What Svenja spoke about.

12

Mar

2024

DE Speech

Watch

Artificial Intelligence Act (debate)

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 comi…

28

Feb

2024

DE Speech

Watch

Regaining our competitive edge - a prosperous EU in a fragmented global economy (topical debate)

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 ac…

8

Feb

2024

DE Speech

Watch

Multilateral negotiations in view of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi, 26-29 February 2024 (debate)

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 h…

16

Jan

2024

DE Speech

Watch

EU-India relations (debate)

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 geopoliti…

12

Dec

2023

DE Speech

Watch

European Economic Security Strategy (debate)

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-…

12

Dec

2023

DE Speech

Watch

EU-Taiwan trade and investment relations (debate)

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 h…

23

Nov

2023

DE Speech

Watch

International day for the elimination of violence against women (debate)

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 …

21

Nov

2023

DE Speech

Watch

EU/New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (debate)

Madam President, More trade with more partners makes the EU more independent, even if many left-wing colleagues disagree today. It is more trade with more democracies that strengthens our economy and democracy worldwide. Free trade with New Zealand will grow our economy and our value partnership. Our EU exports can increase by 4.5 billion euros per year, our companies save around 140 million in ta…

9

Nov

2023

EN Speech

Watch

Outcome of the EU-US summit (debate)

Mr President, I believe the EU-US summit has shown very clearly that we stand united in our fight for democracy and against the autocrats of this world. But the transatlantic partnership is so much more than just standing against autocrats. It is also working closer together than we do with other partners. It is also growing together. And the best way to do so is by trade. And in that regard, the …

4

Oct

2023

DE Speech

Watch

Need to complete new trade agreements for sustainable growth, competitiveness and the EU’s strategic autonomy (debate)

Madam President, Those who say ‘strategic independence’ often mean protectionism. Trade with more partners is the strategic independence we need, especially from autocratic regimes. Prosperity does not come from subsidies, wealth comes from competition. That is why we must now put the brakes on additional bureaucracy. The EU needs to become more attractive for investment in the future and ideas th…

2

Oct

2023

DE Speech

Watch

Economic coercion by third countries (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. We know very well: The conflict of our time is autocracy versus democracy. We see this in foreign policy, in digital policy, but especially in economic policy. Authoritarian countries such as Russia or China are specifically building dependencies in order to then be able to use them as a weapon against us. We need a strong trade offensive. We need more trade …

13

Sep

2023

EN Speech

Watch

Human rights situation in Bangladesh, notably the case of Odhikar

Mr President, colleagues, you mentioned it: the human rights situation in Bangladesh is deteriorating. We see reports on extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances and restriction on freedom of expression. The decade-long case against Odhikar is such an example. We see human rights defenders and the opposition being oppressed ahead of the elections next year. It is this serious violation of …

12

Sep

2023

DE Speech

Watch

Single market emergency instrument (debate)

Madam President, We are talking about the Single Market Emergency Instrument. The name says it's about emergencies. There are a lot of good things in there, but I want to make one thing very clear: Under the heading of crisis management, the EU Commission will be able or should be able to intervene in production in the EU. The Commission wants to prioritise work orders or require companies to crea…

13

Jul

2023

DE Speech

Watch

Global Convergence on Generative AI (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. The potential of artificial intelligence is so great that we cannot even imagine it today. With the AI Act, we want to set a framework above all else: What kind of applications do we want to have in a liberal democracy? If we create a law that will cover all sorts of challenges for all time – no. Do we have to do this? No, no! I think we need to look more: What …

13

Jun

2023

DE Speech

Watch

Artificial Intelligence Act (debate)

Mr President! The potential of artificial intelligence is so great that we can hardly imagine it today - for all areas of life, be it education, work or health. That is why it is so important that with the Artificial Intelligence Act we now want to lay the foundation for what kind of application of artificial intelligence we want to have in a liberal democracy. Opportunity and risk are always in t…

10

May

2023

EN Speech

Watch

Myanmar, notably the dissolution of democratic political parties

Madam President, dear colleagues, this is the fifth time since the coup in February 2021 that were debating in this plenary about this. We have been calling on the Commission and we’ve been calling on the Member States to act and the only thing that has happened is the number of victims has been rising. There have been about 22 000 people arrested, 3 500 being killed. The military junta has ousted…

9

May

2023

EN Speech

Watch

Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence – EU accession: institutions and public administration of the Union - Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence - EU accession: judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, we see it, we feel it: women’s rights are under attack all over the world. And it’s generations of women before us that fought hard for the rights we have today, and I and so many women and allies here today, make clear that we are not going to be the generation that stands by while a wave of conservative and right wing extremists try to wash away our rights. Beca…

18

Apr

2023

DE Speech

Watch

The need for a coherent strategy for EU-China Relations (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. I'm a hamburger. Our beautiful port has just become the latest symbol of dependence on China. A container terminal under Chinese influence does not sound relevant until you assemble the puzzle pieces. Then you see Rotterdam, you see Piraeus, you see 14 European ports. When we put together the puzzle pieces between the EU and China, we see systemic competition in…

15

Mar

2023

EN Speech

Watch

Cambodia: the case of opposition leader Kem Sokha

Mr President, colleagues, you’ve all been very clear, and I think we’re very much sharing a line here. It is very clear the Hun Sen regime has dismantled democracy in Cambodia. The democratic opposition is in exile, if they’re lucky, or in prison. Now, in the sham trial, Kem Sokha, the former opposition leader, has been sentenced to 27 years in house arrest, stripped of all political rights. The r…

14

Mar

2023

EN Speech

Watch

Situation in Georgia (debate)

Mr President, as a person born in the western part of the European Union, I only know a close European Union. And I must say I am so humbled and inspired when I see people taking to the streets fighting for their country to take the European path. But it is their government letting them down over and over again, it is the ruling party breaking commitments on uniting the country, backing out of int…

15

Feb

2023

DE Speech

Watch

Access to strategic critical raw materials (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. We have just heard from Commissioner McGuinness: China supplies 98% of our rare earths, Turkey 98% of borates, South Africa 71% of our platinum. The figures are from 2020, but we have known for a long time that we have large dependencies on critical raw materials, large dependencies on individual countries, and that these are often the countries with which we…

16

Jan

2023

DE Speech

Watch

30th Anniversary of the Single Market (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. For round birthdays, you like to review the past and make plans for the future. And by the 30th. We have rightly said today that the single market is at the heart of the European Union. And that's why I have three birthday wishes to keep it that way in the future: fair competition, economic cooperation and social opportunities. Fair competition means, above all,…

24

Nov

2022

EN Speech

Watch

The European Year of Youth 2022 Legacy (debate)

I think this is actually an excellent question. We have a different situation of youth unemployment throughout the whole of Europe. Young people have many shared dreams – the first apartment, the first love, and also trying to find a good education, trying to find a job. The fact is the situation varies throughout the European Union. But also the fact is we have different circumstances. We have go…

24

Nov

2022

EN Speech

Watch

The European Year of Youth 2022 Legacy (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, when I entered this Parliament three years ago, I was president of the European Liberals, and in that capacity I had the great honour to travel through 35 European countries. I’ve met many young people from all over Europe. I’ve demonstrated for abortion rights in Poland. I’ve protested against upload filters. I joined the fight against youth unemployment. All tho…

5

Oct

2022

EN Speech

Watch

The Media freedom crackdown in Myanmar, notably the cases of Htet Htet Khine, Sithu Aung Myint and Nyein Nyein Aye

Mr President, colleagues, today we once again want to be a voice for the democracy activists, human rights activists, journalists and so many more that are oppressed by the Tatmadaw. Human rights and democracy in Myanmar have eroded in a landslide since the military coup. In fact, Myanmar is now the world’s second largest jailer of journalists. This is seriously a list you don’t want to be so high…