What Markus spoke about.

15

Jun

2026

DE Speech

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Time for European economic independence (debate)

20

May

2026

DE Speech

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Reviewing the ETS system to support European competitiveness (topical debate)

11

Mar

2026

DE Speech

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Savings and Investments Union: time to accelerate the process to deepen market integration (debate)

10

Mar

2026

DE Speech

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European Semester for economic policy coordination 2026 - European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2026 (joint debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, The report on the European Semester shows very clearly where Europe stands. The Commission expects the European Union to grow very poorly in the coming years and potential growth is also falling due to demographic trends. This is a warning sign, because our prosperity depends on productivity, on innovation, on investment. Precisely for this reason, the semest…

10

Mar

2026

DE Speech

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Housing crisis in the European Union with the aim of proposing solutions for decent, sustainable and affordable housing (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! The report we are voting on this week is very clear in the diagnosis: the housing crisis is above all a supply problem. Housing has been too weak in many Member States for many years. Permits are granted at a snail's pace, and the gap between demand and available housing is driving prices ever higher. If we want affordable housing, we need one t…

9

Feb

2026

DE Speech

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European Central Bank – annual report 2025 (debate)

16

Dec

2025

DE Answer

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Presentation of the European Affordable Housing Plan (debate)

I would like to explain to you how a market economy, as well as a social market economy, works. Prices are based on supply and demand. If you have a higher demand for housing and keep supply tight, prices will go up. If you expand the supply with the same demand, prices will fall. This is what we call a market-based instrument. And that's why the rental prices will also go down if you make an offe…

16

Dec

2025

DE Speech

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Presentation of the European Affordable Housing Plan (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner! Dear colleagues! Affordable housing has become the social issue of our time. Many people do not find an apartment because too little has been built over the years and too little has been invested. The main problem is a supply problem. We can only solve this problem by building more. And, of course, Europe can help. I therefore welcome the fact that the Commission has…

26

Nov

2025

DE Speech

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Protecting citizens' right to make cash payments and ensuring financial inclusion (debate)

25

Nov

2025

DE Speech

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Increasing the efficiency of the EU guarantee under the InvestEU Regulation and simplifying reporting requirements (debate)

21

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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Stepping up funding for Ukraine’s reconstruction and defence: the use of Russian frozen assets (debate)

Madam President, Russian billions are frozen in European vaults, while houses, schools and hospitals are destroyed every day in Ukraine. Leaving the funds unused would be morally wrong. Russia started this war. Russia must stand up for the consequences of its actions. But we should also not act rashly when using the funds. I would rather imagine that we take this money as security, as a guarantee,…

21

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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Commission Work Programme 2026 (debate)

Madam President, Madam President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen! The Commission's new work programme has a very ambitious title: “Europe’s moment of independence”. But we also have to live up to this title. We are in a period of economic uncertainty, and that is why we now need a programme that focuses on growth, competitiveness and investment. If you say that Europe should once again bec…

10

Sep

2025

DE Speech

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Taxation of large digital platforms in the light of international developments (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Our tax rules date back to a time when economic activity had to be attached to factory halls, warehouses, office buildings. Today, however, values are created in data streams, on platforms, in digital business models, and this must of course also be reflected in our tax law. We need a modern definition of the tax permanent establishment, which can no longer cons…

8

Sep

2025

DE Speech

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Investments and reforms for European competitiveness and the creation of a Capital Markets Union (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is at a crossroads. The Draghi report clearly shows: If we want to secure our competitiveness, our innovative strength, our prosperity, then we need significantly more investment in Europe. The capital is there. European households save above average in international comparison. But this money is mostly unproductive in bank accoun…

7

Jul

2025

DE Speech

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Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2024 (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, The European Investment Bank has been a reliable partner in the implementation of the European Union's policy objectives for decades. Their role has grown steadily in recent years. Today, the EIB is no longer just a traditional support bank for infrastructure projects, but a strategic actor that finances an ever wider range of European priorities – the transitio…

17

Jun

2025

DE Speech

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Latest developments on the revision of the air passenger rights and airline liability regulations (debate)

Madam President, Three hours of flight delays are annoying, and if you follow the airlines' recommendations that you have to be at the airport two hours before departure, you may have spent up to five hours at the airport without really getting closer to your destination. But it gets even more annoying if you don't even get compensation for it. European passenger rights are a role model worldwide.…

17

Jun

2025

DE Speech

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Implementation report on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (debate)

Madam President, Mr Executive Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen! The report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility paints a very sobering picture. A large number of milestones remain incomplete, delays are accumulating, the promised transparency is missing, and the economic added value is unclear. The European Court of Auditors’ special reports have again and again reveal…

7

May

2025

DE Speech

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Competition policy – annual report 2024 (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! The Digital Single Market is under pressure. Recent enforcement actions against large tech companies, such as the proceedings against Apple and Meta in the context of the Digital Markets ActThey clearly show that our rules are working, but they also show that they are urgently needed. Digital markets follow different logics…

31

Mar

2025

DE Speech

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Savings and Investments Union (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is facing major challenges. High investments must be made in defence, in digitization, for climate protection. At the same time, we have geopolitical tensions that are weighing on our economy, and public coffers are largely empty. That's why the activation of private capital is becoming more and more important, and I th…

12

Mar

2025

DE Speech

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Frozen Russian assets (debate)

Mr President! Russia has brought untold suffering to Ukraine with its brutal war of aggression. At the same time, frozen Russian assets worth around EUR 200 billion in the European Union are only stored by the central bank alone. It is simply a matter of justice that this money is used to support Ukraine. The polluter pays principle applies: Those who cause destruction must also pay for the elimin…

12

Mar

2025

DE Speech

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European Semester (joint debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, The European Semester is the key instrument for economic policy coordination. This year, the challenges are particularly great. Not only do we still have very high growth rates in the European Union, but we also have to cope with rising defence spending – all this in the context of already very high public debt. This shows once again how important it is to have …

10

Mar

2025

DE Speech

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Cutting red tape and simplifying business in the EU: the first Omnibus proposals (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, We have to be honest, just by fulfilling reporting obligations, by filling in forms, nothing has yet been achieved in the fight against climate change or for occupational safety and health in developing countries. Directives such as those on sustainability reporting or the European Supply Chain Due Diligence Act are tools at best, but no…

12

Feb

2025

DE Speech

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Competitiveness Compass (debate)

Mr President! Mr Executive Vice-President! Mr President-in-Office of the Council! Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! With the compass for a competitive EU, the European Commission has given a signal for a U-turn and a new priority setting. This new focus is of course very welcome, but it is also bitterly necessary. The Commission has therefore recognised the signs of the times. But we alr…

10

Feb

2025

DE Speech

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European Central Bank – annual report 2024 (debate)

Mr President! Commissioner. Madam President, dear Christine Lagarde! In the past, the annual report on the European Central Bank has often been a hard work. And sometimes, in difficult negotiations, the clear line has also been lost. This time it's different. I would also like to express my sincere thanks on behalf of our negotiator Marco Falcone, the rapporteur and the entire negotiating team. Th…

23

Jan

2025

DE Speech

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Cryptocurrencies - need for global standards (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! Various cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, have climbed record prices in recent days. The reason is clear: The new administration in the United States took office this week, and it will be much more crypto-friendly than its predecessor. The new US president is even talking about building a strategic Bitcoin reserve and w…