The president-in-office of the Council, Janez Janša, prime minister of Slovenia, began by saying “Ce n’est pas sans émotion que je prends la parole", echoing the words spoken by Robert Schuman, the first President of the European Parliamentary Assembly, in his inaugural address on 19 March 1958.
"Soli pa solim Eiropas Parlaments ir cīnījies par šīm tiesībām, arvien vairāk apzinoties savu atbildību.