Madam President, Mr. Sell, fortunately, every word you have said has made you feel that you would most like to submit immediately to Putin and Russia. Ladies and gentlemen, I am extremely grateful to our Commission President for feeling a massive change in European politics in the last twelve months in the European Union. We have the situation that we are now saying clearly, Mrs. von der Leyen, wh
Dear Mr Sieper, thank you very much for your question. We see, when we remember the picture in the Rose Garden, where the American President showed this giant panel with all the tariffs, that not only we are affected, but in principle he attacks everyone in the world and questions everything. And that is why, in conversations with representatives of other states, I experience a great willingness t
Mr President! I am proud of how the European Commission has dealt with this massive pressure from the United States in recent weeks. Namely, prudently, without reacting quickly, without falling into actionism, without taking any countermeasures that simply fuel the dispute. But the Commission has so far left the attacks ineffective, and it is in negotiations – and that is a good thing! What shocks
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European Council meetings and European security (joint debate)
Dear Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, It has been said quite often today: We have not responded sufficiently to Russia's aggression in the last three years. And it has also become clear: Europe is always strong when we are under particular pressure. I would like to draw your attention once again to one thing that our Group Chairman Manfred Weber rightly described earlier: We are good in time
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Collaboration between conservatives and far right as a threat for competitiveness in the EU (topical debate)
Mr President! In 1989, the people of East Germany liberated themselves from the communist dictatorship. Already in 1994 the Magdeburg model, a SPD Prime Minister, elected by the SED-PDS. 1998 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the first coalition of Social Democrats and SPD, SED-PDS. And in 2014, Bodo Ramelow was elected Prime Minister by the SED-PDS Left Party, the SPD and the Greens. Or the red-red-green
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Presentation by the President-elect of the Commission of the College of Commissioners and its programme (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! Ursula von der Leyen pointed out today: The programme of the new Commission is a programme of the political centre for the breadth of society and for the citizens of Europe. Now the German SPD says that it will not support this commission together with the AfD, BSW and the Left. This shows the whole political insincerity, irresponsibility and also tornness of
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EU-US relations in light of the outcome of the US presidential elections (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! We talked a lot today about the person of the new US president and about the possible impact the election could have on us in Europe. But I really want us to think more. What are the homework we are facing? And the homework we face as Europeans is completely independent of who will become president in the United States. Because the core challenges – are we ab
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One year after the 7 October terrorist attacks by Hamas (debate)
Madam President, Dear High Representative! You have said that Europe is absent from this conflict. If you weren't leaving office soon, I'd ask you: How many times were you in Israel before October 7, during the four years of your tenure, to talk to those responsible about a possible solution to the conflict? Ladies and gentlemen, this weekend was, I think, a remarkable editorial in the German news
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Council and Commission statements - Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21 and 22 March 2024 (debate)
Mr President! At least since the Russian attack on Ukraine two years ago, it is clear: We need to do much more for Europe's security and defence capabilities. But instead of working on it, our German Chancellor Scholz splits, for example, with too little Franco-German coordination, with too little interest in Europe or with his obviously false statements on Taurus deliveries. He's trying to positi
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I think today's debate has made it clear: There is cross-party and very broad support for our trade agreement between the European Union and New Zealand. During the debate, it became clear that: The agreement will help us protect what is important to us – our prosperity, our good and secure jobs and our global competitiveness. We Europeans are an important tr
Dear colleague Vedrenne! Do you agree with me that European agricultural exports go far beyond European agricultural imports – that is, that the bottom line is that European agriculture benefits from this trade agreement? And do you agree with me on the second, that there will always be some reason why the French left will vote against any trade agreement?
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Finally, today and tomorrow we are paving the way for a new trade agreement – our agreement between the European Union and New Zealand. What does this trade agreement mean? The agreement helps us to protect what exists: Prosperity, good and secure jobs with us and our global competitiveness. It means improved and new export opportunities for our European compani
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Urgent need for immediate measures against the rise of antisemitism (statement by the President)
Madam President, Jewish students who are afraid to move freely in their hometown. Parents who are afraid to let their children travel by public transport. Mockery protesters spit on guests of a coffee house chain because the long-time CEO of this chain is a devout Jew. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations in which posters with the relativization of the Holocaust are shown. Speaking choirs calling for th
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The despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, Israel’s right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law and the humanitarian situation in Gaza (debate)
Mr President! The inhuman terrorist attack by Hamas against the people of Israel cannot be justified by anything. Israel has the right to defend itself and protect its people. I therefore have no understanding of how some speakers here today criticise Israel. Israel is sincerely trying to protect the civilian population, even with the inclusion of disadvantages. Anyone who criticizes Israel in thi
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Question Time with Commissioners – EU-China trade relations
Mr President! When we talk today about trade relations between the European Union and China, it should be about how we can reshape these relations in the light of the political situation in China, in the interest of European citizens. But it seems that not all Members of this House also represent the interests of Europeans. As was read in German media these days, the top candidate of the AfD, Mr.
Madam President, Over the past four difficult years, we have achieved a lot together. We have come almost no other region through the corona pandemic. We managed to hold together on the issue of war and peace in Russia's war against Ukraine. We have made it, the European Green Deal We want to make our contribution against the human part of climate change. Thank you very much, Madam President, for
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This is Europe - Debate with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz (debate)
Madam President, I am amazed and shocked, Chancellor, how leading representatives of the governing parties are talking about you. The latest highlight is the speech of Mrs. Reintke today or her name contribution in yesterday's WORLD. I quote: “The disappointment with our neighbours is great. The Chancellor’s European policy raises questions.” I ask you, Mrs Reintke, which European policy? Last yea
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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 15 December 2022 (debate)
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, We have seen in recent days what it means for the European Union to stand up for the rule of law. We have seen that the Council, the Commission and Parliament were united, and that is why we have managed to ensure that money to Hungary is not disbursed. Mr Vilimsky, that is exactly the difference from what you have said: We in the European Parliament are dealing
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ASEAN relations ahead of the EU-ASEAN summit in December 2022 (debate)
Dear Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, In my view, we can look back on a successful year for relations between the European Union and the ASEAN countries. Together this year, we signed the world's first air transport agreement between two major blocs of states, namely the ASEAN region and the European Union, which will enable people from both regions to have better connections. The new EU-ASE
Madam President, A relief package for small and medium-sized enterprises, an offensive foreign trade strategy and a law to secure the supply of raw materials – Madam President of the Commission, thank you for your concrete announcements that give courage. But we, as a Parliament, must now also send a signal and put aside any incriminating legislation: the Industrial Emissions Directive, the Zero P
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A new trade instrument to ban products made by forced labour (debate)
Mr President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen! Bernd Lange has provided some examples of forced labour, and we all still remember the horrific information and images of the recent revelations about the situation in China. I quote from an oral question to the European Commission: ‘In the United States, the importation of goods made by prisoners is prohibited by law. Accordingly, the sale
Madam President, Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for the debate and debate tonight. It looks like we will get a large majority in the vote tomorrow. We had the debate for ten years and it was mentioned – I believe it was Mrs Rinzema and other colleagues – that a lot has happened in the last ten years. And we have indeed experienced – one country has been mentioned by several colleagues,
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, dear Vice-President! What is it about today? If a country or a city or a municipality wants to buy something, then there is usually a public tender, for example when buying new buses for public transport, when building a new subway or when providing a comprehensive service. In Europe, it is almost always the case that: Anyone can apply for the contract, no ma
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EU Protection of children and young people fleeing the war against Ukraine (debate)
Mr President! Dear colleagues, I do not know how you are doing, but as the father of five children, every day I only have tears in my eyes when I see the images of the terrible war, the war that Vladimir Putin was responsible for and which he personally ordered and ordered. These are the pictures of fallen soldiers of Ukraine, these are the pictures of grieving parents, these are the pictures of d
Mr President! As rapporteur for the international procurement instrument, I would like to request that, after the vote on the amendments from the committee, we can refer the file back to the committee and start the trilogue discussions. It was very important to me that we not only give the trilogue mandate in committee, but also give all Members here in plenary the opportunity to vote on the file.