Speeches

Madam President, Does economic and competition policy benefit the general public or, in particular, the boards of directors of corporations and their shareholders? We have to answer this question together. In recent years, we have experienced an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis – rents, food and energy prices have risen rapidly. In Germany alone, food prices have risen by a third since 2020, while the richest man in the country, food company boss Dieter Schwarz, has tripled his wealth at the same time. The Commission has failed to protect people from abuses of power and price-driving. We finally need stronger interference with corporate power, fair price controls and an additional tax on the excessive profits of powerful large companies. Companies that already make billions in profits must not be massively subsidized with taxpayers' money, only to then distribute fat dividends to their shareholders and even make mass redundancies. Volkswagen alone has invested more than six billion euros in recent years and has nevertheless announced that it will cut 35,000 jobs. Government support for businesses must therefore be linked to clear social conditions: good jobs, no distributions to shareholders and, above all, no mass redundancies. We need an economic and competition policy that serves the many working people and those with little money and not just a few super-rich.

Mr President! Donald Trump has managed to completely chaotic international trade relations in the first hundred days of his presidency. The consequences for the economy and the population are already foreseeable. Economic output will decline and at the same time prices will become more expensive. The mine for this will first pay the working population again and those who have little money in their pockets anyway. This policy is no coincidence. Right-wing populist Donald Trump is deliberately trying to assert the interests of his economic buddies, namely the US defense industry, US energy giants and US big tech companies. But the European Commission does not seem to have really understood this. Commissioner, we are in a global trade war and trade policy is being used as a weapon to enforce economic interests and define spheres of influence internationally. This must be countered by European policies with a clear strategy that protects the economy and jobs here in the European Union, and this can only be achieved with massive investments in our industry. This can only be achieved with the strategic independence of the European Union. Today, Commissioner, you too know that the Commission's initial 'it won't be so bad' head-in-the-sand strategy was a political denial of reality. Now you want to negotiate, to conclude a deal in the spirit of Donald Trump, and if that doesn't work, then there are supposed to be tough countermeasures. I hear a lot of offers from you, they are plentiful. Now even more US fracking gas will be purchased – instead of driving European energy independence and creating so many jobs, a new dependency on fossil fuels will be created. This is economically, socially and ecologically fundamentally wrong. But the pressure on the U.S. government is yet to be seen. Where is the introduction of the instrument against coercive measures? Where is the tough regulation of big tech companies? Where is the introduction of a European digital tax? Close your eyes and put your hands behind your back. Do you want to throw even more money and especially our private data into the throats of the richest companies and people like Elon Musk in this way? It is now time to work with partners such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, but also with China on a trade order that is rules-based, based on fair trade rather than unleashed free trade. And all that seems to come to mind for the European Commission are commodity agreements such as those with Rwanda, which is a major contributor to aggravating the war in the Congo, or digital cooperation agreements such as those with Singapore, which undermines our data security, or classic free trade agreements such as Mercosur, which Europeans have shown the red card to since TTIP because they are bad for social standards, the environment and agriculture. Their response to Trump is solely for the benefit of the US oligarchs and European oligarchs. We need a response that serves the majority of the population and democracy.

Madam President, Christianity and socialism might not share the closest link at first glance, but Pope Francis used his mandate to advance the Christian social doctrine that is also deeply rooted in socialist politics. The fight for social justice and against poverty – one of the cornerstones of Francis's pontificate – remains a central responsibility for both the progressive Left and the progressive Church. Pope Francis has all my respect for always taking sides for the vulnerable and for defending humanity and human rights for all, regardless of origin, status, colour or belief. And, in an increasingly hostile world, Pope Francis's voice has constantly been one of peace. Relentlessly, he called for an end of the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza. Every single day, he cared for the Palestinian civilians whose unjust suffering he felt painfully. Let us make his prayers for justice and peace a reality. Let's the end politics of injustice and division. And I wish his successor all possible success in transforming the Catholic Church into a Church for the 21st century. I'd like to conclude, in a rather secular way – I'm sure he would have understood – farewell, Francis.

Madam President, High Representative Kallas, world politics is moving rapidly and hardly gives us a breather, and it would have been very welcome if you had made one or two statements here before the European Parliament in recent months. Russia's war of aggression in violation of international law continues unabated and affects the Ukrainian civilian population as well as the country's infrastructure. Meanwhile, diplomatic talks between the US and Russia, on the one hand, and the US and Ukraine, on the other, are taking place in Saudi Arabia. I always wonder: Where is the EU? Why don't we sit, why don't you sit at the table? These talks are about a ceasefire in the Black Sea and an end to the attacks on energy infrastructure. I want to be very clear: Every step towards a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine and a lasting and just peace must be supported and supported by the EU. I have unfortunately missed this clarity, Mrs High Representative, in your statement. Putin's army is still on the rise, and he seems to have found an ally in the US president who is bringing him back to the political stage of the major powers. The authoritarian redistribution of the world is progressing rapidly, and in this case especially at the expense of Ukraine and also at the expense of the European Union, which is not even allowed to sit at the cat table, while the conditions for ending a war on European soil are at stake. That's really unbelievable. That's why I ask myself: Where is the European initiative to end this war, so that the EU can at least negotiate the European peace order? Where is your strategy, Mrs Kallas, for a peace order that does not start and end with tanks and drones and jets, but that protects and strengthens international law and international institutions? For a Europe that builds its security on economic strength, international cooperation and the credibility of its values. This is the idea of a Europe in which diplomacy is the weapon of choice and which does not secure its future exclusively through a barrel of guns.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, You have all noticed that Donald Trump announced last week that from 2 April, that is, from this Wednesday, on European car exports to the United States 25% punitive tariffs will be due. These tariffs will come into effect on Wednesday. In my group's view, therefore, there is an urgent need for this House to address this situation – the trade war escalated by Trump – the situation of the European automotive industry and, above all, the situation of workers in the automotive industry. We therefore ask for an amendment to the agenda and propose to add a debate on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Colleague; It is called ‘Commission Statement on the EU’s response and preparedness for Trump’s tariffs on the European automotive industry“. In this way, the position of the Members of this House can also be taken into account by the Commission if it hopes to formulate its answer clearly and unequivocally. Thank you for your support!

Madam President, Donald Trump is ready to blame Ukraine on Russia. The destruction of international law and an international order in which the strength of the law is no longer valid, but the law of the stronger, are priced in. All the more revenge now, Mrs von der Leyen, that you have unfortunately so shamefully ignored diplomacy in recent years and have relied solely on a military solution to the war in Ukraine. Not a single diplomatic initiative was supported by the Commission, neither the efforts of Turkey, Brazil, China, Israel, the African states, not even the Pope. And yes, it is a massive political failure of European politics. And even now in your speech – but also in your speech, Mr Costa – not a single word about the fact that the Commission or the Council want to turn to diplomacy, which would serve Ukraine first and foremost. The transatlantic partnership no longer exists. Trump overwhelms the world with a massive trade war and makes peace with dictators à la Putin, while European politicians are dragged by the nose ring through the White House casket. But here with you, exclusively military thinking continues to dominate. Suddenly there are 800 billion more for rearmament, no more debt brake – money, I guarantee, that will flow mainly into American weapons. But strategic independence means finally putting an end to the debt brake for responsible policies and making massive investments in industry and digital infrastructure. It means energy security, social security and research and development. Now is the opportunity to attract the brightest minds to Europe. The European digital market must no longer be in the hands of Elon Musk and other tech fascists from the US. NATO is already history. The EU needs its own security architecture, where diplomacy must always take precedence over military solutions. This does not contradict the idea of necessary defense capability, but it fundamentally contradicts the profit interests of armaments corporations and their major shareholders: In order for no one to deserve war, the European arms industry must be nationalised. And you should stand up for the strengthening of international organizations such as the UN and defend international law right now. But neither in your speech, Mrs von der Leyen, nor in your speech, Mr Costa. Yes, self-determination and sovereignty belong to Ukraine. But not only with Russia, but also with Turkey and Israel, violations of international law must be clearly criticized. International law also applies to friends, not just declared opponents. If you want credibility, you have to overcome double standards. And strategic independence also means a better relationship with China. Mrs von der Leyen, the EU Commission must finally stop pursuing world politics with the strategic foresight of a child.

Mr President! After this strange denial of reality speech by Mr Caspary, I would like to help you get back to reality. Hundreds of thousands are currently taking to the streets in Germany to demonstrate against the fall of the German Conservatives, who for the first time since the end of the Second World War have made common cause with the fascists of the AfD. That's why people sing on the streets: Resist fascism here in the country. This is the reality that is taking place in German society. And here in the European Parliament, too, the Conservatives – and I hope you are aware of the reality – seem to have long since fallen into all inhibitions among the Conservatives, who are increasingly collaborating with the extreme right. But the new fascism is being stopped... (Interim calls) I have some good advice for you: Just listen. But one does not stop the new fascism by taking over one's position. You don't stop it by dragging human rights and inciting against minorities, by denying climate change, or by cuddling with crazy, far-right big tech capitalists like Elon Musk. Stop the new fascism by providing affordable rents, decent wages and pensions. It is stopped by defending the independence of the judiciary, the freedom of the press and the freedom of science. And yes, even by smashing fascist organizations with the means of the rule of law. There is no middle ground between fascism and anti-fascism. You should have learned this from the past of the last century. If you work with them, then you have chosen your side. But as long as we're here, and as long as hundreds of thousands take to the streets, you'll hear from us again and again. Defend yourselves! Resist fascism here in the country!

Madam President, Almost a year ago, Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison camp – killed because, as the most prominent opposition and regime critic in Russia, he repeatedly criticised the corrupt dictatorship of Vladimir Putin in the strongest possible terms. I cannot understand every phase of the political development in Navalny's life, but regardless, I recognize his political courage, which has been and continues to be a model and inspiration for many in Russia. But for us today, this debate should also be an occasion to think of all those who are currently being held in Russian penal camps and who are threatened with a fate similar to Navalny's, because they courageously and sacrificially criticize Russia's war against Ukraine and the Putin regime. I therefore want European governments to work for the release of political prisoners, such as Boris Kagarlizki, or conscientious objectors, and to grant them political asylum in the European Union.

Madam President, Commissioner! I had actually expected that the work programme presented here would roll up the sleeves and finally get rid of what it takes. But there is nothing to see far and wide. EUR 800 billion would have to be invested annually in the European Union. You referred to the Draghi report yourself. This means that massive investments are needed in industry to secure the future of millions of good jobs, in infrastructure and mobility, so that the bridges do not collapse again, so that goods can be transported sustainably and trains can reliably reach European cities. We need investments in climate protection and sustainability. And instead of placebo investments in digital transformation, which we are technologically left behind even further or which drive us into the hands of some crazy fascho tech billionaires like Elon Musk, we now finally need a European digital revolution. But instead, the interests of lobbyists seem to have dictated the Commission's programme. What you call bureaucracy reduction and deregulation serves the sole purpose of enforcing precisely these interests. As honorable as it is, Commissioner, that today you are presenting the work programme instead of Commission President von der Leyen, it seems no wonder that the Commission President does not dare to present this document of announced political failure personally to the European Parliament. Because what you have said here today, what you have presented, Commissioner, is not enough at the back or at the front! European debt rules and state aid rules prevent public investment in social housing, in well-equipped healthcare and in buses and trains – the things people really need in their everyday lives. The investments in your logic must then be made out of private pocket or through foreign direct investments. In both cases, the Commission voluntarily gives up control and thus our future. Private interests then dominate our infrastructure, our public services or, quite simply, the number of fast charging stations. But for rearmament then suddenly public money should be there again. I'm translating this for everyone in the room: They prefer tanks and drones to buses and kindergartens. Your policy, Commissioner, and please direct that to the President of the Commission, will not solve a single problem. On the contrary: This work programme is designed to make the EU even more dependent on international competition and to exacerbate inequality in society and the livelihoods of working people. We now need social policy change and public investment. We need a Commission that has the courage to set the course for the future. This Commission and this work programme are not.

Madam President, The goal of any EU strategy for the Middle East must, of course, be lasting peace in the region. There are two prerequisites for this. First, it requires the recognition of Kurdish self-government in northern and eastern Syria and the establishment of diplomatic relations with Kurdistan. The change of power in Syria now also offers the opportunity to enforce the right of the Kurdish people to self-determination in a multi-ethnic state. Turkey must also accept this. Erdoğan's war of aggression against the Kurdish people, contrary to international law, must be stopped immediately! Secondly, the recognition of the State of Palestine by the European Council is needed. As part of a two-state solution, there must be a sovereign Palestine alongside a sovereign Israel. This reality must then also be recognized by the Netanyahu government and, above all, by Donald Trump. His statements on the future of Gaza are scandalous, dangerous and must be rejected in the strongest possible terms.

Madam President, When I hear all these empty and somewhat inconsequential confessions, I know why EU foreign policy has become so irrelevant. In Ukraine, Russia's war of aggression has made clear, unabated by initial reports of combat operations by North Korean soldiers, that this war is escalating, rather than finally reaching peace. The war in Gaza continues unabated, although Hamas and the other terrorist Islamist groups that attacked Israel on 7 October 2023 have long since been defeated – the Palestinian civilian population is suffering. And in Syria, the dictator Assad is overthrown – Islamists are reaching for power. Turkey is bombing the Kurds, and Israel is occupying parts of the country. Three crises in our neighbourhood. Three conflicts in which European foreign policy has nothing to say and thus contributes nothing to the solution. And just yesterday, Mrs. von der Leyen, you celebrated the supposedly good relations with the dictator Erdoğan. He now gets €1 billion for taking in the Syrian refugees while his army and allied Islamist militias wage war against the Kurds. And because of this double standard, European foreign policy no longer has credibility. And even worse: With the EU's migration policy, the EU is setting itself up to break existing international law. The further upgrading of Europe's external borders - as we have heard time and again today - is the only means that seems to come to the minds of the majority here in the House and in the Council. According to the motto: ‘If the refugees do not drown in the Mediterranean, we will lock them up in camps.’ We need a lasting, just peace in Ukraine based on international law. But if you want peace, you have to do something for peace. A debate about negotiations, security guarantees and the deployment of European peacekeepers after a ceasefire is much smarter than the debate about the deployment of soldiers in combat missions. People want to hear more from their heads of state and government than arms deliveries and victory on the battlefield. The EU should stand united for the recognition of a Palestinian state – this would be a signal that the Netanyahu government also understands. For a secure and sovereign Israel needs a secure and sovereign Palestine at its side – that is the key to pacifying the Middle East. And instead of reaching out to Erdoğan and legitimizing his great power policies, the EU must now recognize the democratic-autonomous administration in northern and eastern Syria. The Kurds defeated ISIS. I sincerely hope that the EU will not abandon them. Three crises, three solutions. They would be well advised to follow them in order to restore credibility to European foreign policy. And one final remark: On January 20, 2025, Trump will take office. Then it will no longer be enough to shake hands and conjure up good relationships. Massive investments are needed in industry, infrastructure and future technologies. We need to be sure that our energy supply, agriculture and health care systems can stand on their own feet. In short: We need strategic independence to ensure Europe's future viability in a multipolar world, to defend democracy and to restore social cohesion.

Madam President, The Romanian elections were manipulated by TikTok. But since Brexit and the first Trump election, we know that social media-platforms for targeted disinformation and election manipulation. Bot armies, hacker groups and AI are deliberately destabilizing the political order on X and TikTok. Hate speech, violence, anti-feminism, conspiracy theories – democracy is under attack, through the exploitation of our private data and the unbridled profiteering of people like Elon Musk and by far-right dictatorships, authoritarian regimes that seek to further divide democratic society with the help of useful idiots like Musk. This danger also exists in Germany. I don't want the next federal election to be decided in Russia in February 2025. All social media platforms must be subject to clear rules. In the US, the ban on TikTok is therefore pending; X should be socialised and transformed into a public European social media platform.

Mr President, High Representative! We have felt the joy of the overthrow of Assad and his cowardly flight into the lap of his war buddy Putin millions of times in the last few days on the streets in Syria, but also in Europe, but the future of Syria is open. The new leader al-Dschaulani is an Islamist wanted with a $10 million bounty. His militia, the HTS, is listed as a terrorist organization by the UN. And it is pure racist hypocrisy to talk now about how to send the Syrians who fled 14 endless years of civil war back into the unknown as quickly as possible. Germany has taken in one million Syrian war refugees. Many work in systemically important jobs such as the health and transport sectors. Germany needs this workforce. But it also needs these people, who for many have become neighbors and friends. The times when the EU played a political role in the Middle East are long gone. And today, too, an intolerable double standard has emerged: The Commission's silence about Turkey's long-standing war against Kurdistan, which is contrary to international law, is deafening, as is Israel's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its illegal occupation of other Syrian territories. Dictator Erdoğan, who unabashedly dreams of his Great Ottoman Empire, works with Islamist militias that enslave women and children and are in no way inferior to ISIS in their desire to destroy Kurds and Yazidis. And as often as you've been in the last few years ‘Slawa Ukrajini’ I've heard you say so many times I wish you had only once. ‘Bijî Rojava’ said. The Kurds have defeated ISIS – they should have our gratitude. Turkey must immediately stop its war against Kurdistan. The EU must now recognise the democratic-autonomous administration in northern and eastern Syria and establish bilateral diplomatic relations with it – that would be credible European foreign policy. And we now need the united signal from the EU to recognize a Palestinian state. The key to pacifying the Middle East lies in resolving the Palestinian question. Israel must immediately end the war in Gaza and the deaths and suffering of Palestinian civilians and comply with international humanitarian law. The Israeli hostages must be released by Hamas. A safe and sovereign Israel needs a safe and sovereign Palestine by its side, otherwise this region will never come to rest.

Madam President, Mr President Zelenskyy! The war of aggression against Ukraine has been raging for 1,000 days now, and well over 10,000 civilians have now been killed in Putin's murderous war. My solidarity and sympathy belongs to the needy Ukrainian people. That is why it is true that millions of women, the elderly and children who have fled the war have found humanitarian protection in the European Union for the time of the war. To those who are now questioning this protection, including in this House, I would like to say: Shame on you! Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been killed in this war: Ukrainians, who rightly defend their country, and Russians, many of whom – and this is part of the truth – did not want this war and whom an imperial ruler sent to a cruel death on the battlefields he created. This war must end as soon as possible. Mr President Zelenskyy, our goal is a just and lasting peace, a peace based on international law and respecting the sovereignty of Ukraine. Russian soldiers have lost nothing in Ukraine. Of course, Ukraine will have to sit at the table when this peace is negotiated. This must be respected by all actors, including Putin and the incoming President of the United States. Russia's victory peace, which would be imposed on Ukraine, calls into question the international order as a whole, but international law has no double standards. The right of the militarily stronger must never prevail, otherwise autocrats and imperial states will again and again threaten the territorial integrity of other sovereign states and conjure up belligerent catastrophes. But to do so, we need to find a way out of the language of the military and violence and force diplomacy – through international cooperation, through sustained and increased political pressure from the international community on Russia. Everyone has done too little: the EU Commission and the European governments, the US and China. And we must, on the other hand, increase economic pressure, through targeted and effective sanctions against Putin's power apparatus, against the military-industrial complex, against his oligarchs and against his shadow fleet, with the help of which he circumvents the sanctions. Reconstruction of critical and civilian infrastructure for the people of Ukraine must begin now. An international debt reduction would be an important help for this. Mr President, I do not want large corporations and international capital in particular to earn a golden nose from the war and the reconstruction of Ukraine. Democratic rights must also be defended in times of war, because the future of Ukraine must belong to Ukrainians.

Madam President, One of the great democracies and the greatest economic and military power will be ruled for the next four years by a professed anti-democrat and a convicted criminal. Billionaires dominate the media, business and politics in the United States. There is an oligarchy before our eyes. The announcement of a fundamental reorganization of the state, the political control of the judiciary, the permanent contempt of political competition lead directly into the authoritarian state. Trump and his best buddy Elon Musk spread on Twitter in a fort Fake news, Conspiracy theories, racist and sexist prejudices. Elon Musk is a fool, and I think Twitter should be socialized. Trumps America-firstProtectionism and the threat of punitive tariffs on European products threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs in the European Union. And there is only one sensible answer: A single European industrial policy that secures jobs and makes our industry fit for the future. And in times of global crises and wars, the EU must strengthen its role at the United Nations. Because Trump's election is bad news for climate protection, the protection of existing human rights and also for a just peace order. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East need diplomacy. But they don't need anyone who would rather play golf with Putin than negotiate a just peace. The best answer to the election of Donald Trump is a social policy change in the European Union. Unfortunately, the Commission, Mr Borrell, has been burying its head in the sand for too long and is turning a blind eye to American reality. The EU is not prepared for Trump's victory. We now need investment in the future, in good jobs and in strong public services of general interest – this is the only way to defeat the new fascism.

Madam President, If you look at the state of the European steel industry, this is not a debate about the future of this industry, but an obituary. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in the steel industry and upstream and downstream industries are at risk. How can such a strategically important sector get under the wheel? Unfortunately, the answer is clear: Political and economic mismanagement. Firstly: High energy prices in the European Union threaten energy-intensive industries. Mrs von der Leyen had promised to reduce energy costs. But instead of finally rebuilding the European energy market in a way that lowers prices for consumers and the economy, the Commission is burying its head in the sand and keeping it all going – the main thing is that the big companies continue to make fat profits. But this is how strategic industries such as the steel, automotive and chip industries will not achieve the necessary transformation: For this we need cheap and clean energy, and that is why the energy supply belongs to the public sector. Secondly: The international competition, especially in China, is massively subsidized and can thus produce cheaper. In response, the management of leading European steel companies such as thyssenkrupp or ArcelorMittal is shifting production – outsourcing and job losses at the expense of local workers. First, the top managers and major shareholders fill their pockets with the work of the employees, and then they don't even have the minimum of respect to give back what they deserve to the people, the regions that made them big and rich; They should be ashamed. And thirdly: Public investment must be used to counteract this, but the EU has arbitrarily imposed debt rules that prevent future investments. That's how you shoot yourself in the knee. We need massive investment rather than austerity. If you want to save jobs and keep steel production in Europe, you have to spend money today, that's how easy it is. That is why, like the trade unions, we are calling for a steel action plan for green steel from Europe. The steel industry is a strategic sector; It must not be relocated. Thumbscrews must be applied to the management. We need massive public investment in energy, transport and the necessary infrastructure: This secures the local sales market for steel. The European steel industry is in danger. Maybe their death bells are already ringing, but my group will not accept that. We are on the side of the workers, and we will fight for every single job.

Mr President! For many of the 150 million tenants in the EU, housing has become priceless. And why? Because living space has become a speculative object, because a fat return can be earned with the rent. The left says: Stop it! We want an investment plan in social housing. The costs for energy-efficient building renovation must be socially just and certainly must not be passed on to the tenants alone. In short: We need more affordable housing. Housing is a human right. Stop the speculation with apartments on the stock market and with speculative vacancy. Short-term rentals need to be better regulated. We don't need a rental policy that serves Vonovia, BlackRock, Deutsche Wohnen, Airbnb and the other greedy corporations. We need a rent policy for low-income families, for single parents, for the elderly, students, apprentices, i.e. for everyone without a big bank account.

Madam President, Prime Minister Orbán, it was a great mistake to entrust you with the Presidency of the Council. Unfortunately, you prove this every day through your policy. I am not only referring to your trips abroad to Trump or Putin, which were above all embarrassing PR stunts in their own cause. It's all so absurd and embarrassing, I'll leave that to you. But what really drives me politically, ladies and gentlemen, are your government's political attacks on trade unions and workers' rights. That puts you in line with all these guys preaching water but pushing through a tough neoliberal agenda and creeping the big corporations in the ass. Restriction of the right to strike, tax reforms in favour of the rich and to the detriment of the working population, poorer support for the unemployed and pensioners and cuts in public services - this is your political signature towards your own population. You have unnecessarily covered Hungary with a brutal austerity policy, even though the country is receiving billions of euros from Brussels, which you hate so much, year after year. I wonder: Where does the money go, other than to the government’s business partners? Under your government, Hungary has become the most corrupt country in the European Union. In order to enforce this anti-social policy and disguise corruption in the country, minorities and refugees are scapegoated and fundamental rights and freedoms are systematically restricted. Dear colleagues, every year the largest Nazi march in Europe takes place in Budapest. You probably think, Mr Orbán, that fascism is an opinion and not a crime against humanity. As an anti-fascist, I strongly disagree. As a Democrat, I demand that the German anti-fascists like Maja T., who are in Hungarian prisons, be immediately returned to Germany and that there be a Europe-wide ban on extradition to Hungary, because the Hungarian justice system has had nothing to do with the rule of law for a long time. In your illiberal democracy, Mr Orbán, democratic rights such as the independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press are systematically eroded. Those who again suffer the most from this anti-democratic policy are the Hungarians, i.e. their own people themselves. Jean-Claude Juncker once described you as a small dictator. And you know what, Mr Orbán? I think he was right. Anti-democrats cannot be trusted to lead democratic institutions. That's why I stick to it: You should never have taken over the presidency.

Madam President, Mrs von der Leyen spoke at length this morning about transparency and accountability. Now, just yesterday, the European Court of Justice ruled that this Commission unlawfully withheld from the public the full COVID contracts it concluded with the major pharmaceutical companies. This is about the essence of democratic politics. Transparency is a prerequisite for trust in democracy, and the European Parliament – that is, us – must also be able to exercise its supervisory role vis-à-vis the Commission in a decent manner. That is why we want clarity about the fact that European taxpayers' money has been used for the public and not for the interests of the big pharmaceutical companies. That is why my group is asking the Members present here to give the President of the Commission the time to be able to fully disclose the Treaties – to ensure transparency – and that is why we are requesting that the vote be postponed to September.

Madam President, Of course, it is necessary for the European Union to continue to support Ukraine so that Russia's war of aggression ends as quickly as possible. Almost every day, Ukraine is attacked with Russian missiles and drones. The repulsive rocket attack on Kiev's largest children's hospital a few days ago once again showed us the entire brutality of Putin's war. The families of the victims should have all our sympathy. However, these deadly weapons often contain electronic components from the West – for example, with the TÜV seal or inscriptions such as ‘Made in USA’ – and the European Union imposes one ineffective package of sanctions after another. Let me give you another example: German exports of vehicle parts to Kyrgyzstan have risen by an incredible 5 100 percent in the last four years. I will not tell you a secret when I say that these exports will of course be forwarded to Russia in order to circumvent the sanctions. And the EU? She is silent again. But why aren't effective sanctions being imposed on the military-industrial complex and on the corrupt Russian oligarchs? Let me tell you why: Because the corporations dictate what they want, and they don't want to lose sales just because Russia is attacking Ukraine. While the yachts of sanctioned oligarchs dock in European ports, our citizens have been financing the maintenance of frozen oligarchic empires for two years. The EU is doing nothing again. Cheating on corporate interests and protecting the property of oligarchs is certainly not a smart peace policy and will in no way force Putin to the negotiating table – but only there can the path to peace be negotiated together with Ukraine. So far, the EU remains guilty of any diplomatic initiative, and I do not want to speak here of Viktor Orbán's poisoned love greetings from Moscow. After more than two years of war and death, it is becoming increasingly clear that more and more weapons will not end this war. The future of a peaceful Europe lies in strengthening international organisations and mutual disarmament, not in a new arms race.

Mr President! Out of 10 billion euros, a free school and kindergarten meal could be financed annually in Germany alone, or every pensioner could receive an annual supplement of 500 euros. 10 billion euros, that is exactly the amount that the German state escapes from tax revenue through money laundering. The Commission expects up to 210 dirty billion euros per year in the EU to be diverted and laundered by the treasury. That is why the EU must finally get close to big money in the fight against money laundering. If you want to catch a shark, you can't just fish in shallow water. Only in this way can corruption, organised crime and oligarchs be seriously combated. And for this, the EU finally needs a meaningful transparency register. The owners behind corporations and nested corporate complexes must be fully disclosed. Golden visasThe right to legally acquire European citizenship should not only be better regulated, but banned altogether. But instead, the current regulation querbeet introduces more control and monitoring of cash payments. The agreement reached is not a big deal, but at least the EU has struggled in tough negotiations to take a step at all. Nevertheless, I recommend joining the Eurostar or the TGV after the European elections, but please do not enter the ICE – then you can also walk right away – in order to move forward. Otherwise, this will no longer be possible in our lifetime with effective anti-money laundering in the European Union.

Mr President! The escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran has brought the world community to the brink of a new major war, and the risk of further escalation is far from over. The regime of the mullahs in Iran pursues a policy of annihilation of Israel and must be stopped in this anti-Semitic madness. Inside, all progressive forces are brutally suppressed. Arbitrary arrests, the execution of prisoners, violence against the protesting women are everyday life. The Hamas massacre on October 7 marks the day most Jews have been killed since the Holocaust. But the ensuing Gaza war and the anti-human rights warfare of Netanyahu's right-wing government has led to an absolute humanitarian catastrophe without bringing the people of Israel and Palestine any closer to a life of peace and security. In parallel with an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war, humanitarian aid for the Palestinian civilian population and the release of Hamas hostages, it is therefore finally necessary to revive the political process. Only in this way can we end violence and death in the region in the long term, give perspective to the people of Gaza and the West Bank, and dig down the water for anti-Semitic organizations such as Hamas. I therefore call on the Federal Government to recognise a Palestinian state as part of an EU initiative. In addition to a secure and sovereign Israel, there must be a secure and sovereign Palestine.

Mr President! The day will go down in European history as the day on which the European Union adopted its humanist principles. Those who will agree to this CEAS reform are de facto digging up human rights. And the right to asylum is the direct consequence of the atrocities and crimes of the Second World War, it is part of the ‘never again’ of the basic anti-fascist consensus. But this agreement is the political declaration of bankruptcy and a kink in front of the incitement of the right in Europe. With this migration pact, the European Member States are depriving vulnerable people of their rights and raising the walls of Fortress Europe even higher. Barbed wire instead of solidarity is your message today. And those seeking protection are to be locked up in huge camps at the EU's external borders. No more Moria! This was the promise of many MEPs sitting here and also of the European Commission, but the current agreement burys the right to asylum, aggravates the situation at the external borders and endangers human lives. And you know exactly that foreclosure does not prevent people from fleeing, but only before they arrive safely. You are abusing people on the run as scapegoats to distract from the failure of your policies. This hypocrisy, your oblivion of history and your disregard for human rights simply leave me stunned.

Madam President, If one listens to you in this way, Mrs von der Leyen, but also to colleagues from green to conservative, then one hears the same words over and over again: more money for weapons, armaments, war capability, combat readiness. I think it is very easy – and you all make it very easy – to hide behind these spurious words in order to distract from the failure of your own policies. The inability to cope with only one of the current crises is obvious. Social inequality in the European Union is growing unchecked. Hunger and poverty have become everyday life for many people. The climate crisis is intensifying. When it comes to migration, you only think of abolishing human rights instead of protecting people. And in war and peace, one hears nothing but this shrill cry for rearmament, from which only the large armaments corporations will benefit. And even social democratic politicians are now talking unsuspectingly about the European nuclear bomb. And French President Macron may want to send ground troops to Ukraine. Let me ask you a serious question, Mr. Gahler, for a friend: Have you all gone crazy? A new arms race does not lead us to safety, but directly to the next catastrophe. They all pursue a negligently dangerous policy, and brutal austerity with simultaneous rearmament means that people find less social security, less health care, less intact schools, while their money is redirected directly to the accounts of major shareholders. It just can't be serious anymore. And this policy is the fuel that strengthens the extreme right and puts democracy at risk. If you want to solve any of the major challenges facing humanity, you need a fundamental change of policy towards a strategically independent European Union that must, of course, be able to defend itself – what else? – which, of course, also follows the principles that diplomacy, peaceful conflict resolution, the strengthening of international organisations and not a new arms race create the precondition for peace and therefore, even if it seems unpopular, remains committed to mutual disarmament. It is about winning peace, not war.

Madam President, The war in Ukraine is now going on for almost two years, and every day innocent civilians are dying, soldiers on both sides are dying, caused by the ongoing Russian invasion. And much has changed in the lives of Europeans over the last two years. In addition to the persistently high prices for energy and the increasingly expensive food, fear and concern about a further escalation and spread of this war have entered European everyday life. Ukraine's military counter-offensive last year has failed. Even the Commander-in-Chief Salushnyi now speaks openly of the fact that the military situation resembles the positional wars of the First World War, and thus he also publicly contradicts the success stories of his President Zelenskyy. All this shows that this war cannot be won militarily, but must be ended diplomatically. This is what my group in this House has been telling you for two years: A common European diplomatic offensive is finally needed to end this war and fight for peace. And that also means that you have to be honest, Mrs von der Leyen, and you too, Mr Michel, have to talk about security guarantees for both sides. I have a question for all those who think that more and more money for weapons, esteemed colleague Weber, esteemed colleague Iratxe García Pérez, will bring about peace. Do you really think, are you really so naive, fellow Members, to believe that this would not lead to the Russian side reacting and also investing more and more money in this war? But it's not about investing in war, it's about investing in peace. It's not about spending money on armaments and militarization, it's about winning peace, not war. It is a mockery if, on the one hand, you want to spend more and more money on weapons and loosen up, and, on the other hand, preach discipline and force people to tighten their belts. And the last thing the European Union needs now is the self-imposed austerity policy, which was also discussed again at the Council. The policy that follows the traffic light that the German government wants to enforce in Europe as a whole, this policy is blazingly dangerous because it deprives us of the ability to tackle social inequality, economic slump and climate change. Ultimately, it is this policy that favors the rise of the extreme right. So let's forge a European pact that will enable us to ensure full employment, fight social inequality and tackle climate change. The future is not in the arms race, but in investments for people and our planet.