What Anouk spoke about.

Mr President, a European AI company that is becoming a global player. An external border that stands like a house. A defense that keeps our continent so safe that we can just live here. That is what this budget should make possible. And you can. But then we have to be honest. More money is not the answer. I'll make choices. A budget that invests a little in everything does not really invest in any

Mr President, Commissioner, Europe is full of talent. Everywhere ‑ups are born with smart ideas and technologies, which make our economy stronger and make us less dependent on others. Too often we see the same thing happen: a company starts in Europe, grows a little and then leaves for another country, because it cannot get enough money here to continue to grow. If we want to focus on

Mr President, we must invest in our defence to ensure that we remain safe. Because our security is not free, but neither is the money we need for it. We have made clear agreements with each other about our national debts and to ensure that European countries are financially sound. Now new situations call for new choices. This was the case with the coronavirus outbreak, with the Russian invasion of

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, with the new multiannual budget, we have the opportunity to build a strong Europe. Then, however, we must seize that opportunity. We do this by investing heavily in our defence, by jointly producing weapons, strengthening our infrastructure and increasing our digital security. Also by growing our companies and economy with more room for innovation, clean techn

Mr President, Commissioner, Vice-President, defence, weapons and ammunition contribute directly to our security in an increasingly unsafe world. However, there is still a stigma and that causes our collective security to be hindered. We need to get rid of that stigma. We no longer have the luxury of abandoning weapons and ammunition. The European Investment Bank has already made great strides in s

Mr President, if we want Europe to emerge stronger from this era, we must dare to invest smartly and purposefully. A strong European Union starts with security. That means investing more in our own defence, so that we are no longer dependent on the United States but can guarantee our own security. It also means focusing on innovation and industry, so that we can once again become a leader in techn

Mr President, we hear the concerns of our entrepreneurs and companies on a daily basis. They want to innovate and grow in Europe, but money is needed to do so. However, this venture capital is currently not sufficiently present in Europe. That is why companies still leave too often and we are less and less able to compete with the United States and China. For more than a decade, the European Parli

Mr President, today European politics speaks with a clear voice. The ECB shows strong ambition on climate change, but seems to underestimate the impact of geopolitical tensions on inflation. We therefore call upon you: Take geopolitics seriously. The world is changing fast. War and conflict have shown over and over again in recent years how they can fuel inflation and disrupt our economy. The ener

Mr President, Mrs Lagarde, Europe was once a continent of stability, where hard work was rewarded, where your savings grew and where you could plan for the future. You could set aside part of your salary every month for a bigger purpose – a house, a pension or a well-deserved holiday. Thanks to a decent interest rate, that goal came closer step by step. But that certainty is gone. More and more pe

Mr President, it is time to open our eyes to the harsh reality. Our security is under pressure and economic prosperity is no longer self-evident. This requires a budget that is ready for the future. We can no longer spend two-thirds of our budget on agriculture and cohesion. We need to invest heavily in defence, get a grip on migration and stimulate innovation. These are the real challenges of tod