What Lukas spoke about.

13

Dec

2022

DE Speech

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A need for a dedicated budget to turn the Child Guarantee into reality - an urgency in times of energy and food crisis (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. Today we are discussing the European guarantee that children can grow up without poverty and in a carefree childhood. Having children is one of the greatest happy things that can happen. At the same time, the old saying is true that children increase the attack surface of fate. Therefore, families with children are particularly affected by the current crises – i…

22

Nov

2022

EN Speech

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Promoting regional stability and security in the broader Middle East region (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner Várhelyi, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, security in the Middle East is of utmost importance for the security of Europe and the entire world actually. I don’t agree with everything we state in the resolution we will vote on tomorrow, but let’s see the positive sides and let’s follow up. With whom? with our strongest ally, the only democracy and rule of law-based st…

22

Nov

2022

DE Speech

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Resilience of critical entities (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! Critical infrastructure is vital infrastructure and it is important that the European Union as a whole takes care of maintaining this infrastructure in the event of a crisis. I thank the rapporteur, I thank the shadow rapporteurs for the good negotiations. Three things were important to me to anchor in these negotiations. Firstly: Those responsible for a critical infras…

19

Oct

2022

DE Speech

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Outcome of the first meeting of the European Political Community (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner Várhelyi! I admire your perseverance here in the European Parliament tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! It is good that we are discussing here in Parliament what the governments in the Member States are doing. You have the European political community, the European Political Community. And I see, to put it in a saying, the glass half full. It is good…

19

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Lukashenka regime's active role in the war against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. In Belarus, there is something in place that’s growing in Russia today, but it has been in place in Belarus for more than two years already. Since the stolen election, there has been a vibrant and active liberation movement, and we should not stop supporting this liberation movement. We should not take away our sight, our view on thi…

19

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Vice-President Regner, Commissioner Várhelyi, colleagues, it’s good that there is an enlargement package from the European Commission, and there are some positive aspects about it. We don’t call it enlargement but we should also better deal with the UK, Norway and Switzerland. We made some progress with the Eastern Partnership and other parts. When it comes to UK, I want to apprec…

5

Jul

2022

DE Speech

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2021 Report on Kosovo (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Lenarčič! The entire Western Balkans – all six countries – are important for the future of Europe. Today we are debating the Republic of Kosovo and the Kosovo report. I would therefore like to point out to you that this is a state with people who have paid a high blood toll for their freedom, a state that could only achieve its independence through the Eur…

5

Jul

2022

EN Speech

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2021 Report on Serbia (debate)

Madam President, Serbia is a beautiful country with great people, with a lot of cultural heritage. Serbia is a large country compared to the others in the Western Balkans and an economically strong country. It could serve a lot for the region and for all Europe. But I have to remind all of us about our decision in the plenary with a large majority on 1 March, about our deepest concern about Serbia…

7

Jun

2022

EN Speech

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The EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (debate)

Mr President, with this plenary week and this vote, the European Parliament, on behalf of the people of Europe, will send a clear signal for the security of the Europeans, of this generation and for generations to come. Security means that we have to invest more in defence. Security means that we have to use structures and to strengthen these structures like the European Defence Fund, like the Str…

7

Jun

2022

DE Speech

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The EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (debate)

– Mr Colleague, I have just heard you say that the support of the free world for the state defending itself – Ukraine – would unnecessarily prolong the war. The question that follows, Mr. Colleague: What outcome of the war and what post-war scenario would you like to see? What's your idea?…

6

Jun

2022

DE Speech

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The EEAS’s Climate Change and Defence Roadmap (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! We chose this outfit today – many here in this house – because we are celebrating 60 years of EU agricultural policy. And this is a success story that needs to be strengthened again and again. I am pleased that an Austrian farmer, Thomas Waitz, has accompanied this important report as chief negotiator, as rapporteur here in the European Parliament …

4

May

2022

DE Speech

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Threats to stability, security and democracy in Western and Sahelian Africa (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! I think the migration crisis from 2015 has shown us that we cannot care what happens in other parts of the world, but rather that it affects us directly. I think the pandemic shows us that the world is a village where we are directly dependent on each other. Yes, and the war against Ukraine shows us that freedom and peace, if we do not defend them,…

4

May

2022

DE Speech

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Use of the Pegasus Software by EU Member States against individuals including MEPs and the violation of fundamental rights (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner Johannes Hahn, ladies and gentlemen! It is an old principle that something that can be used for defense and good can also be misused for attack or evil. This is exactly what happened to Pegasus. We need instruments like Pegasus to fight organised crime, terrorism and external attacks. And all the greater is the crime when such an instrument is misused to attack people in…

7

Apr

2022

DE Speech

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The situation of marginalised Roma communities in the EU (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. Europe is in an unprecedented defense against an attack. We defend security, we defend the freedom of Europeans and we defend the values advocated by Europe. And one of these values is that we uphold human dignity and civil liberties in Europe. This includes ensuring, here in the Assembly of European Citizens in the European Parliament, that minorities also have…

6

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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Human rights situation in North Korea, including the persecution of religious minorities

Mr President, heading the delegation with the Korean peninsula in this very Parliament, it’s important to me that I emphasise that what the EU calls ‘critical engagement’ is also our approach in the European Parliament in dealing with North Korea, meaning that we push our objective of denuclearisation in North Korea, and we work closely with our great partners in South Korea. As in each and every …

8

Mar

2022

DE Speech

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The situation in Bosnia Herzegovina (continuation of debate)

Mr President! One of the lessons to be learned from the Kremlin's and Russian leadership's bestial attack on Ukraine is that we must never again allow nationalism, ethnic conflicts, pseudo-religious conflicts or simply lies, false stories, false narratives directed against people because they lead to the abyss at the negotiating tables in Europe or in this world. Stefan Zweig called nationalism th…

8

Mar

2022

DE Speech

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The deterioration of the situation of refugees as a consequence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Mr President! The bestial attack on Ukraine, commanded by the Kremlin, leads to an escape movement of incredible proportions. We are holding this debate in the European Parliament on this refugee movement precisely on International Women's Day. It is therefore particularly appropriate to point out that once again the refugees are mainly women and children, also to point out that once again in worl…

23

Nov

2021

DE Speech

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Situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, ladies and gentlemen! What do citizens want in the Western Balkans and also in Bosnia-Herzegovina? That should be in the foreground for us. Many from this House, who hold talks and conferences with citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, know this: They want European integration, as the Balkans Barometer shows, year after year. That is why I want to share with …

23

Nov

2021

DE Speech

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Situation in Belarus and at its border with the EU and the security and humanitarian consequences (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, this House! I would like to point out two aspects that seem to me to be underexposed in the public debate and, frankly, also in the debate here in the European Parliament. One is that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenka brings together criminal activity and political illegitimate pressure against Europe to take action against our borders: on the one hand, …

6

Jul

2021

DE Speech

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Foreign interference in democratic processes (debate)

Madam President, Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, ladies and gentlemen! There are parts of the world that seek confrontation with Europe. The European model of life does not suit them. The motives for this are very, very different. These can be ideological motives, political motives. They can also be economic motives. They…