"EP elections will decide if EU is a player, or the ball"

"EP elections will decide if EU is a player, or the ball"

"The (European parliament) elections will show whether Europe (EU) will go in the direction of nationalism and hence weaken itself, or if member-states will be aware of what European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in his speech in September regarding the state of the EU, when he spoke in favor of a Europe capable of playing a role in world politics," Van der Bellen told reporters before New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic that he attended with his Finnish counterpart.

He also said that "today we have to understand that the EU must be strong enough to be able to sit at the same table with China, the US, and Russia."

"We can no longer leave world politics only to this trio, and therefore we must to act together," the Austrian president said.

Van der Bellen and Niinisto also said they "hoped Brexit would open the eyes of all those who previously advocated the disintegration of the EU, or leaving it.".

According to Van der Bellen, leaving the EU is now "anything but popular."