Speeches

Mr President, do inequalities exist in the richest country in the EU, in Luxembourg? Yes, they do, unfortunately. It has a poverty rate of 17.4% and although my country has the highest minimum wage in the EU, 13% of the population earning that minimum wage are living at the risk of poverty. Most inequalities start with what is not your choice: the family you are born in, whether it has a migrant background, your socio-economic situation, or the education level of your parent or parents. Yes, these are factors that still, unfortunately, lead to prejudices and prejudices lead to discriminatory and unequal treatment. And this is why we need equal access to quality education, which will lead to better access to the job market and this will facilitate access to housing, which is a big issue everywhere. We must break the gap between the wealth gap between the privileged and the less privileged by guaranteeing equal chances to everyone in Luxembourg, in Europe and in the world.

Mr President, the latest provisional agreement looks quite different from the initial Commission proposal. But the question is, will this directive improve the status quo of platform workers? Yes. It will establish the principle of a rebuttable presumption of employment and reversal of the burden of proof, and it will see common EU rules on algorithmic systems in the workplace for the first time. These rules are an important first step for broader rules in the workplaces across the EU and that is why we must conclude the negotiations and reach a balanced agreement with a strong majority. And I appreciate the continued efforts of the presidency to reach an agreement in the Council. We, the Parliament and Renew Europe, we are ready. Let’s secure improved rights and conditions for the millions of platform workers in the EU. Let’s do it.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, you stated that many teachers have difficulties transferring basic knowledge. In my experience, some teachers do more than transferring basic knowledge. In my third grade, I had a teacher who made me write essays all the time. I found it a bit annoying back then, but nowadays I am thankful to Mrs Cook because I became a journalist before becoming a politician. And that’s why each pupil deserves a teacher that has the will, the vocation and the time to identify and foster one’s potential. A teacher can be a guide, a mentor, an inspiration and even a role model. Teachers with better working conditions – for example, who do not face overcrowded classrooms – can afford to dedicate more time to their students. And this is the quality education we all call for. Therefore, Member States must invest in their education systems to guarantee better working conditions for teachers and realise smaller classrooms. And on a final note, we must guarantee equal access to quality education for all. We must avoid students being segregated and zero tolerance for discrimination related to origin, condition, disability or socioeconomic background. Investing in teachers, investing in education is investing in the citizens of tomorrow.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, as rapporteur on the European Parliament’s initiative report on quality traineeships, I appreciate your speech and the words which are quite in line with Parliament’s position, which was a longstanding demand of European youth. We called for fair remuneration to prevent abuse by limiting the duration of traineeships to six months, for example, because we think that trainees are not cheap employees. We also claimed for traineeships to be inclusive and accessible for all, and also to improve and encourage cross-border traineeships by improving the EURES Platform – and you also mentioned in your speech that quality traineeships should also have a real learning experience. You mentioned that the Commission is preparing an initiative. I would like to know what is meant by the word ‘initiative’, and I’m hopeful that we can start with it by before the end of the mandate, and that you find a way to put it on the way. Let’s make this happen, please, for European youth.

Mr President, today we discuss quality jobs that should boost Europe’s future economy. But therefore we need a skilled workforce, which we are currently lacking, and to get this skilled workforce we firstly must guarantee a quality education that is accessible and inclusive for all, meaning the less privileged and marginalised groups too. Secondly, we need a legal basis for traineeships that best prepare for these jobs, especially youth. Traineeships that are of course fairly remunerated, as I requested in my report on the quality traineeships initiative. Therefore I call upon Commissioner Schmit to put forward a legal proposal before the end of this mandate. And thirdly, the future European economy can only be competitive if it guarantees equal chances and opportunities for all, because only together we can succeed.

Mr President, home should be where one feels and is safe, but for many women it is a place of fear and insecurity. They are afraid for their lives and the lives of their children. Domestic violence is not always visible and victims are often afraid to speak out, to seek help, and they are afraid of the consequences if, finally, they would manage to escape. On the day for the Elimination of Violence against Women my message is clear: domestic violence is a crime, and it is a human right to be protected from it everywhere. And we must move forward with legislation. That is why I call upon the six EU Member States that refused so far to ratify the Istanbul Convention to protect women everywhere. And to the victims: you are not alone. Don’t feel embarrassed. Don’t hide. Speak out. I want you safe. I want you alive.

Madam President, one-and-a-half years ago, I suddenly became impaired. I have a rare disease, and today I only see 25%, even with glasses, which is sometimes disturbing. But I know that many others have greater struggles. Many others are in a worse situation than me. They face discrimination in their everyday lives: half of the people with disabilities are unemployed; nearly 30% are at risk of poverty. They are excluded – we are excluded – from society. We have barriers, for example, in transportation or in education. 800 000 people with a disability could not vote in 2019 in the European elections because of barriers of accessibility. That cannot be. They have their right to vote. They have their voice to vote. As one of the chairs of the European Parliament’s cross—party Disability Intergroup, I can assure you that we fight for equal chances and opportunities for everybody, which also means for people with disabilities. We fight so that everybody can contribute to society, because we can and we want to.

Madam President, 2022 is the Year of European Youth, the year of a generation that went through so many crises recently. I expected the Commission to be more ambitious, to reach those who are less interested in politics. We, as Renew, organised Renew4Youth – an event that brought together 145 European students, young European students who had fruitful exchanges. They came from the EU but also beyond. This event changed their vision of Europe. Next year will be the European Year of Skills, and I am proud to be the rapporteur on quality traineeships. Traineeships should be paid. They should occur in better working conditions and trainees should have a real learning experience. So I say to you colleagues, this is not something we do for ourselves. This is something we do for young Europeans, for the next generation EU. So let’s cooperate on that report, because they deserve it.

Madam President, my mother worked as a cleaning person all her life. In Luxembourg she earned the minimum wage, which was good, but food, healthcare, schoolbooks, clothes – it was very difficult to make ends meet. And this is what we tried to fix with this directive on the adequacy of minimum wages in the EU. Because EU citizens that wake up each morning, go to work, contribute to society, should be able and afford to make a decent living. So, please vote in favour of this text tomorrow. It is a clear sign to EU citizens that we want a more social, a more equal and a more European Union of respect.

Mr President, in my high school there were three black students out of more than 1 500. I was the first black TV host in Luxembourg, but not many were following, unfortunately. Once a boyfriend’s mother told me ‘many black people are criminals, but you are different’. No, I am not different. I am not an exception. There are many like me, and they deserve to have a fair chance to succeed. We have to get rid of the racist stereotypes, deconstruct prejudices and represent the full diversity of our society at all levels. We need equal access and opportunities for all in culture, education, media and sports, because they play an important role in the fight against racism. They have the power to change minds and to drive social inclusion. That’s what we, as the European Parliament, want to achieve with this report. Every child should be able to fulfil its potential. In the fields of culture and media, everyone should be able to identify themselves and to seek for role models and see them. Sports is a vector of equality and integration, and we must do our utmost to ban racism from it. It does not matter where one comes from, nor one’s colour of skin. Everybody has to have this chance to succeed. Everybody can contribute to our society, and we should do everything to ensure that they can. We need to be united in diversity.

– Mr President, the cultural and creative sector was one of the hardest hit by the COVID pandemic. Due to the closure of venues, exhibition halls, festivals and the cancellation of live performances, the sector experienced losses in turnover of over 30% in the year 2020. Culture is a major economic factor for the EU, representing 4.4% of EU GDP and employing 7.6 million people. But culture is not only about economic terms. It has a substantial social impact contributing to democratic, sustainable, free and inclusive societies and reflecting and strengthening our European diversity, values, history, freedoms and way of life. Culture touches the lives of EU citizens. I am therefore proud to stand here today as the rapporteur to present the report on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU, with which we support artists and cultural workers throughout the European Union. Due to my personal experience as a former performer, I can confirm that many artists already struggled before COVID-19 happened. For many cultural and creative professionals it was necessary to have a second income in order to guarantee a certain degree of social security and stability. And to the insecurity of income it adds difficulties to combine family life and career due to unstable working hours and rapidly changing work environments. Imagine having all these worries and yet you still need to find enough time to be creative! This is why this report is not only about recovery itself. It is to give greater security to those affected. With this report we, as the European Parliament, call upon the Commission and the Member States to act. We ask for access to unemployment allowance, health care and pensions. And we urge Member States and the Commission to take specific measures to tackle unstable income, unpaid work and job insecurity, and to safeguard a minimum standard of income for artists and cultural professionals. We also need to avoid bureaucratic burdens such as work permits or permits for holding festivals, and we have to avoid double taxation for cultural workers acting across borders. Especially artists from smaller Member States face problems due to the fact that their domestic market is small and that can hinder their professional growth. We therefore call upon the Member States to establish at least one mobility and information point to offer free and tailored support. Furthermore, we call upon the Commission to define the status of an artist in the EU, to explore possibilities of mutual recognition, and even a European framework for governing the status of artists, to ensure that artists can benefit from their rights derived from that status throughout the entire European Union. But a safety net is not all. Artists often have the talent but they lack the skills to transform their ideas into financial success. Therefore, they should also have access to training in entrepreneurial skills which will help them to transform their creativity into a reliable source of income. Finally, the sector also faces other problems. While many women work in the sector, very few women are in decision-making positions and discrimination against women persists. LGBTIQ+ and artists from minority groups are more likely to be the targets of attacks or subject to restrictions. In this report we made sure that artists in the EU are better protected against political repression and all forms of discrimination, because the freedom of artistic expression is a core value of the EU and must continue to be guaranteed. With this report, we have taken a big leap forward and I am proud to continue the work that we have started last year in September with our resolution on the cultural recovery of Europe. I want to thank my fellow rapporteurs for their good cooperation and the strong compromises we have reached, so thank you for that. I also want to thank my colleagues from the Cultural Creators Friendship Group with which I have tabled several amendments across party lines thus demonstrating that when it comes to the protection of artists, authors and performers, this House stands together as one. And therefore, I hope for your support in the vote. So to all the artists, authors, performers and cultural professionals: you have the support of the European Parliament so please continue to entertain, amaze and inspire us.

Madam President, tax authorities in the EU have agreed to cooperate closely together in order to apply tax correctly and prevent tax evasion and tax fraud. This is to prevent dirty money being washed through the EU and to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of tax, so this report assesses how well Member States have applied regulations to exchange information. The feedback has generally been positive, but improvements can be made. However, in order for an implementation report to be accurate, we need facts and figures. Accordingly, my colleagues and I requested relevant information from the European Commission, and I am sad to inform you that several Member States objected to our request. Again, the Council seemingly does not want to cooperate with the European Parliament. Previously, I highlighted that the Council prematurely made decisions before we as Parliament had adopted our position, and now they are denying access to pertinent documents needed for us to exercise our function of political control. My message to the Council is clear: stop trying to bypass procedures enshrined in our Treaties. Stop trying to hinder our work. We need greater transparency in the Council.