The Dodecanese MP calls for a unified European defence mechanism, while highlighting opportunities for Greek–Croatian cooperation in energy, tourism and transport.
The European Union must take greater responsibility for the security of its member states and the protection of its borders, Dodecanese MP Manos Konsolas said during an official visit to Croatia, according to a press release issued on October 16, 2026.
Konsolas stressed that safeguarding each member state’s sovereign rights and territorial integrity should be a shared European responsibility. He advocated a unified European defence mechanism to strengthen deterrence and enhance the EU’s geopolitical role.
“We need a European Union that is strong in defence and geopolitics, capable of protecting its members and Europe’s borders,” he said.
Referring to Turkey’s policy in the Aegean and Cyprus, which he described as expansionist and provocative, Konsolas argued that challenges to EU member states’ sovereign rights and international law also amount to challenges to European borders.
Meetings at the Croatian Parliament
The Greece–Croatia Parliamentary Friendship Group delegation comprised its chairman, Manos Konsolas, vice-chairman Anastasios Nikolaidis, and member Neoklis Kritikos.
The delegation met with Croatian Parliament Deputy Speaker Željko Reiner, Martina Vlašić Iljkić, chair of the counterpart parliamentary friendship group, and its members, as well as Ivan Račan, deputy chair of the European Affairs Committee.
Investment opportunities across key sectors
Turning to bilateral relations, Konsolas identified opportunities to expand investment cooperation in energy, construction and tourism.
He also highlighted connectivity infrastructure and the expansion and modernisation of rail transport as areas where closer cooperation could support economic development in both Greece and Croatia.
