and innovation.

 

But we cannot be complacent. Europe must remain a place where ideas can become businesses, and businesses can scale globally.

 

That means reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, completing and deepening the Single Market particularly in services and digital and ensuring that our regulatory frameworks support innovation rather than stifle it.

 

Third, we must invest in people.

 

Growth is not an abstract concept. It is about jobs, skills, and opportunity. It is about ensuring that young people like those in this room can build their futures in Europe.

 

That means investing in education and training. It means supporting student mobility – something I am particularly passionate about. I will ensure that programmes like Erasmus are protected in the upcoming MFF negotiations which I will lead on later this year when I assume the Chair of ECOFIN.

 

Friends,

 

As we look ahead, Ireland will have a particularly important role to play this year.

 

Our upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be an opportunity to help shape the Union’s strategic direction at a critical time.

 

Each of our seven previous Presidencies tells a story not just of Ireland’s evolution, but of Europe’s ongoing transformation.

 

Our early Presidencies in 1975, 1979, 1984, 1990, and 1996 marked Ireland’s coming of age as a confident European nation.

Our two most recent Presidencies are, of course, also the Presidencies which I remember best.

 

In 2004, during our sixth Presidency, Ireland presided over the Day of Welcomes – the historic moment when ten new member states joined our Union.

 

I was seventeen years old then, watching as Europe expanded eastward, witnessing the fulfilment of the European promise of peace, freedom, and prosperity.

 

To the young people here today, I wonder: how do you see the European Union now? What does it represent for your generation in this rapidly changing world?

 

Then came 2013 – our seventh Presidency. Ireland stepped up during the immediate aftermath of the economic and financial crisis, determined to prove ourselves and our role in Europe.

 

I was a relatively new (TD) member of parliament then, witnessing firsthand how Ireland used that Presidency to demonstrate our resilience, our competence, and our unwavering commitment to the European project even in this exceptionally difficult period.

 

Now, thirteen years later, and as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Ireland approaches 2026 not as a nation seeking to prove itself, but as a confident European partner.

 

As Leader of Fine Gael I see 2026 as an exceptional opportunity – an opportunity, as we have always done in our Presidencies, to lead as an honest broker to bring forward the Union’s shared policy agenda in the best interests of our citizens.

 

It is also an opportunity to shape Ireland’s message to our EU partners and to the wider world; to influence how the EU engages globally; and crucially, to speak to the Irish people about the EU at a time when populism challenges the very foundations of our democratic project.

 

Our priorities will be clear.

 

We will focus on strengthening Europe’s competitiveness – ensuring that our economy is dynamic, resilient, and future-focused.

 

Another central priority for Ireland during our Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be security – understood in the broadest and most modern sense of the word.

 

Security today is no longer confined to traditional notions of defence. It is economic, it is energy-based, it is cyber, and it is deeply interconnected with the stability of our region.

 

The reality is stark: we are living through a period of prolonged geopolitical upheaval. Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped Europe’s security landscape.

 

Instability in the Middle East continues to create global uncertainty. Hybrid threats from disinformation to cyberattacks are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated.

 

In this context, Ireland’s approach during the Presidency will be pragmatic and focused: strengthening Europe’s capacity to act, while remaining true to our values.

 

That means supporting deeper cooperation at EU level including through initiatives that enhance our collective resilience, improve crisis response, and protect critical infrastructure.

 

It also means recognising that security is not just about military capability it is about preparedness, coordination, and political unity.

 

But crucially, it also means recognising that enlargement is a security policy.

 

The case for EU enlargement has never been stronger not just as a political or economic project, but as a strategic imperative.

 

For countries like Ukraine and Moldova, the path towards European Union membership is about far more than accession. It is about anchoring democracy, strengthening institutions, and ensuring long-term stability on our continent.

 

Bringing Ukraine closer to the European Union is one of the most important security investments we can make. It sends a clear message: that aggression will not be rewarded, that sovereignty will be respected, and that Europe stands united in defence of its values.

 

The same is true for Moldova, a country facing immense external pressure, yet continuing to choose the European path with determination and courage.

 

Ireland will use its Presidency to support tangible progress in the enlargement process including for Montenegro, ensuring that it remains merit-based, credible, and forward-moving. This includes advancing accession discussions, supporting reforms in candidate countries, and maintaining strong political momentum at EU level.

 

Because a larger European Union – one that is stable, democratic, and aligned in its values is a more secure European Union.

 

That is the approach Ireland will bring to the Presidency: clear-eyed about the challenges, committed to our partners, and determined to play our part in building a safer, stronger Europe.

 

But let me also be candid about the challenges.

 

From my own experience, one of Europe’s greatest strengths is also one of its greatest difficulties: we are a union of democracies. Decision-making can be complex. Progress can sometimes feel slow.

 

Yet that is also what gives Europe its legitimacy. Our diversity is not a weakness, it is a strength – look at the room here today, you reflect this diversity.

 

Another challenge is communication. Too often, Europe is seen as distant or abstract. We must do better at explaining what we do, why it matters, and how it benefits people’s lives. Ireland is well-placed to symbolise the European story and we take every opportunity to celebrate the transformational impact of EU membership for our country.

 

Finally, we must guard against complacency. The European project cannot be taken for granted. It must be renewed by each generation.

 

Which brings me to you.

 

YEPP is not just the future of the European People’s Party, you are the future of Europe. Your ideas, your energy, your ambition – these are the things that will shape what comes next.

 

So my message to you is simple: be bold.

 

Be ambitious for Europe. Challenge assumptions. Push for change. And never lose sight of the values that underpin our Union – democracy, freedom and fundamental rights, freedom of the press, equality, and respect for the rule of law.

 

Because in a world that is becoming more uncertain, more polarised, and more fragmented, Europe must be confident, united, and forward-looking.

 

Ireland stands ready to play its part.

 

And I have no doubt that, together, we can ensure that the next 50 years of the European People’s Party – and of the European Union – are even more successful than the last.

 

Thank you, and I wish you a very productive and inspiring Council meeting.

 

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.