Speeches

Mr President! Instead of deregulation, the Commission's work programme contains an almost endless number of new projects. Above all, it does not dare to abolish existing laws. It is not a relief to withdraw 37 open proposals that were blocked anyway. Instead, 123 new initiatives are added – all in one go; There are 45 new proposals in the compass for a competitive EU alone. Regulation does not create growth. There must be an end to the stubborn, invasive state that regulates our economy into bureaucracy, restricts trade and creates artificial barriers even in the internal market. We need a one hundred and eighty-degree turnaround for cutting red tape and an offensive for the single market and free trade. Europe must become a hotspot for capital and innovation. We need to strengthen the social market economy instead of the state economy. Let us not let Europe be destroyed by the extremes. I want Brussels to stand for opportunities instead of bureaucracy – let's do better!

In general, more trade with more partners makes us more versatile and less dependent on individual partners. So diversifying our trade and having more trade agreements is the thing that the EU needs to do now. We need to talk with the US for finding solutions in specific sectors, like we're doing in the Trade and Technology Council, and if we have more partners, that will strengthen us, that will strengthen our partners. We need more dialogue with the US now more than ever. We do not need less dialogue.

Madam President, Subsidies, foreclosure and forced transfer of know-how are faced by European companies in other countries. And at home, in the EU, in recent years there has been regulation rather than a more competitive single market. Economic dependencies are a weapon against us democracies for autocracies like China, and tariffs are a means of pressure for Trump. The EU is struggling with itself instead of consistently opening up new markets. We need more trade with more partners. A pragmatic solution with the USA, preferably in individual sectors. By the way, this is also the chance to get a trade agreement with India. Any EU country that has not yet ratified CETA must do so immediately; This strengthens Canada and our backs against Trump tariffs. The new trade agreement with Mexico must be ratified immediately and the Mercosur agreement must not be broken as factlessly as TTIP – Mercosur must come now! Trade policy is a battlefield between autocracy and democracy, and the EU will only succeed at this time, in this new time, if we are economically and geopolitically interconnected: Partnership instead of isolation, trade instead of protectionism, and growth instead of stagnation.

In Germany in particular, by the way, the DSA has abolished the Network Enforcement Act and has thus fundamentally strengthened freedom of expression. You will also notice this yourself: You can do a lot of nonsense because it is covered by freedom of expression. It's about illegal content, and they don't have anything to look for offline or online in our society.

Madam President, Yes, we have freedom of expression, by the way, you can also notice from some completely fact-exempt contributions here this morning. Therefore, once again for the colleagues from the right to write along: The DSA is not an instrument of censorship, it is an instrument for enforcing applicable law. Above all, it is intended to make us resistant to illegal activities and to influence autocratic regimes and platforms that want to undermine our democracy, as some here in this House do. Therefore, it is unacceptable if the new US Vice President wants to tie NATO support to foolish freedom for Musk or if US companies should not comply with our laws. Trump's presidency will be a massive challenge because it shows us how weak we are in economic and security terms. But instead of snapping and moral index fingers, we should also be ready to grab our own noses. Regulating innovation does not create growth. Innovation comes from the US and China, and the EU stands for regulation. The U.S. has always been our most important partner, no matter who sat in the White House. We must defend our interests as well as our values vis-à-vis the Trump-U.S.A. with a hard-hitting course of pragmatism. And that means above all: Unleash the economy and strengthen security with us.

Madam President, Olaf Scholz's erroneous economic policy and foreign policy inaction has isolated Germany in Europe. Germany needs a stable and capable government because Europe needs a stable and capable Germany. And heads of state and government are discussing the EU's role in the world this week. And just as we need the economic turnaround in Germany, we also need it in Europe. The EU is not yet a diplomatic power, nor is it a military power. When we talk about values in the world, we are being listened to because of our internal market. Down bureaucracy, up innovation, more trade deals with more partners, such as Mercosur – also to free us from dependencies on autocracies such as China or the whims of Donald Trump. Only with a strong economy do we have the financial means to support Ukraine to victory and defend ourselves. Only with a strong economy can we drive forward the necessary investments for digitization and climate protection. And only with a strong economy can the best education and fair welfare systems work. Economic growth must be the order of the day.

Every social media platform is accountable for incorporating law. Every social media platform needs to be held accountable to ensure that only rightful content, legal content, is happening on their platform, and therefore we have several pieces of legislation in place and we need to ensure that illegal content online is treated like illegal content offline. And that is the responsibility for all platforms and we need to hold them accountable for accepting our laws.

Madam President, Social media has long since become the weapon of hybrid warfare between China and Russia. Autocratic propaganda and disinformation wants to poison our society. AI fakes, fear campaigns, troll factories: Russia has been playing this keyboard of disinformation for many years. With TikTok, the most popular medium among young people comes directly from China and pushes extreme content non-stop onto our mobile phones with non-transparent algorithms. That's no coincidence! Nor is it the case that the extreme left and right are pleasingly spreading the narratives of autocrats on social media and even here in our Parliament. It is also no coincidence that these extreme forces claim that freedom of expression is under threat and censorship every time it comes to enforcing existing law online. Freedom of speech is one of the most important achievements of our democracy, I would like to clarify that here! It distinguishes us from those autocrats, where one is cold-blooded for one's opinion, put in prison or even murdered. But broad-based campaigns to decompose our liberal democracy are not freedom of expression. Our society and our democracy must be defensive, enforce law and, above all, oppose the attacks of autocrats.

Mr President! Unfortunately, EU countries are completely unambitious when it comes to initiating the economic transition in Europe. The Budapest Declaration is economic policy bare minimum, and it is precisely the Member States that have lifted protectionist hurdles in the internal market. I also expect concrete ideas on how they want to create economic growth. We need a Capital Markets Union, a single market for services, so that good ideas can finally come from the drawing board to the shelf, so that start-ups in Europe can scale up instead of going to the US. And the issue of bureaucracy. The Member States and the Commission say they want to reduce bureaucracy by 25%. But what is the basis of assessment? I have not yet heard from any capital or from the new Commission very specific proposals as to which law should be abolished. If the member states can only agree on general phrases in trade policy, the economy in Europe has a problem. We now need the Mercosur agreement for a strong economy and secure jobs. Because more trade with more partners makes us more independent of individual countries such as China and the sentiments of Donald Trump.

Mr President! I am a child of independent parents. For me, bureaucracy means my mom wasn't home for dinner and my dad went to the office at the weekend because you fill out the forms for the state when the day-to-day business is over and no customer calls anymore. Bureaucracy takes the air out of businesses to breathe. 13 000 new legal acts in five years – more than twice as many as in the US. Massive overregulation, red tape for SMEs and protectionism in the single market. The Commission does not even know how many reporting obligations there are and how many overlap. Now all laws must be put to the test. Which are far from practical implementation, such as the Deforestation Ordinance or the Supply Chain Act? Which current projects are better withdrawn altogether, such as the Late Payment Regulation? And we also need a fasting cure for new laws. And if new ones do come, then please only to fill real gaps, according to an impact assessment. And especially with digital laws, we first need a pragmatic implementation of the new rules. Let's listen to our companies and together break down barriers and bureaucracy in the single market, for more competitiveness and economic growth!

Madam President, in the conflict of our time between autocracies and democracies, Taiwan is a key democratic partner and anchor for stability. And with autocratic regimes supporting each other – with know-how, with resources, with weapons – we democracies are not doing nearly enough to strengthen our cooperation. And, particularly, economic cooperation is the key to boost our resilience against autocratic pressure and to protect our societies and democracies, especially as China's threats to Taiwan and the military exercises in the Taiwan Strait are an unacceptable provocation. They are a threat to international trade, and a risk for peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. China's economic coercion against Taiwan and EU countries is as unacceptable as it is against WTO rules. The EU should not shy away from working with Taiwan, but rather step it up and work on a bilateral investment agreement, because together we can strengthen our economies and build a stronger alliance for democracies, for a safer and more prosperous future for us all.

Mr President! If toys for babies fall apart so easily that they can choke on them, then parents are rightly afraid. Especially when research shows that more than half of toys from third countries such as China are dangerous. If designs are copied by small European designers and the clothes from questionable production are contaminated with toxic chemicals and then also squandered on platforms such as Temu and Shein at low prices, then we consumers, our environment and our companies, who abide by the law, suffer. Illegal and unsafe products must not enter our internal market, preferably because they are stopped before they are sold. The Commission and the Member States must rigorously enforce existing legislation: the Digital Services Act and the new rules on product safety. Together we need to strengthen our market surveillance and customs. Above all, the digitalization of customs must move faster so that we can have the digital pre-registration and also the abolition of the exemption limit for illegal products, so that we can keep illegal products out of our market. I trust that the Commission will swiftly implement an action plan with the Member States to ensure that our youngest children are safe, that shopping does not lead to the exploitation of the environment or people and that competition is fair.

Madam President, Dear colleagues, when we talk about values like democracy in the world, we have been listened to because we were an attractive market. The single market is at the heart of the EU – it has made us strong economically and has allowed us to grow together. But the single market is ailing, partly because the Commission has done too little for its future. Mr. Letta gives us a long to-do list with: above all, there are massive overregulation, high energy costs, taxes and levies and on top yet another mindset, which distrusts innovation and entrepreneurial success. This is poison for our internal market, this is poison for economic growth. And those who now see the solution in new taxes, redistribution and subsidies have fallen out of time. We are not making the EU fit for the future with ideas from yesterday, but with structural reforms. For more economic growth, we now need a radical reduction in bureaucracy and a fasting cure for new EU laws. And there must be an end to protectionism in our internal market. Growth must be the goal, because a strong economy creates jobs, finances education and our welfare state, and also ensures that we can defend ourselves. A strong internal market is the basis for our society, our cohesion and our security.

Madam President, The automotive sector is under enormous pressure – transformation, energy prices, unfair competition and bureaucracy. Sure, some challenges are self-inflicted, but the EU in particular has permanently dumped sugar into the tank of one of our most important industries through overregulation. Mrs. von der Leyen promises: Now, however, competitiveness is finally being strengthened! It has the best boost in its own hands – cutting red tape and deregulation. Instead, the Commission now wants to symbolically resolve the conflict with China over subsidies and market distortion in many sectors in the automotive sector. The EU sells more cars in China than the other way around. Tariffs in an industry will not resolve this structural conflict. If only ten out of 27 countries actively vote in favour of these tariffs, the risk of a divided EU is high. The only winner is China. Instead of defensive, we need more offensive trade. Workers in the automotive sector in particular deserve the Commission to create new trade agreements and open up new sales markets. Mercosur, in particular, must finally cross the finish line. Economic growth secures jobs, not the redistributive fantasies we have heard today.

Madam President, Massive overregulation, red tape for SMEs and protectionism in the single market. The Commission's biggest self-deception was the promise of innovation. Made in Europe, while she herself has always produced new editions. And Mario Draghi captures here today what we liberals have been for years. It lists so many construction sites – above all, we need to develop the single market, create a Union in the capital market and a pragmatic trade policy. Mrs von der Leyen's Commission must finally focus on economic growth. But whether seven commissioners who are supposed to do something with the economy are this focus, I have my doubts. The Commission would have the most important boost for greater competitiveness in its own hands. Just put all laws to the test: Which rules are superfluous, out of time or out of practice? And if the Commission then began to propose legislation only after an impact assessment, and Parliament did not continue to saddle itself with it out of a gut feeling, much would already be gained. But always only reflexively calling for new debts, it can not be; This is not a structural solution to more competition. I would like to take a whatever it takes for innovation, an whatever it takes Deregulation and a whatever it takes for market economy.

Mr President! Thank you, Commissioner Vestager, for your work and your clear stance here, because freedom of expression is one of the most important achievements of our democracy. It is precisely this freedom of thought that distinguishes us in essence from autocracies. Therefore: Do not be misled by the right-wing populist colleagues here: The DSA fights against illegal content and no opinion; The DSA is a tool for enforcing applicable law from the offline world online. But we must not give in to the illusion that the DSA alone would solve the problem of hatred, agitation and, above all, disinformation on the Internet, precisely because the fundamental conflict of our time remains autocracy versus democracy. And above all, it is autocratic countries like Russia, like China, that want to confuse our heads, unsettle our hearts and poison our democracy, our society. That is why, with the DSA, we also hold social media platforms accountable – as essential platforms of our society, we hold them accountable. They must fight disinformation and enforce the law, without ifs and buts, and we will measure them and hold them accountable. But it remains a task for society as a whole to counteract this autocratic influence. We must defend our democracy, and the key to this are education, education and media literacy, because we must use the power of enlightenment and the strength of the law to counter this destructive poison of disinformation in order to defend our democracy together.

Mr President, dear colleagues, female genital mutilation is such an incredible, terrible and brutal violation of human rights. It is not justified by any religion or culture. It is abusive, it is harmful, and it leads to irreparable damage. It is psychological damage, physical damage, it is reproductive and sexual health damage. It can lead to death, and if girls are lucky enough to survive it, they will be affected for their whole life. As a woman, as a politician, I am deeply worried that The Gambia is looking into lifting the ban on female genital mutilation. It would be the first time ever that this protection of women’s rights would be reversed – and with the numbers of women affected, it is shocking. Around 76 % of Gambian women between 15 and 49 have been circumcised, or 230 million girls and women worldwide are affected. As the European Parliament, we call on the Gambian Parliament: demonstrate your country’s commitment to international human rights law and the multiple international and regional agreements The Gambia has signed – and I expect the European Commission to join the efforts from this Parliament. We need to protect the rights of women and girls and – the Gambian Parliament: please reject the proposal to lift the ban and uphold the criminalisation of female genital mutilation.

Madam President, The EU single market must no longer be a market for products derived from forced labour. The new law must contribute to the fight against modern slavery. This is both a question of human rights and a question of fair competition, because exploitation must not be a business model. We must not forget that the protection of human rights is first and foremost a state task. That is why it is so important that in the future the Commission should take responsibility and, together with the Member States, carry out the demonstration of forced labour in the supply chains. Because unfortunately you have to say: The EU Commission under von der Leyen has – as is often the case – forgotten to present an impact assessment on this law. That is, we do not know whether this law is practicable. That is why it is so important that we liberals have enforced that the law is reviewed two years after its entry into force to see if it is effective. Because our global commitment to human rights needs an EU that works.

Mr President! Three and a half years ago we discussed here: What should the European law on artificial intelligence look like? My three demands are still my benchmark today. I demanded at the time: We must promote innovation, strengthen citizens' rights and harmonise the internal market. Let's take a look at what's available now! The definition of AI is international, regulatory sandboxes are coming, and there are clear responsibilities in value creation. But there remains bureaucracy and ambiguity that will be easier for big tech companies to handle than for SMEs. I believe that it is important that the Commission provides clarity in its implementation, because the Artificial Intelligence Act must not become a brake on innovation. With regard to civil rights, we have not been able to achieve a ban on real-time biometric monitoring against the Member States, but we have been able to overcome important hurdles in the rule of law. I also fought for stronger rules in retrograde biometric identification and foresighted policing. I can say that we have improved the Commission proposal; But I would have liked to see more innovation and even greater protection of civil rights. But AI progress and regulation will not end with the Artificial Intelligence Act. For our democratic and economic future, we need to continue working to ensure that governments do not misuse artificial intelligence for surveillance and that innovation has a home in Europe.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. I am convinced that we need more competitiveness. Because this is also a commitment against the threat of autocrats for our democracy and economy. But we will not strengthen competition or become more resilient if we seal off our single market and only protect individual companies politically. I hear far too often that ‘fair competition’ is being said, but it actually means protectionism and subsidies. The European economy is so diverse with many small and medium-sized players. We also need to make it possible for them to play at world level. But above all, Ursula von der Leyen's Commission must finally stop creating ever new bureaucratic laws that are well-intentioned but badly made, as unfortunately also the Supply Chain Act. We need to break down barriers and bureaucracy in the single market, and we need to review planned laws and streamline existing ones. We need new markets through more free trade and access to energy and raw materials through new partnerships. And we need more courage and joy in technological progress. We need an economic turnaround for more growth, competition and prosperity in Germany and Europe.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. The clear commitment of the European Parliament to a future-proof WTO is a very important signal, as multilateral cooperation is more important than ever at a time when autocracies are attacking democracies – with weapons, with disinformation or with economic dependencies. Multilateralism is harder than ever. The World Trade Organization has always been at the heart of our global economic cooperation. But we are experiencing great geopolitical pressure, coupled with protectionism and trade wars, and we would have to work out the solution in the WTO. But the system itself is getting old. If China continues to claim developing country status, if the U.S. continues to paralyze dispute resolution because it doesn't name judges, then it's really obvious: The WTO no longer works. But our European response must not be single-handedness or protectionism. Our response must always be to continue to fight for reform. And the last ministerial conference gave us hope. There is an opportunity now to launch a package, a package for a genuine reform of the WTO, which brings a solution to resolving trade conflicts. We need more flexibility for plurilateral agreements and, above all, a permanent solution for modern E-commerce-Rules, because digital commerce already accounts for 25% of all commerce today. The WTO must arrive in the 21st century, and I expect the Commission to fight with all its heart for the future of multilateral trade.

Madam President, Ladies and gentlemen, it is unbelievable that we will unfortunately not be able to conclude a free trade agreement before the elections. Neither the elections in the EU nor in India have suddenly fallen from the sky, and it is incredible that the EU once again fails, as it did with the US, to pursue a trade agreement in time, and in particular with India. India is such a geopolitically extremely important partner in the region and in the world. We cannot allow ourselves to let this potential continue to be so untapped. India is a society that strives for progress, with smart minds and a market that is developing rapidly. There is enormous potential in this, including for our European companies, solely in terms of sustainability. Trade and technology, European investment and the exchange of knowledge could explosively boost renewable energies such as hydrogen or solar. And we always hear a lot about economic sovereignty from Mrs von der Leyen's Commission. We do not achieve economic independence through protectionism. We need more trade with more partners. It makes us more independent. And that is why we now need an offensive for free trade and, in particular, a trade agreement with India.

Mr President! The decade of foreign and economic naivety is over. We must take the threat of autocracies for our democracy, for our society, for our economy bitterly. Our answer must not be to resort to similar methods for our system rivals. Our answer must not be to foreclose our single market and pamper champions, instead of looking at the diversity of our economy with its many small and medium-sized enterprises. Because the spiral of subsidies and protectionism is pure poison for fair competition and growth. Our answer must be to strengthen our internal market. Above all, Von der Leyen's Commission must also show that cutting red tape is more than a lip service in the State of the Union speech. We need to review planned European laws and streamline existing ones. We need to enable new markets through more free trade, access to energy and raw materials through more partnerships. Because if the Commission wants to seriously strengthen economic security in Europe, it must no longer prevent companies from becoming stronger.

Mr President! After all, the EU is a beacon, a beacon for all those who strive for democracy, and especially those who are threatened by autocratic shadows. Because in the conflict between autocracy and democracy, we as the EU must stand unwaveringly by the side of democracies like Taiwan. Taiwan is not only an important trading partner, but above all a value partner in the region. I think it is high time we finally found the political courage to start talks for a free trade and investment agreement with Taiwan. I must honestly say: I think that the Commission's stumbling block on this issue is becoming increasingly irresponsible. The time has come to tie cooperation with Taiwan to an agreement with China which, as we all know, is rightly on hold. First of all, the Commission should work with our Taiwanese partners to develop a framework programme to specifically promote trade and investment conditions so that we can facilitate trade, reduce bureaucratic barriers and simplify the recognition of degrees, licences and standards and maximise this potential. Because Taiwan’s involvement in international organisations and international cooperation will also be crucial for the future of democracy in the region – essential for the freedom of Taiwan’s citizens to continue to be free to decide on their own future.

Mr President! Colleagues, we have already heard today how many different faces violence against women and girls has. I would especially like to talk about digital violence today, because every day women are insulted, harassed and threatened on social media. And these messages invade our privacy as quickly as an arrow, because we all have our mobile phone always at hand. One in ten women in the EU has experienced harassment online. That's a terribly high number, but not terribly surprising. I, too, am one of them, and I would bet that many of my colleagues here have also experienced harassment online, because when women are exposed, when they have a strong opinion, they are very quickly overwhelmed with hostility and harassment – in particular often fuelled by political parties here on the right side of the house. We must not allow women to withdraw from public spaces, to stay away from debates because they need to be afraid – fear for their physical and mental health and safety. We need to take online harassment as seriously as any offline harassment. And above all, we must pursue this with all the severity of the rule of law, because a living democracy needs strong female voices in the discourse.