Speeches

Madam President, just quickly, dear colleagues, what’s the difference between a garden and a jungle? A garden is a nice place where civilised human beings walk around. A jungle is the heart of darkness where wild animals live. Now, many people in Africa, Asia, Latin America remember very well how in the name of civilisation, European colonialism treated them like wild animals, enslaving them, torturing them, and even exhibiting them in human zoos. Therefore, when the highest diplomat of the European Union compares Europe to a garden, but especially the rest of the world, to a jungle, the message these people hear is that Europe is still driven by neocolonialism. We cannot let that message pass. Therefore, I would ask you to put this topic on the agenda for discussion on Wednesday.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, 2021: two coups in Mali; 2022: Two coups in Burkina Faso. The military government is obviously never a solution, but these coups in the Sahel region do not fall from the sky either. And it is really, I think, too easy to say that it is all the fault of the Russians. It would then be necessary to explain why this Russian propaganda, very real, is so successful and seduces. These coups, and this must be said, come amid deep popular anger. Anger directly linked to the disastrous consequences of the military intervention in Libya, which destabilised the entire region. An anger that also stems from European military interventions, which, from Barkhane to Takuba, have all failed. Anger over being poor in countries that are rich but being robbed by European multinationals. Finally, anger linked to the impact of the CFA franc on living conditions and the social dimension of these countries. In short, anger at European neocolonialism. After a French military convoy was blocked a few months ago, a student from Burkina Faso explained it well – and I read: The people of Burkina Faso and the youth are not against France, but against the French system. We are told about win-win agreements, but what we see is a master-slave relationship, even if it is a bit abusive language, at least from boss to proletarian.” This is the attitude that African peoples no longer accept, and it is with this that we must break. It is really time to listen to Africans themselves.

Mr President, last week I was in Antwerp and I met workers there who built a new factory at Borealis. They were recruited by an Italian company, IREM. They are proud people, skilled people with experience and people who help build our country and our continent. They came from Bangladesh, Turkey, Ukraine. Before they came here, they were seduced with all kinds of false promises and sometimes even with false contracts through a chain of subcontractors; then they went via Hungary – without a job, without a salary – to Portugal. No work, no wages, hardly any money to eat. Then in Antwerp: exploited and threatened. Eleven hours a day, six days a week! Yes, completely inconceivable that this can be done within the European Union, and certain rules within the European Union facilitate that! For example, why not limit the number of subcontracting levels to one level? Or why don't we make the principal responsible for wages and working conditions? You should be able to do that now, right?

Madam President, what I notice, ladies and gentlemen, is that you have succeeded this morning in talking about industry, not to mention workers. Yet it is workers who create wealth and without workers there is simply no industry. But besides, it is your lucky day because across Europe, workers and trade unions offer alternatives to the current European industrial policy. Because what does this current European industrial policy do? Basically, its philosophy is to give maximum incentives, support and subsidies to large multinationals by praying, hoping that in return they will invest, maintain jobs, etc. Hope often disappointed because multinationals pocket and then close, they still leave and relocate in the name of the market and competitiveness. Dat kan anders, collega’s, laten we even naar Nederland kijken, naar IJmuiden. From fabriek van Tata Steel, waar de vakbond er dankzij een 24 dagen lange staking in geslaagd is om het bedrijf te dwingen niet alleen jobs te behouden, maar ook te investeren in de klimaattransitie door te zeggen: “We gaan bijvoorbeeld kool vervangen door groene waterstof voor de productie van ijzer en staal.” Goed voor het klimaat, goed voor de jobs en voor de toekomst van deindustrie in Europa. In dat soort voorbeelden zijn er in heel Europa. Het gaat om krachtverhoudingen. So rather than each time giving in to the whims of employers who only think of flooding their shareholders with billions, rather than selling for industrial policy what is actually a policy of subsidies from big business, let us try to take this into our own hands publicly and seriously and take over the reins of industrial policy in Europe.

Madam President, a year in which prices are skyrocketing! One year that people are afraid to see their bills arrive at home and one year that it blables to the European Union without it changing absolutely nothing to people’s bills. And even today, you are not ready to propose a gas price freeze, you are not ready to block people’s bills and you are proposing a cap on electricity prices that is so high that multinational companies will continue to make overprofits. It is still too crazy! Clearly, you are not picking up on people’s urgency. And I understand: What do you earn? From 10 to 20 000 euros per month? For you, a bill is nothing, but for people it is a nightmare every day. And we must not try to deny the responsibility of the European political world because everyone, from the right to the environmentalists, said: We have to give all this power to a few multinationals. So we liberalised the market, it was going to guarantee low prices, it was going to guarantee everything we wanted. Well, in the end, today we see it: Your market is a failure and people pay the bill every day. So back, let's take back public control over this sector.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in a single month, Israel was responsible for 46 deaths in Gaza, including 16 children, and 360 injuries. The situation of 1,200 people in Masafer Yatta in the West Bank who are threatened with eviction from their homes. From this NGO in Ramallah, which was attacked and shut down while defending, among other things, children’s rights. Air attacks, bombing of airports in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo, and confessions of repeated violations of Iranian airspace. And how does this Parliament react? Silence, he's silent. Yet he likes to talk so much about international law, human rights, etc. Nothing, when it comes to Israel. Israeli crimes are not even on the agenda, imagine! While if another country had done half a quarter of what Israel did, sanctions would have been demanded right away. So, ladies and gentlemen, a question: How far must Israel go before you have the courage to condemn and sanction these acts and violations of international law?

Mr President, my question is simple: Can we tell people what it is? Because what we are witnessing today, it must be said, is a robbery, a heist on the wallet. The wallet is emptying, prices are skyrocketing, but where's that money going? Where are we gonna find him? It will be found in the coffers of multinationals that make overprofits, i.e. additional profits in addition to the profits they already make normally. So they obviously make over-profits on energy, but also on our caddies, on food, et cetera. This is billions of overprofits in the pocket. Bingo, like every crisis. That is capitalism! In the face of disaster, there are the people who hide and there are the multinationals who strip us. That's enough, basta! Let's give this money back to the people, tax these overprofits. And the European Commission should not come up with a Canada Dry or Coca Light proposal: any overprofit is unacceptable. We cannot accept to take advantage of the misery of the crisis. We won't let it pass.

Mr President, thank you to the European Commission. In fact, the report complains of a loss of influence, an erosion of influence by European countries and the European Union around the world. I think he will be applauded in the house, but I think outside he will make a little laugh. First of all, when I read that the European Union should have a permanent seat in addition to the seats that European countries already have on the United Nations Security Council, I think that India, which has a population of 1 billion, is going to laugh a little and say ‘why not us?’. Secondly, when you talk about a loss of influence and the fact that there is not enough influence in the world, I am thinking of the people in West Africa who are fighting against French imperialism or the imperialism of European countries to liberate themselves. They will also laugh a little yellow when reading this report. I think that rather than talking about influence, we should talk about respect, we should listen to the other: This is multilateralism. It is not imposing one’s will on others, but listening to the other and having equal relationships. This is how we will build a world of peace, solidarity and cooperation, not by imposing our influence and role.

Mr President! You are talking about the state of emergency and the importance of care in Europe. And that's right, of course. But let us not be blind, let us not be silent here that this is the result of concrete policy. First and foremost, the austerity policies that you have imposed on the Member States for years. And today the market forces that are increasingly being introduced in healthcare. Market forces are at odds with good public care, because this is about saving costs and maximizing profits. Then the staff must do it with less and less resources and with less and less staff. And then the people who need to be cared for can only take a shower once a week and they do not get enough hygienic material and so on. So we have to break with that market. The solution to this is more public investment and clearly breaking with the policy you have pursued so far. This is what I expect from every European care strategy: break with the privatisation logic and ensure massively good public care.

Mr President, I am going to put a question to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Mrs von der Leyen. The prices are skyrocketing. People can no longer pay their bills. Food, indeed, but also electricity. And since October, you've been playing ping-pong between the different institutions about who's going to block when the prices, because that's what people want. People say: “These prices are too high. Block them.’ In October, the Commission told Member States: "You could block the prices." Then there will be a summit in Versailles of all the Heads of Government and they will play the ball back to the Commission, saying: ‘Make a proposal!’ The Commission is playing the ball again: “You could do something about those prices.” When are you going to block those prices? When will this finally happen? People are waiting for that. When it comes to helping multinationals, it's always fast. But for the people, it's waiting... Ping, pong, ping, pong! I would like an answer to that.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in your opinion, the Africans have not understood anything, the Indians are picking up and the Chinese are not talking about it! What you want to vote for is a text that, in fact, infantilizes half the world. You see that much of the world does not agree with European policy on Ukraine and Russia, so you say that you are going to explain to them that the Russian war in Ukraine is really serious. No, but... explain... as if they were children. No, they got it right. It is just that, on some points, they disagree. In particular, they reproach you for your lack of diplomatic efforts to stop the war, they reproach you for the negative impact of sanctions on workers all over the world, and, finally, they reproach Europe for ‘double standards’. When Russia attacks Ukraine, Europe sanctions, of course. But when the US bombs Iraq, no sanctions, when Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen, no sanctions, when we, the European Union, bomb and destroy Libya, no sanctions, and when Israel colonises Palestine, no sanctions. This is double standards. This hypocrisy is what the peoples of the world reproach you for. If you want their support, just listen to them. That would be an alternative.

Mr President, Commissioner, a great European energy plan, and who is forgotten? Workers. Again, not a strong measure to bring down prices – not a strong measure! No major price suppression, no lifting of excise or VAT minima... no, nothing. On the contrary, you are even saying that your policy will further increase energy prices. But this is not possible, workers can no longer do so. And why? Because you say you no longer want to finance the Russian war in Ukraine. OK, but don’t you mind financing the Israeli occupation of Palestine by buying Israeli gas or financing the Saudi war in Yemen by buying Saudi oil? This is not a policy. You sacrifice workers for geopolitical goals. In addition, you sacrifice the climate. You have decided to release millions of tons of CO2 as part of the carbon market. This is tantamount to sacrificing social and climate. In the name of what? For what result? The time has come to change the course of things. We really need to invest massively and publicly in renewables, otherwise we will not succeed. In addition, prices must be blocked at their pre-crisis level.

Mr President, every time the European Parliament meets, we talk about human rights, we vote resolutions, often with sanctions. Russia, of course, China, Belarus, and so on. But what strikes me is that since I became a Member of the European Parliament, we have not yet voted a single resolution condemning Israel. Not once a resolution on sanctions against Israel. Even now, after the murder of that Palestinian journalist, the attack on the funeral, the taking of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers, the confinement of children: Even then, no traditional group calls for sanctions against Israel. That's taboo here, tackling Israel. This, of course, means that the European Union loses credibility in the fight for human rights. That is totally unbelievable, because then we say that if a country does not do what we want, we will complain about human rights, about democracy. But if a country does what we want, if a country blindly follows us and serves our geopolitical interests, then we are silent and that country can afford everything. That is not defending human rights, that is abusing human rights for our own geopolitical agenda. And that is unacceptable.

I am not surprised that there are Members who worry about their own money. And I will tell you, Mr MEP, it is very easy: I, since the beginning of my mandate, live with an average salary of Belgian worker. Perhaps you should take an example and vote for better texts. Secondly, in relation to your absolutely shameful insinuation, you know that we have nothing to do with Putin. We are on the other side of the House. You should be ashamed of this insinuation.

Madam President, Commissioner, what is crazy about this Europe is that when it comes to finding money for war, you find it right away, everywhere. When it comes to spinning money, money, multinationals and banks, no problem: We never miss it. But when it's for people, for workers, then it's "tranquillou bilou". Unpayable invoice: ‘tranquillou bilou’. Unfair tax is the same: ‘tranquillou bilou’. But people don't get their heads out of the water anymore, you have to realize that. But you don't realize it. Commissioner, how much do you earn per month? 25 000 euros per month? The President of the European Commission is €30,000 per month. 30,000 euros! You messed up. Off the floor, totally. I think it's really time we put you back on the ground a little bit, cut your wages so that you understand nothing about what workers in Europe are going through today and fundamentally change priorities, because we can't do it anymore. (The speaker agreed to answer a “blue card” question)

Mr President, we have all heard the Ombudsman talk about bad governance. And we discovered something else: Not only during the negotiations between Big Pharma, Pfizer and the European Commission, the President of the European Commission sent small text messages to the CEO of Pfizer, but in addition, the more text messages she sent, the higher the price. Indeed, the third dose is now paid more than the first dose. That's still shady. You send SMS during negotiations and the price increases. The aim should still be the opposite. It was therefore questioned whether, potentially, the European Commission was not ripping us off, whether it was organising a social security heist by passing its money on to friends of Big Pharma, Pfizer, etc. Citizens then remembered – indeed, as has been said – this regulation which allows for public access to documents to be requested (i.e. any of the citizens you are supposed to represent can request access to documents, whatever the medium, whether on paper or stored in electronic form), and that is what citizens have done. And you answered. And what did you say? No, sorry, we may have deleted, because this public access does not apply to messages that are ephemeral or short-lived. I concede, it is well-founded. It is cynically brilliant: by deleting information, it becomes ephemeral, and since it is ephemeral, you have the right to delete it. Look, it's well-founded. It is, somewhere, a bad faith master class that you gave. We will probably never know what is in it. We need to review the rules, of course, but the best rules are useless if you do not intend to apply them, to respect their soul and purpose. In fact, what you are saying to people – and I think it is serious – is that you may not be trusted and that the European institutions will eventually find the entourage to avoid any transparency. And that's gonna pay for cash.

Mr President, gas prices are now 20 times higher than they were a year ago. Some families risk paying up to 8,000 euros a year for electricity and gas. Of course, the war makes it all worse. So we have to block prices now, but not at the level of now, of course, but at the level of September, before those massive price increases. And that is possible, because as always, war itself is not a problem for everyone, but for some even a lucrative thing. We're not just talking about the gun industry. According to the official figures of the International Energy Agency, the energy multinationals are going to make 200 billion extra profits, excess profits. We pay, they cash! Let us tax them now and let us bring down the invoice for the working person. It's war now, it's crisis now. European Commission, trade, there is no more time to wait!

(beginning of the speech next to the microphone) ... de-escalation needed in Ukraine and as always in diplomacy means that we have to negotiate with particularly unpleasant people, such as Vladimir Putin. But Charles Michel just called here to mobilize hundreds of millions to integrate Ukraine into the Western or European sphere of influence. He received support from the nationalist right up to and including the Greens. The Greens have clearly forgotten that they once came out of the peace movement. But imagine what would happen if China or Russia soon mobilised hundreds of millions, billions, to get Mexico into its sphere of influence. How would the United States react? Think about that for a moment. At the time, Europe was aware of this. Until recently, we realized that the neutrality of Austria or Finland was important. Today you forgot those lessons. You want to integrate Ukraine into NATO and that leads to conflict. Negotiate. Stop the expansion of NATO. Negotiate and create a common architecture for peace in Europe.

Madam President, Mr Borrell, you, who are a bit of a European foreign minister, have still taken a few slaps in Africa, let us say. The European Union went to propose an alliance to the African Union, but Africans considered it a bit excessive. They did not want it. Why? But because they have seen that, rather than seeking mutually beneficial cooperation, you want to somehow perpetuate the hold of European multinationals on Africa. So when researchers in South Africa try to develop an African vaccine, you deny them access to technology. Worse you even make a buddy-boyfriend partnership with the kENUP Foundation, which sabotaged their efforts. All this to protect the profits of European monopolies, to the detriment of the health of Africans. You say it yourself on Twitter – I brought the tweet – you want a European approach to health that serves geopolitical priorities and European strategic interests. Multinationals first, not Africans. Money, not Africa. So, Mr Borrell, imperialism is enough. Share the technology and lift these patents.

Mr President, Commissioner, Winter is coming, winter is on our doorstep and now is the time to take stock, to take stock. The European Commission promised us that liberalising energy would guarantee low prices, that the market would solve all our problems. Fifteen years ago, you won this battle. The traditional parties, both right and left, have accepted; our state-owned companies have been destroyed and our energy has been transferred to the hands of the big multinationals – Total, Engie, Electrabel, etc. – Vijftien jaar later kunnen we de balans opmaken, niet enkel van uw beleid, maar van uw hele liberale ideology. De markt zou voor competitorie zorgen. Neen, enkele spelers dicteren de wet en domineren de markt. De markt zou voor lagere prijzen zorgen. We hebben nog nooit zoveel betaald voor ons gas en eleven elektriciteit. Your policy, Commissioner, is a total failure. People feel it, see it on their bill. So give up your dogmas, please. Let us take back public control over prices and energy production.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am a little lost here. After two years of COVID, we are still talking about how to offer a vaccine to the world? You can only laugh at these rumours, right? Because it has been a year since India, South Africa, the World Health Organisation, a hundred countries told you how to do it, namely by lifting patents and sharing technology, to allow countries all over the world to produce a vaccine, so that researchers around the world can improve the vaccine, work on it, fight variants... And you've been stubborn for a year, refusing. Think you're smarter than the rest of the world? Well, no, I'm sorry. There's a solution. The President of the European Commission must be told to stop sending small text messages in secret to the CEO of Pfizer and start lifting the patents, because people have a right to do so. So now you take your clicks and slams, you go to Geneva, South Africa, India are waiting for you, and you will tell them that you accept their proposal. That is solidarity. The world is watching you, we're waiting.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, when you read this parliamentary report, you still feel that there is something rotten in the pharmaceutical sector. In particular, many of the innovations presented to us offer little or no improvement for the patient. We also read that multinational pharmaceutical companies artificially extend the duration of their patents, their monopoly, to make us pay more for medicines. Frankly, you have to dare. And the problem is that in the face of what can be called Big Pharma banditry, the strategy you propose is to collaborate more with Big Pharma and let them influence our policies structurally. And, icing on the cake, you even want to put pressure on states that want to force Big Pharma to share drugs... I believe that we need to change course and that a European pharmaceutical strategy should have as its first objective to reduce our dependence on large multinational pharmaceutical companies. And, as you are asked to do by this Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Commissioner, it is time to create a public biomedical infrastructure in the European Union.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we too were in Rome in solidarity with the CGIL. And since we're talking about Italy, let's talk about it. Italy today is the only country in the European Union where people live worse than thirty years ago, workers earn less than thirty years ago, and this is the concrete result, clearly, of policies, policies brought by the government, of course, of the center-left, but also of the right and extreme right. And people are angry, tired, and they're right. He's right to demonstrate. And in that context, what does the far right do? It wants to channel, divert the anger of the people not against the 50 billionaires, Benetton, Berlusconi, Ferrero, etc., no, not against them, but against the migrants first, now the unions, the CGIL and the basic unions, whatever they may be; In the clash between workers and multinationals, the extreme right beats or divides the working class. So, how do you stand up to it? Let us be clear, we need to point the finger first of all at the real perpetrators of this social crisis, and these are, of course, the traditional policies, the European Commission and national governments, but also those large companies, those large companies that now exploit workers in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Let's change policy. Just make the workers pay. Rather than unblock the layoffs we raise salaries, something the right will never propose. And if the European recovery plan is of no use, it is of no use, it will be of no use.

Madam President, you have a package of money, public money – like 10 billion – and you promised citizens that it will be used to develop new environmental technologies, new innovative medicines, all that... And what are you doing? You put that money in public-private partnerships. It's called a joint venture now, it's a bit of a new language, but it's the same instrument that failed several times in the previous legislature. So who appointed these joint ventures this time? Who will co-manage and who will co-decide priorities? But it is once again the same multinationals as before. Don’t you believe it? But they are not the least. For example, in the bio-industry partnership, who is involved? Total and the Italian giant ENI, also a fossil giant. In the meds? "Big Pharma"! The Big Pharma lobby that will co-decide which medicine to develop, because we know they can be trusted, right? They have already proven it. No, frankly, at that level, it’s a joke. If you just wanted to give money to these big companies unconditionally, you had to say it honestly and openly. Because in the end, the product developed will not even belong to us. It will belong to the big companies, who will sell it to us. And what is this? It is really just subsidies for large companies. So frankly, we misunderstood each other. It is true that I often talk about the Europe of multinationals, but it is to denounce. It is not a manual, it is not advice. So, please, can we change our logic and make public investments that are controlled by the public?

Mr President, Commissioner, dear Members of the European Parliament here from the Vivaldicoalitie from Belgium, have you heard? The European Commission is pushing you to reduce VAT on energy. The European Commission says that this is not only okay with the European rules, but also a good idea. It is not every day – dear CD&V, dear MR, dear VLD, the greens, the socialists – that the European Commission adopts a proposal from the PVDA. So I suggest that you listen to that and that you reduce the invoice for the people in Belgium. But do you know, Commissioner, that VAT on energy in Belgium is 21%? Same as champagne or caviar. That's absurd. The VAT has to go down now. We have to help people. Parce que vous permettez aux riches de planquer leurs milliards dans des paradis fiscaux, Panama et autres, mais les gens, eux, doivent douiller. Il n’en est plus question, ça doit se terminer ici et aujourd’hui. On va lutter pour ça, on ne vous laissera pas faire.