Mattarella calls for faster EU defence integration, reforms and enlargement at the Arraiolos meeting in Ljubljana

Mattarella said European countries should move quickly toward interoperability of their military instruments to support common defence and strengthen NATO’s European role. He called for faster internal EU reforms and decision-making, arguing that a larger Union could not operate with current procedures. He also supported accelerating enlargement to the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova. Mattarella said the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework should be sufficiently ambitious and that completing the Union’s financial system was necessary.