What Rasmus spoke about.

13

Dec

2023

DE Speech

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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 (debate)

Madam President, The heads of government are facing dramatic decisions in the coming days, and that is precisely why we Greens are wondering how sleepy some are going to this Council summit. The heads of state and government do not just decide on a few billion more or less, but they decide whether Ukraine still has a chance to survive in the war against Russia. And they decide whether they are wil…

11

Dec

2023

DE Speech

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Role of tax policy in times of crisis (debate)

Madam President, How can it be that the bookstore pays a higher tax rate than Amazon? Why do we allow super-rich multimillionaires in most European countries to pay a much smaller share of their high wealth than normal earners? The richer, the lower the tax rate. This is nonsensical and unjust. Since the COVID pandemic, wealth inequality has increased, while massive poverty and excessive wealth ar…

22

Nov

2023

DE Speech

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Cyprus Confidential - need to curb enablers of sanctions-evasion and money-laundering rules in the EU (debate)

Mr President! “We will take action against Putin’s accomplices, and we will take action against all those who help Russia circumvent sanctions or replenish its war arsenal.” With this very strong promise, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has launched the fight against Russia’s accomplices in the European Union. The Cyprus Confidential research shows that, unfortunately, there are far too …

21

Nov

2023

DE Speech

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2024 budgetary procedure: Joint text (debate)

Mr President! 250 million more for humanitarian aid at a time when we can use every penny for it. EUR 60 million more so that young people from low-income families and regions can also participate in the Erasmus programme. And 20 million euros more for our nature and biodiversity. The budget shows whether you are serious about Sunday speeches. During this year's budget negotiations, we MEPs were o…

17

Oct

2023

DE Speech

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General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024 - all sections (debate)

Mr President! I do not know how you are doing, ladies and gentlemen, I am still shocked by the brutality with which Palestinian terrorists attacked Israel about a week ago. The Greens condemn Hamas’ horrific terror – our solidarity belongs to the State of Israel and to all people suffering from the Hamas terrorist organisation. Against this background, I will not give an ordinary budget speech tod…

16

Oct

2023

EN Speech

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Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) (debate)

Madam President, thank you so much. Tomorrow we will vote on our mandate for the so-called STEP regulation. A year ago, we collectively realised that it was high time to gear up our European industrial policy. Commission President von der Leyen came with a strong announcement about a huge sovereignty fund. Nobody is waiting for us in the global race about building up a green industry and in the ra…

4

Oct

2023

DE Speech

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The spread of ‘anti-LGBTIQ’ propaganda bills by populist parties and governments in Europe (debate)

Mr President! Gay men are beaten up in the streets, trans people have to fear for their lives, and many young LGBTI people do not dare to live self-determined lives for fear of exclusion and bullying. This is all part of everyday life for queer people in 2023. Violence against queer people is on the rise. In Germany, the number of anti-queer crimes has doubled in recent years. This is not an excep…

3

Oct

2023

DE Speech

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The 10th consecutive increase in reference interest rates decided by the ECB and its consequences (debate)

Mr President! Why has everything become so expensive? I can't afford a kebab anymore. We are at the end of the month, how should I still pay for my energy costs and food? A few days ago, I spoke with young people about their concerns for the future together with our Green Youth Organisation in Wiesbaden. Yes, I have to say that the young people are right: While everything is getting more and more …

3

Oct

2023

DE Speech

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Interim report on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 (debate)

Madam President, Floods and fires destroying large parts of Europe, wars and global crises, bridges collapsing, schools affected by asbestos and a rail network so dilapidated that in many Member States it is necessary to plan for at least one to two hours of delays. In order to meet the climate targets and guarantee modern infrastructure in Europe alone, we need 620 billion euros of investment ann…

13

Sep

2023

DE Speech

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State of the Union (debate)

Madam President, Madam President of the Commission! I am concerned about the future of Europe. I am worried because right-wing radicals and anti-Europeans are gaining influence in many Member States and unfortunately it seems possible again here in the House that they will become part of majorities. And in these times, it is important that you, as President of the Commission, do not duck away from…

13

Jul

2023

DE Speech

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Recommendations of the Commission on public country by country reporting transposition (debate)

Mr President! There must finally be an end to tax tricks and profit shifts by large corporations. As a result, billions are lost to the EU. We need minimum tax rates for multinationals and more transparency. The OECD minimum tax for multinationals is now an important step. Without transparency, everything is nothing. We need to know how much tax companies pay in different countries, and country-by…

12

Jul

2023

DE Speech

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Tax the rich (topical debate)

Madam President, For the first time in 25 years, extreme poverty and extreme wealth have increased simultaneously. For more and more Europeans, at the end of the month there is not enough to pay all the bills. On the other hand, the richest percent is getting richer. 81% of last year's wealth gains went to the wealthiest in our country. The rich are getting richer, and the hard-working population …

10

Jul

2023

DE Speech

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Industrial Emissions Directive - Industrial Emissions Portal - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure - Sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime Initiative) - Energy efficiency (recast) (joint debate - Fit for 55 and Industrial Emissions)

Madam President, Finally, there are climate targets for shipping. This is good news, because the growing sector needs to do much more to meet its climate targets. The FuelEU Maritime Regulation is an entry point to make shipping greener. For the first time, we are formulating binding targets to make shipping emission-free, and we are creating binding expansion targets for renewable fuels. This is …

14

Jun

2023

DE Speech

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Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations (debate)

Madam President, 11.9 million documents, 29 000 accounts, 330 politicians, but also many businessmen and celebrities such as Elton John or the coach of Real Madrid, Ancelotti. This is the biggest research on tax evasion and avoidance. And it is thanks to the courage of journalists that this fraud - fortunately, I will add - has been discovered. Now is the time for consequences. The business model …

14

Jun

2023

DE Speech

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Make Europe the place to invest (debate)

Madam President, Europe is a continent full of opportunities. With the Green Deal, we have the opportunity to modernise our infrastructure and create new prosperity for all. However, strong laws are not enough. We need investment to be successful. The Green Deal must not fail because of insufficient investment. The consequence of this would be devastating. The alternatives are natural disasters, d…

10

May

2023

DE Speech

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Impact of the interest rate increase decided by the ECB on households and workers (debate)

Madam President, The European Central Bank's aggressive interest rate policy is failing to achieve its goal. While a few companies that dominate the energy and food markets are making more and more profits, the majority of people in the EU are suffering from income losses in real terms. Normal life has become unaffordable for many people. The greed inflation of the big food and energy companies is…

9

May

2023

DE Speech

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Revision of the Stability and Growth Pact (debate)

Mr President! "The risk is that we lose sight of the big picture." With these words, economist Sander Tordoir commented on the proposals on the Stability and Growth Pact. The reform of the EU debt rules is not just about how much credit EU countries can borrow. The EU is in an economically tense situation. The social divide is increasing, and many states have put their infrastructure at risk of we…

8

May

2023

DE Speech

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Impact on the 2024 EU budget of increasing European Union Recovery Instrument borrowing costs - Own resources: a new start for EU finances, a new start for Europe (debate)

Mr President! 95 food and energy companies doubled their profits last year. Of the 306 billion dollars in profits, almost 257 billion were distributed to shareholders. While a few are benefiting from the crisis, life is hardly affordable for the vast majority of Europeans. Empty public coffers – yes, also for us in the EU budget – exacerbate inequality. That is why we need instruments with which w…

19

Apr

2023

DE Speech

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Universal decriminalization of homosexuality, in light of recent developments in Uganda (debate)

Mr President! “This law leaves us with nothing but fear and danger. The best way is to leave this country." With these words, a 23-year-old trans woman describes the fears of the Ugandan LGBTI community. In the city of Jinja, six men were recently arrested for practicing homosexuality. I don't think we can all imagine what it must be like to live with fear of death and how courageous it is to stan…

19

Apr

2023

DE Speech

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This is Europe - Debate with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel (debate)

Madam President, In your last speech here in Parliament a few months ago, you all reminded us of our common European historical heritage. They have warned and condemned in clear terms that fascism in Europe is being normalised and trivialised. And indeed, we are currently in a very fundamental dispute. In some Member States, alliances are formed with the involvement of parties that have a fascist …

18

Apr

2023

DE Speech

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Guidelines for the 2024 budget - Section III (debate)

Mr President! This year's budgetary deliberations will be held under the motto ‘And every year greets the marmot’. While EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and any number of heads of state and government never tire of stressing the great challenges facing the European Union, they are always being slackened on the budget. The tasks are getting bigger and our budget is getting tighter and …

15

Mar

2023

DE Speech

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Failure of the Silicon Valley Bank and the implications for financial stability in Europe (debate)

Madam President, We are currently witnessing the largest U.S. bank failure since 2008. The bankruptcy of Silicon Valley Bank has caused a lot of unrest in the European markets, as shown by Credit Suisse's current price losses. The rating agency Moody's has even downgraded the outlook for the U.S. banking system to negative. It seems that many have forgotten the lessons of the 2008 financial crisis…

15

Feb

2023

DE Speech

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European Central Bank - annual report 2022 (debate)

Madam President, I believe that the debate here today has given a very good insight into how controversial the discussions we had to formulate my report were among the shadow rapporteurs. I would also like to take the opportunity once again to thank the shadow rapporteurs for their commitment and willingness to compromise at the end, so that we will hopefully vote on this report tomorrow with a go…

15

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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European Central Bank - annual report 2022 (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, President Lagarde, it is good to see you here in the European Parliament. The Russian aggression against Ukraine, disrupted supply chains and the ongoing climate crisis are threats to our economy and to price stability. With an unstable economic outlook, we cannot be sure that price stability and an economically stable environment for all citizens will be reached.…

17

Jan

2023

DE Speech

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

Madam President, Prime Minister Kristersson, you are taking over the Presidency at an extremely tense time. While the EU seems to be getting through the winter better than we all feared, it is not yet the time to breathe. In the coming months, we need a Council Presidency that is ready to leap boldly over its shadow and over national ideologies. We need a Presidency that is clearly committed to Eu…