What Jan-Christoph spoke about.

18 Oct

2022

DE Speech

Impact of Russian invasion of Ukraine on migration flows to the EU (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Ukraine was attacked on 24 February, and the European Union's response was very quiet thereafter. With the TPD, the Temporary Protection Directive, we have used a good tool, Commissioner, to help Ukrainians. That was a success. The Europeans have opened their hearts and their homes. Now come Russians, more Russians who refuse Putin. And ladies and …

18 Oct

2022

DE Speech

UN Climate Change Conference 2022 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt (COP27) (debate)

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Mr President! The world looks to Sharm el-Sheikh, the world looks to Egypt. And I don't want to talk to you about climate, but about human rights. Because Egypt is a country where people who criticize the system, who are critical of the government, simply disappear from the streets, are put in prisons and then do not come out again, who are tortured and sometimes never see the light of day again. …

18 Oct

2022

DE Speech

Continued internal border controls in the Schengen area in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (C-368/20) (debate)

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Mr President! The decision of the European Court of Justice is a slap, a slap for the Member States that have introduced border controls. But he is also a slap in the face for the Commission. It is actually the Commission's task to check whether border controls are really used as a last resort, whether there really has been no other alternative to border controls. The Commission does not do that. …

17 Oct

2022

DE Speech

Sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime Initiative) - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (debate)

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Dear Mr President, Commissioner! The decarbonisation of the transport sector is certainly one of the most exciting tasks we have to face right now, because it is necessary if we are to achieve the climate targets. But at the same time it is really difficult, this task, because, on the one hand, we must strike a balance between the competitiveness of our economy, between the prices that consumers h…

17 Oct

2022

DE Speech

FRONTEX's responsibility for fundamental rights violations at EU's external borders in light of the OLAF report (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! In fact, Frontex has an important job. Protecting European borders is an important task. As a European authority, Frontex must of course protect fundamental rights. And the question we must ask ourselves, I believe, ladies and gentlemen, is: Why can such a thing actually happen? Sometimes I get the impression – when the EU Home Affairs Ministers talk about Frontex havin…

5 Oct

2022

DE Speech

The recent humanitarian and human rights situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, notably that of children

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, For over two years, the conflict in Ethiopia, especially in Tigray, has been smoldering and has also spread to neighbouring regions. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, because the two warring parties have agreed that they want to finally hold peace talks, peace talks that will be started in South Africa. As the European Parliament, we can only support …

13 Sep

2022

DE Speech

The urgent need for action at EU level to ensure humane treatment of migrants in Europe, including at the borders (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen! The EU is strong if we abide by our own rules, if we respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. Of course, not everyone who applies for asylum in Europe also has the right to receive asylum. But everyone has the right to submit their application for asylum and the right to a fair trial. That, ladies and gentlemen, mea…

7 Jul

2022

DE Speech

Sustainable aviation fuels (ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative) (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! First of all, congratulations to Mr Gade for his excellent report. Three thoughts from my side. Firstly: We want to use alternative fuels in aviation even faster. Alternative fuels are the only way we can decarbonise air travel. Therefore, there are higher targets for admixture, but the basis for production is also to be broadened. I think it makes…

8 Jun

2022

DE Speech

The Commission's proposal for "Attracting skills and talent to the EU", particularly the Talent Partnerships with North African countries (topical debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! When I drive through the country and visit companies, they tell me that we are looking for desperate people. We are looking for people who can work with us, who can train with us. And I believe that all those who say here: "No, we have far too many unemployed people and we don't need people at all", they close their eyes to reality. I believe that the Talent partnership…

7 Jun

2022

DE Speech

Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System - Social Climate Fund - Carbon border adjustment mechanism - Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation - Notification under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (joint debate – Fit for 55 (part 1))

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Mr President, Commissioner! Today we are discussing a milestone on the path to climate neutrality. And we Free Democrats, of course, stand by the Paris Agreement and want to take these necessary steps. But we also stand for openness to technology and climate neutrality. And of course, this can also be achieved with alternative fuels in the combustion engine. We Free Democrats will therefore vote a…

4 May

2022

DE Speech

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

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in Libya in 2011, the situation in the Sahel region has been highly unstable, as Mr Gahler has just pointed out. Because as a result of this, weapons circulate, mercenaries are hired in different countries, organized crime is spreading. Since 2012, thousands of soldiers and peace missions have been deployed i…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

The Schengen evaluation mechanism (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, Madam Rapporteur! I am pleased that today we can talk about the Schengen evaluation mechanism. For Europeans, Schengen is part of their identity. The freedom to travel to other countries without these internal border controls is for many people the greatest achievement we have in the European Union. We must cherish and nurture this achievement. This also includes the…

6 Apr

2022

FR Question

Violations of right to seek asylum and non-refoulement in the EU Member States (debate)

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Dear colleague, I would like to know how you are going to distinguish asylum seekers, whether he is a real refugee or whether he is someone who has reasons to apply for asylum, if you do not allow that person to make a real statement so that you can examine his wish. How will you know if he is a real asylum seeker, if you do not allow him to apply?…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

Violations of right to seek asylum and non-refoulement in the EU Member States (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Everyone has the right to apply for asylum – by the way, not to be granted asylum, but to apply for asylum. This right is denied to some people. By the way, this right exists regardless of what color of skin you have or what religion you have. And in times when many refugees from Ukraine come to us and many countries also very openly welcome these people – which I ca…

5 Apr

2022

DE Speech

Situation in Afghanistan, in particular the situation of women’s rights (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I have two daughters that I have to think about when we talk about women and girls in Afghanistan. And I find it unbearable that colleagues from the AfD here say from this desk that it must be accepted that in Afghan society women are beaten, so we should not rise above it. But I would like this Parliament to rise up. I want us to say: No, we do not accept th…

8 Mar

2022

DE Speech

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

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. In the face of Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine, the European Union is responding with solidarity. It is true that we are now activating the Temporary Protection Directive. As Europeans, we open our house to Europe and our hearts and welcome the refugees who have to flee Ukraine. It is now right that we provide immediate assistance. However, support is …

17 Feb

2022

DE Speech

Political crisis in Burkina Faso

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! It has just been mentioned that the situation in the Sahel is a difficult one, a region marked by instability. At present – as has just been said – it is the fourth coup d'état in a country in the region. And I think that, as Europeans, we also have to ask ourselves a little bit: What is the role we have played in the region and want to play in …

15 Feb

2022

DE Speech

EU-Africa relations (debate)

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Madam President, Mr Borrell! It is good that today we talk a lot about human rights, education and justice in Africa. But I have the impression that we are talking a little too little about concrete projects, about concrete projects that, for example, the African Union itself has committed itself to. They have launched an Agenda 2063, and I would like to highlight one of these projects because it …

19 Jan

2022

DE Speech

Political crisis in Sudan

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! Since 2019, when the dictator al-Bashir was deposed, there has been a kind of division of power between the military and civilian governments in Sudan. But on 25 October 2021 there was a military coup, and since that military coup there have been protests in Sudan. Protests for a return to a democratic process, protests for a return to a civilia…

15 Dec

2021

DE Speech

The proposed Council decision on provisional emergency measures for the external border with Belarus based on article 78(3) TFEU (continuation of debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Yes, Lukashenka has abused people – inhumane. Yes, it was correct that the Commission immediately offered support from EASO and Frontex. And yes, it was also right that you immediately took care that the flights were stopped and no more migrants were brought to the border. I congratulate you on this, because it was very successful. It worked out we…

14 Dec

2021

DE Speech

New orientations for the EU’s humanitarian action (debate)

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Mr President! The EU is the largest donor of humanitarian aid, as has been said on several occasions. I would like to stress here that humanitarian aid is the expression of European values. It is the expression of European values because we show solidarity with the people who, by chance, were not born like us in a prosperous society, but on a continent where it is more difficult. It is an expressi…

20 Oct

2021

EN Speech

The humanitarian situation in Haiti following the recent earthquake (debate)

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Madam President, the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse was a great shock and added to the already very difficult situation. Let’s put the crisis into perspective. Nearly 5 million people in Haiti are in need of humanitarian aid; in the capital of Port-Au-Prince alone, close to a quarter of a million people are in urgent need of emergency assistance, and 19 000 people have been displaced in …

20 Oct

2021

DE Speech

Pushbacks at the EU's external border (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, colleagues! Yes, people are being abused, brought to the European external border to destabilise Europe – by Lukashenka with the help of what do I know who. But even if these people are abused, it must be clear: We cannot allow Member States in Europe to act in violation of international law and for people who come to a border and ask to be able to apply fo…

7 Oct

2021

DE Speech

European Union Agency for Asylum (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Today we are making some progress, and we are showing that we can do that, that we can make compromises on issues of migration policy, and that is a good sign. I think that here in this House we should not be impressed by the hate speech of the far-right and ultra-conservatives, but we should try to form common compromises that correspond to the values of this c…

5 Oct

2021

DE Speech

Humanitarian situation in Tigray (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, First of all, I would like to thank the political groups, because we have already worked very hard this afternoon on a resolution that we want to adopt here in this Chamber. All the groups have been very constructive at this point. All the factions? No. A faction, which in particular acts as a defender of Christianity, has not intervened at all. But that's th…