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Schulz to attend funeral ceremony of former Portuguese President Mário Soares
Press Release - Brussels - 09-01-2017
![Schulz to attend funeral ceremony of former Portuguese President Mário Soares](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/former_ep_presidents/president-schulz-2014-2016/img/reference-list/mario_soares_carmo_1_1.jpg)
With the death of Mário Soares, Portugal and the European Union have lost a towering statesman: a visionary, a pragmatist, a reformist, a fighter and a democrat. Mário Soares brought Portugal back at the heart of the European family giving Portuguese citizens greater prosperity, social protections and liberties.
(Read more) : Schulz to attend funeral ceremony of former Portuguese President Mário Soares
Speech of the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz at the European Council of 15 December 2016
Speeches - Strasbourg - 15-12-2016
![Speech of the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz at the European Council of 15 December 2016](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/former_ep_presidents/president-schulz-2014-2016/img/reference-list/277ab55b-10cd-46e8-9e49-88f0a88f371b_1.jpg)
“Although one country has decided to leave, the EU remains indispensable for the rest of us. In the aftermath of the wars and deep divisions on our continent, the EU secured peace, democracy and enabled our countries to prosper. [...] The EU is not perfect but it is the best instrument we have for addressing the new challenges we are facing.”
(Read more) : Speech of the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz at the European Council of 15 December 2016
![Statement by the President on his end of term](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/former_ep_presidents/president-schulz-2014-2016/img/reference-list/pietro-naj-oleari_strdec16_20161214_1388sml_1.jpg)
This is my last full plenary session I am chairing as President of the European Parliament and it is a moving moment for me. Five years ago, after being elected as President, I said that it was my goal to make the European Parliament more visible, more audible and more influential. Five years later, I can say that together we have achieved this: today the Parliament is more visible, more audible and more influential than ever.
(Read more) : Statement by the President on his end of term
![Sakharov Prize 2016 Award Ceremony](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/former_ep_presidents/president-schulz-2014-2016/img/reference-list/20161213_ep-045787a_fma_023_1.jpg)
It is a real honour for the European Parliament to welcome Nadia Murad and Lamya Haji Bashar, our 2016 Sakharov Prize Laureates, two incredible women who fight for their community, the Yazidis.
(Read more) : Sakharov Prize 2016 Award Ceremony
Speech on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty
Speeches - Maastricht - 09-12-2016
![Speech on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/former_ep_presidents/president-schulz-2014-2016/img/reference-list/20140220_ep-003820_jvv_065_1.jpg)
Coming to Maastricht is always a very special pleasure to me. I was born only some 40km from here, and those of you in the audience who come from this region, will know that it has a very special feeling to it. I use to say that someone coming from here, where the borders of the Netherlands, of Belgium and Germany meet and those countries flow almost seamlessly into each other, must almost definitely develop a sort of European identity, or at least a very personal understanding of what Europe is about.
(Read more) : Speech on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty