What Gabriele spoke about.

8 Oct

2025

DE Speech

Establishment and functioning of European Works Councils - effective enforcement (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Hoekstra! I want to join the choir. The rapporteur has already said that now is the time to deliver. Tomorrow we will vote. We negotiated for a long time. We have a good result with the Council – 26 Member States have agreed. Now is not the time to have fundamental debates about competitiveness. Anyone who has become familiar with this trilogue outcome knows that we a…

6 Oct

2025

DE Speech

Intergenerational fairness in Europe on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Micallef, ladies and gentlemen! We have put this debate on the agenda because we think it is time to act. On 1 October there are many warm words, but in Europe, when we look around, we find that Europe does not manage to enable all older people to age in a dignified way. In English there is the term ageism – we do not have this in German – namely that we are dealing w…

9 Sep

2025

DE Speech

European Social Fund (ESF+): specific measures to address strategic challenges (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! We are talking about the evaluation and, to a certain extent, the realignment of the European Social Fund. Let me remind you once again: This is the oldest instrument. This is much older than I am, for example, and it has always been adaptable, but it was the guarantee to the weaker groups in society; it was the guarantee to workers, who had to cop…

8 Sep

2025

DE Speech

Public procurement (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. We agree in this room that two trillion is a lot of money and that with this money, we – and the Commission – now have the chance to promote good work; or you can continue as before, that you can do it theoretically, but because of legal uncertainty, most then take the cheapest offer. We can spend this money on the companies that are renovating schools, on the b…

8 Jul

2025

DE Speech

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Danish Presidency (debate)

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Madam President, Madam Prime Minister! Indeed, it is a crucial moment in Europe when the Danish Presidency will take over. At a time when geopolitical uncertainties are growing, but also in our society, more and more people are feeling left behind – and at the same time not safe enough. That is why social security is essential for us. And I would like to say that today we have heard many examples …

21 May

2025

DE Speech

Single Market Strategy (debate)

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Mr President, dear Mr Executive Vice-President Séjourné, ladies and gentlemen! When Jacques Delors launched the single market, it was clear to him that the single market and social policy must be closely linked. He was a visionary and European and understood that a market alone does nothing. And the winged saying about it was: Nobody falls in love with a single market. For him, the Single European…

6 May

2025

DE Speech

A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I would like to thank the two rapporteurs for their work. We are sending two very, very important messages, two important messages with this report. One is: We need enough resources. It's a truly dramatically changing world, and we have huge investment gaps. Therefore: Some colleagues have already summoned the Hamilton moment. But als…

2 Apr

2025

DE Speech

Topical debate (Rule 169) - Social Europe: making life affordable, protecting jobs, wages and health for all

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! Many at the moment have such a feeling that something is slipping. And you remember that it was great Europeans like Jacques Delors, great Europeans like Jean-Claude Juncker, who knew that Europe has no chance among citizens if it is not a strong social Europe, a strong base, even a soul. And that's why they're looking closely at what's actually happening. In th…

12 Mar

2025

DE Speech

Social and employment aspects of restructuring processes: the need to protect jobs and workers’ rights (debate)

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Madam President, Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen! Wherever you are at the moment in companies, the employees have great concerns about how this change is going and what it means for them. And that is why it is so important that employees are involved in this change and do not do it over their heads, because if they are not properly involved, they will ultimately reject the c…

12 Mar

2025

DE Speech

100 days of the new Commission – Delivering on defence, competitiveness, simplification and migration as our priorities (topical debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. Indeed, since this Commission has been in office, the international situation has continued to deteriorate, but so has the social situation of many Europeans. We need bold initiatives for the future of Europe. What comes from the Commission? A poorly prepared first omnibus that does not create a single workplace and where you can see that the multis have led the…

12 Mar

2025

DE Speech

European Semester (joint debate)

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Mr President, Vice-President Mînzatu, ladies and gentlemen! If you listen here, you get the impression: Difficult times, new rules, but old game – if you listen to the speeches here. It shows that sustainable fiscal policy and future investments are now essential if we as Europe can truly give our citizens stability, prosperity and security in uncertain times. We have here as a new element the fra…

10 Mar

2025

EN Speech

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

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Mr President, colleagues, who does not like to have simple legislation with a high level of legal certainty? We call it 'the art of doing legislation'. Anyone? I don't think so, even though the Commission is not here. We as S&D support this. We engage in simplification, and we want to better protect SMEs from multinationals putting their obligations on them. But – surprise! – if you really look at…

12 Feb

2025

DE Answer

Competitiveness Compass (debate)

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First of all, Or I can speak German. When I pointed out that the rights do not understand that decarbonisation and competitiveness belong together – this means that if you really want to have an automotive industry in the future, you cannot turn back the wheel now, but must really invest and rely on decarbonisation here. The same goes for the economy. And indeed, one question remains open here, na…

12 Feb

2025

DE Speech

Competitiveness Compass (debate)

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Mr President! Mr Executive Vice-President Séjourné! In fact, there is a lot of talk here about the direction of the compass. North Pole, South Pole - where do we really want to go? What's the message? I believe that there is broad agreement on the objectives here in the middle of the House: Combining decarbonisation and competitiveness, as the right will never understand, innovation and reduced de…

12 Feb

2025

DE Speech

Commission Work Programme 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Šefčovič! Listening to the debate, you have such an impression of why perhaps Mrs von der Leyen is not here. Because this work programme really inspires hardly anyone. Bold, fast, easy – write fast. But obviously not so easy to implement. And it has already been said: Simple does not mean too simple. Let me give three examples. If you think that you can do a good job …

11 Feb

2025

DE Speech

The need to address urgent labour shortages and ensure quality jobs in the health care sector (debate)

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Mr President! Madam Executive Vice-President! Indeed, the previous speaker just recalled that during the pandemic, millions stood and clapped on the balconies in support. And now exactly the same nurses, nurses, doctors expect us to improve their working conditions. And indeed, when we talk to nurses and carers, we find that it is not only the pay, but it is also the permanent overload – that ther…

18 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Challenges facing EU farmers and agricultural workers: improving working conditions, including their mental well-being (debate)

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Mr. Chairman! Commissioner! In fact, we are already discussing good work all afternoon, and mental health is very much related to good work. I would like to focus on a group in agriculture that is very important. The Commissioner referred to it, namely, among the 10 million people we have as employees, the 7 million day labourers, the seasonal workers, whom we used to call migrant workers, are a r…

18 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Tackling abusive subcontracting and labour market intermediaries (debate)

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Mr President! Madam Executive Vice-President! I met a representative of the Berlin City Mission two weeks ago and we talked about the problem of homelessness in my city – more than 80% of the people come from Central and Eastern Europe. And he gave me a sentence; He said: "For many people in Europe, labour exploitation in such subcontractor chains is the start of the descent." They come because th…

18 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining and the right to strike in the EU (debate)

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Mr President! Dear Executive Vice-President Mînzatu, welcome to the first exchange here in the European Parliament, in the heart of European democracy, on such an important topic. This is about the foundations for workers in Europe, and I really invite all workers in Europe to listen to what Mrs Tovaglieri or Mr Torselli are spreading here for the patriots and ECR. This is anti-worker. Because – a…

28 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Strengthening children’s rights in the EU - 35th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Today we are celebrating this anniversary, and it is not an exuberant birthday celebration, because we see what problems there are and that we are also in Europe in a dangerous downward spiral when it comes to child poverty. It is good that the Commission is providing a guarantee for children. They want to strengthen, but they need the means. Th…

26 Nov

2024

DE Speech

The Autumn 2024 Economic Forecast: a gradual rebound in an adverse environment (debate)

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24 Oct

2024

DE Speech

Closing the EU skills gap: supporting people in the digital and green transitions to ensure inclusive growth and competitiveness in line with the Draghi report (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! In fact, this transformation will succeed if we take the employees here with us. And the Draghi report actually focuses on the need for further education and training, not only for competitiveness, but also for innovation. And it is good that this builds on the Pillar of Social Rights, which guarantees for the first time a right to further training…

21 Oct

2024

EN Speech

Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU citizens (debate)

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Madam President and dear Enrico Letta, I think it is very important that we still keep a vision of what we could do and what is possible, but where we lack the courage so far to do so. Jacques Delors always said that no one falls in love with the common market. That was true in the past, it's also true today, but you show that it's not only a single market, but it is what it does for people, how i…

21 Oct

2024

DE Speech

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! In fact: We are now talking about 100 million people at risk of poverty and social exclusion in Europe, one of the richest continents; Madam President has said: More than one in five people here in Europe. And this International Day for the Abolition of Poverty must really be a wake-up call here because we need more. Yes, we need a poverty strategy, but we al…

9 Oct

2024

DE Speech

Ensuring sustainable, decent and affordable housing in Europe - encouraging investment, private property and public housing programmes (debate)

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Mr President, Vice-President Schinas! You can kill a person with an apartment as well as with an axe. That was a winged word 100 years ago. We are seeing housing costs explode in Europe at the moment and in some regions it is no longer possible at all to find adequate and affordable housing, a roof over one's head. Homelessness is growing across Europe and the promise we made to end homelessness r…