Speeches

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 good and stable majority on all controversial issues. I would like to return to a debate in particular, because it seems to me to be almost the stronger controversy than monetary policy – and that is indeed the question: What do we think about climate change? Do we need a green monetary policy or not? I believe that we all agree very quickly here in the House that we are concerned about inflation, about the price increases that are hitting people with very little income in particular very, very hard in all Member States during these weeks. But in the analysis – what can be done about it and what, in my view, are obvious links to the area of energy prices, to the area of fossil dependency, which many of our Member States still have on fossil energy, but in this case also on Russian fossil energy – we seem to be somewhat different. And I am also very grateful to President Lagarde for the fact that you made it clear several times last year that there is a connection and that price stability is actually no longer possible without a greener monetary policy. What we are seeing now about fossil price explosions should actually make this clear to everyone, but it seems to me that we will have to discuss this point very intensively in the coming weeks and months here in Parliament. Because there are - and I would also like to disagree with you, President Lagarde - central banks that, in addition to the good things that you have already started, are doing even more. The Central Bank of Japan is an example where green-differentiated interest rates are also being used in a targeted manner. And I believe that we should also go this way and have to discuss this further in the next few weeks. But now I am looking forward to the vote tomorrow and would like to ask you all to agree to the report at the end.

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. Energy and food prices are still far too high, and our dependence on fossil fuels remains far too strong. While profits of the biggest corporations are skyrocketing, a majority of citizens are suffering from real wage losses. The real wage growth declined in the first half of 2022 to —2.3%. In Germany, my country, the wage loss went to —3.9%. At the same time, we could observe a higher contribution of profits to inflation, for example, from energy companies like ExxonMobil, Shell and others. We need to have a science—based analysis. We therefore call on the ECB in the report to begin to report also on profits contribution to inflation, the same as you are already doing with wages. We are calling on the ECB to take a step—by—step approach. The high inflation is a big concern for the European Parliament and we agree on that the ECB has the tools to bring demand driven inflation down. By accepting the primary mandate, we also need to be very clear: this current price explosion is different. The ECB has limited tools to address it. We are facing exceptional supply shocks in the energy markets. The ECB cannot bring this inflation down at short—term level, but also needs to focus on the medium—term perspective. Our high levels of dependence on Russian imports and skyrocketing prices for fossil fuels are an important reminder how a climate-harming policy is also directly affecting price stability. Green monetary policy is not a nice—to—have but necessary to secure price stability and a prosperous economic outlook. This is why we dedicated an entire section in the report to the ECB’s policies to actions against climate change. We are welcoming the ECB climate roadmap and stress test you put forward last year. We discussed it in the Committee more than once, but we also think that we need to do more and we need to include climate— and environment—related risks through climate stress tests and also other tools. We are inviting you, President, also in the next months to discuss this further with the European Parliament. Climate change is affecting price stability, and ignoring this fact will lead to big problems in the future. From a green perspective, important steps, first steps have been taken also in the report we could agree on in the Committee, but we still need to develop tools so that needed green investments will not be harmed by a tightening of monetary policy. I guess this will also be one of our major priorities for the next debates in our Committee when it comes to central banking and to monetary policy. For the first time, the report also includes a chapter with recommendation for secondary objectives. For too long a time, the secondary objectives have been politically ignored, and let me state this in no uncertain terms: the ECB secondary mandate is legally binding and laid down in the treaties. So we are calling the ECB to explain in a designated chapter of its report how its monetary policy is affecting the general economic policies of the Union, including impacts on sustainable growth and employment or inequality. Dear colleagues, the ECB is accountable to the European Parliament, and I really think we have a strong mandate and important work by calling the ECB to be more transparent and to explain much more on the monetary decision-making. So this report is a chance to go in the next steps in the dialogue together with President Lagarde and the ECB. I’m really looking forward to do this after hopefully a strong vote tomorrow and the debate here tonight. So once again, thanks for the President for attending the meeting, and I’m really looking forward to all of your contributions.

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 European cooperation and delivers concretely. And to be honest: We Greens have strong doubts as to whether you will succeed. Their alliance, tolerating a far-right and anti-EU party, the Sweden Democrats, is destroying a lot of trust across Europe. The good reputation that Swedish governments enjoy in Europe has been destroyed. Now it is up to you to prove to us that you stand in the democratic tradition of your predecessors and deliver concretely for Europe, for the common European cause. We cannot afford a Council presidency in a crisis that depends on Swedish right-wing extremists. We need a Presidency of the Council that is unequivocally behind the European project. We need a Presidency that is clearly on the side of the rule of law, minorities and the strengthening of the European institutions. We need a Council Presidency that is also ready to take new steps. We are pleased that you have identified competition and industrial policy as a priority. We are also pleased that you call innovative Swedish companies like Northvolt. But listen to what these companies are saying! These companies are calling for an active European industrial policy, they are calling for a European fund with joint strategic investments in green technologies and in settlements. Clear the way for this! Don't take the role Sweden usually has on financial issues, just block everything. We need to jump over our shadows and be ready to put new concepts on the table.

Madam President! In Europe, there are over 300 different national minorities. We should be proud of this great diversity that characterises the European Union. Democracy, the rule of law and minority rights cannot be scaled back. States that abuse minorities as an instrument of power and at the same time have a problematic attitude towards the rule of law are a problem for our society. On the other hand, one cannot fight for the rule of law without fighting for the equality of minorities. Equality between minorities should be the main objective of the EU and its Member States. As a minority Dane, I am incredibly disappointed that the new Danish government does not mention minority policy with a single word in their new government basis. It is extremely disappointing that the European Commission does not dare to go into conflict with the Member States. Dear Ms von der Leyen, dear Commissioner Kyriakides, It is time for you to come up with concrete proposals to protect our minorities.

Madam President, With this budget, the EU is not sustainable. That's why we need an update now. Climate neutrality by 2050, the social consequences of the economic crisis, increased security responsibilities, industrial competition with the US and China, active partnerships in the Balkans and the African continent, digitalisation, species extinction – the challenges are great. The answers to the big questions must be European. That's why it's time to turn Sunday speeches into concrete, numerical politics. We need a revision of the financial framework in order to adequately finance common European priorities. But it's not just about more money. It is also about the quality of spending. Far too much European money is still being spent in a climate-damaging way. Through our EU budget, we contribute to promoting climate-damaging infrastructure and advancing species extinction. We must make our climate quotas more binding, non-compliance must have stronger consequences, and we must remove climate-damaging subsidies from the budget. That is why, together with the Liberals, we have put forward concrete proposals for amendments to today's report. In the last hours before the vote, I should like to make my appeal especially to the social democratic colleagues here in the House: You're the star on the scales. Vote for our amendments tomorrow, vote for better climate finance, make the budget climate-compliant with us!

Mr President! The Ukrainian winter is brutal, and therefore the most important message must be that we are helping the many Ukrainians who have been staying for weeks in sub-zero temperatures without electricity and water. Putin is deliberately destroying Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and Ukraine needs our solidarity now more than ever. That's why it's good, and I want to start with praise for the EUR 18 billion in financial aid for Ukraine. Orbán's blackmail has failed, and that's the good news at the end of the year. Democratic Europe must stand together. We need more ways to prevent vetoes by autocrats like Orbán. Unanimity in the Council is a fundamental problem and needs to be overcome. We need more European solidarity, solidarity with the many millions of Europeans who no longer know how to pay their bills this winter. We need a European gas price brake that reduces energy costs for all people and for businesses. We need a European investment fund to strengthen our industry and create green jobs for the future. We need a European response to China and the United States. It is good that the US wants to make its industry emission-free and more innovative. Now we have to retaliate. Madam President of the Commission von der Leyen, it is very good that you have once again underlined here today that you are ready to do so. But now we also need movement in the Council. We need heads of government who are willing to formulate bold European responses and overcome nationalist little ones. This summit must not end in vain.

Madam President, "They want us to freeze to death and destroy our electricity and heat supply." With these words, Kiev Mayor Klitschko describes Putin's brutal strategy for this winter. He exemplifies the fears of many people in Ukraine with whom we held talks with nine Green MPs in Kiev over the weekend. The Ukrainian winter is going to be tough. We Greens therefore fully support the €18 billion in financial assistance that we are voting on here tomorrow. The Ukrainian war economy is facing enormous challenges. Gross domestic product fell by 37% and inflation by 27%. During a brutal war, a country cannot recover economically. Financial assistance is important to keep Ukraine running. But it is now also a matter of laying the foundations for reconstruction. Reconstruction must become sustainable, involve civil society and comply with all democratic and anti-corruption provisions. Ukraine can rely on us: Solidarity with Ukraine.

Dear Commissioners, as Greens we warmly welcome that we are actually finally debating a reform of the Stability and Growth Pact and the fiscal rules. But some days ago we could see that the climate conference, the COP, ended with quite a disappointing result. And I think nearly all of us agree that we need more investments, we need more climate investments. And looking at the figures and estimations the Commission has come with, we can see that we are actually missing 520 billion each year for green investments. And it’s true, that’s not just public investments, it’s not just the European Union or the national level, but in general we are missing 520 billion to reach that goal. So I would ask you much more concretely, what do you think is in your proposal to ensure that we will end up with more green investments, needed green investments, to reach our climate goals? I think that you are missing the green investment rules, and I would like to get a comment from you on why you haven’t agreed to propose the green investment rule and what you think is the way forward for green investments.

Mr President! For several months Viktor Orbán has been blocking the global minimum tax for large corporations such as Starbucks, Amazon, Bayer or Ikea. Orbán has been dancing on the nose of the Czech Presidency of the Council and the European Commission on this issue for months. Instead of ignoring his extortion attempts for the release of EU funds from the NextGenerationEU fund, they give him free rein. First it was said that it should come to an agreement shortly before the summer, then it was September, then October. Now we have a deal for December. Orbán gets the reconstruction billions and ratifies the global minimum tax. There are better alternatives. EU Member States can decide on the tax without Hungary under enhanced cooperation. But the United States is also missing a compromise. At least since the midterms There is no longer a majority in the US chambers to ratify the global minimum tax. This is extremely bitter, because right now in the crisis, we need more tax justice and own resources for the budget to invest in climate, research and digitalization. That is why, in addition to what is now available, we need a second package, which, in our view, also includes the EU digital tax and a financial transaction tax. Our support is there, but we want to see you fight.

Madam President, Attacks on security agencies, critical infrastructure such as energy pipelines, parliaments and many companies. In Northern Germany, too, more and more companies are affected: Companies with millions in turnover, but also social institutions such as workshops for people with disabilities. Cybersecurity has been ignored for too long. Member States have long been unwilling to act together. The result is that, unfortunately, we have been very vulnerable for years. Now, however, cybersecurity is no longer an issue for nerds, but a very important fundamental issue as far as we all are concerned. And the NIS 2 Directive is an ambitious directive to create common standards and requirements for cybersecurity. In the case of cyberattacks, we need rapid reporting to the competent authorities. And we particularly welcome the fact that we have managed to agree to extend the scope to include public administration, social media and also telecommunications companies. The inclusion of encryption criteria and open source as a strengthening of cybersecurity has also made it into the directive. And this is really very welcome. There is one issue that continues to worry us as Greens, and that is that in the future, a verification process should also take place when registering Internet domains. In our view, this has little to do with cybersecurity, but a lot to do with the fact that freedoms can be put at risk. We have always accompanied this point very critically, are not satisfied with the result on this point, but will of course vote in favour of the directive overall and thank you for the very good and trusting cooperation. I believe that we are taking an important step forward in the area of cybersecurity.

Mr President! The brutal murder of Juraj and Matúš in Bratislava shocks our entire community. LGBTI people across Europe are afraid – afraid of being victims of disgusting hatred and violence. The murder in Bratislava is not an isolated act. He joins in countless violent crimes against our community across Europe this year alone: the murder of Malte C. in Münster, the attack on the London pub In Oslo, several people were injured and killed. And also on Prides In Germany, trans people were attacked, rainbow flags lit, and cobblestones were thrown at people. Europe is not a zone of freedom for queer people. People no longer dare to be themselves. Hateful rhetoric and the questioning of human rights for LGBTI people form a sad framework for this. You can't be neutral when it comes to misogyny. You have to take a stand, take a stand – across Europe. This is our mission.

Madam President, The climate crisis, the issue of energy security, the nature conservation crisis, foreign and security policy, the economic and social consequences of this terrible war of aggression by Vladimir Putin – these are just some of the major crises and challenges we face or face as the European Union. And we all never tire of stressing this over and over again – we MEPs, the EU Commission or even the Member States. At the same time, however, we are also seeing that a large part of the institutions in the European Union are not prepared to draw the right budgetary consequences from this. Because the truth is that our annual budgets are not able to cope with these major crises, to have enough flexibility for the big challenges. And that is why I would like to call on the European Commission to present the revision of the financial framework as soon as possible at the beginning of next year. And I would ask the Member States to react constructively and not to fight back. Otherwise, their Sunday speeches will become unreliable.

Mr President! The recession and high energy prices scare many Europeans. More and more people are afraid of winter. It is therefore good that Member States use their resources to introduce, for example, gas price caps. The problem is not that Member States act. The problem is that there is no action at European level. With more European solidarity, we can get through this winter better. For us, this also means that we now need a European cap on gas prices and mandatory energy savings for all Member States. We Greens were the first in the House to campaign for an over-profit tax on energy companies. We are pleased that the Commission has now launched a recovery of excess profits. But we must now also ensure that the recovery of excess profits is implemented well at national level. Member States should not absorb 33% but at least 50% of the profits of oil companies. We need to close loopholes so that profits do not simply migrate to other states and corporations can pay for themselves poorly. We need an agreement with Switzerland to stop profit shifting. Finance ministers must now work for this.

Mr President! We need zero-emission shipping by 2050 at the latest. Ship emissions have increased by 36% since 1990. They harm the climate and our health. So now is the time to act. It is good that the EU Commission is embarking on the road with the law on fuels in maritime transport and formulating climate targets for shipping. It is good that, under pressure from us Greens, the Committee on Industry and the Committee on the Environment, the emission reduction targets have been tightened in the Parliament report. It is also good that we are introducing expansion targets for renewable fuels. This makes climate-damaging LNG less attractive and makes renewable alternatives much more attractive. Nevertheless, the report has too many loopholes. During the discussions, the Committee on Industry and the Environment showed: More is possible and necessary. That is why I would like to ask you, ladies and gentlemen, to vote in favour of the amendments tabled by, for example, the Green Group and many other Members. Listen to the part of the industry that wants us to do more and sharpen our goals.

Madam President, The situation on the European energy markets is dramatic. Companies threaten to go bankrupt, and more and more people can no longer pay their energy bills. Through Putin's war of aggression and a completely wrong energy policy of the last decades, we have fallen into this crisis. It's time for big energy companies like Shell to pay off their profits and spend the money on social relief. We welcome the fact that the European Commission will put a concrete proposal on the table. An over-profit tax has to come. It is good that the EU Commission wants to intervene in the electricity markets. But why do you remain so inconclusive about the price of gas – at least so far? The price of gas is driving people to ruin. We need to regulate prices. If the market fails, the EU must act for the people. We need a gas price cap. EU Member States should cap the price of gas at an affordable level and use their market power to enforce it. A capped purchase price, binding joint purchasing and savings – this is how we get through the winter better.

Mr President! Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron – these three companies alone made almost €20 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2022, more than twice as much as in the first quarter of 2021. Big oil companies make billions in profits. While more and more people are barely able to pay their energy costs, some companies are doing very well. This is not only unfair, but also economically dangerous. According to the European Central Bank, the profits of some corporations are one of the drivers of massive inflation. This is another reason why we need instruments that limit excessive profits. We Greens therefore propose an excess profit tax of 50% on excessive profits. A further part of the profits will go to investments in renewable energies, which we urgently need. We call on EU finance ministers to take this step together. Spain, Great Britain and Italy are doing it. These are good examples, but they are not enough. Countries like Germany should follow suit. The economic crisis will be extremely severe, unemployment will rise, and inequality will increase. That's why we need the excess profit tax, and we need it now.

Mr President! Climate policy is security policy. We are witnessing in a brutal way how our dependence on Russian gas and uranium makes us vulnerable. We must therefore do everything we can to become independent of fossil energy and to push back Putin's influence. Putin would benefit from the taxonomy and lose the climate. It is no coincidence that the Russian energy companies Gazprom, Rosatom and Lukoil are among the biggest lobbyists for von der Leyen's taxonomy proposal. We hear the calls of Ukrainian MPs and voices from civil society asking us to stop the absorption of gas and nuclear energy. The taxonomy is the green seal of approval for financial investments. Many have already said this in the debate today. By absorbing atom and gas, this seal would be rendered unusable. It was a mistake, Commissioner McGuinness, that you made this proposal – in terms of security, finance and climate. Now it is up to us, dear colleagues, to stop this mistake and to object. That is why I would like to ask you to do this together with us tomorrow.

Mr President! Friday was a black day for all Europeans and a good day for multinationals. Viktor Orbán, alternating with the Polish government, is blocking the implementation of the global minimum taxation for large corporations. Thanks to Viktor Orbán, Amazon continues to pay no corporate tax in the European Union. And many European corporations such as Bayer or BASF can continue to artificially reduce their tax liability. Tax dumping in the EU must be stopped. It is a democratic problem when countries such as Hungary with 9% or Luxembourg with an effective tax rate of 2% undermine our tax system. Dear EU finance ministers, do not let Hungary and Poland continue to blackmail you. Introduce the global minimum tax without Viktor Orbán and Morawiecki. Yes, that's possible! We Greens call on you to: Use Article 20 to strengthen cooperation and finally implement the global tax deal.

Mr President! Before war criminal Putin began his brutal invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian satellite communications were attacked by hacker groups. Attacks on international airports, the Finnish Ministry of Defence or even on German wind turbines: Putin's terrible war of aggression has also been taking place online for years. It is the declared goal of pro-Putin hacking groups to attack our infrastructure and spread disinformation. Modern warfare also takes place online. If our power grid fails or security agencies are paralyzed, we become incapacitated. The truth is that IT security plays too little role in public authorities and many companies. Our critical infrastructure in the EU is extremely vulnerable. It's only a matter of time before cyberattacks cause us big problems. As shadow rapporteur for the NIS 2 Directive, I repeatedly note, even during the ongoing negotiations, that Member States are not prepared to take sufficient action. And I am also very grateful to you, Commissioner, for the fact that you have just made it clear again and have also criticised the fact that, for example, public administrations should be excluded from the scope. We need a better European exchange of information in the event of cyberattacks, mandatory security standards for critical infrastructure and private companies, and for systems such as smart homes.

Madam President, Multinational corporations generated 360 billion euros in profits in 2020 alone. While many small businesses have suffered greatly in recent years, Amazon, Daimler or Bayer are making enormous profits. Especially in retail or gastronomy, many small businesses are still struggling for their existence. It's unfair that Amazon still pays less tax as a percentage than the bookstore around the corner. It's too easy for big corporations to push their profits into tax loopholes. That's why we need a global tax rate of at least 15 percent, and we need it now. We Greens strongly oppose a later introduction of the minimum tax at the end of 2023 and large exceptions for some Member States. We call on the blocking states of Estonia and Poland to clear the way for the minimum tax at this week's meeting of finance ministers.

Madam President, The economic crisis is coming back. High inflation and low growth are a dangerous cocktail. The road to recession is not far away. It is important to keep our European economy together. We must continue to boost employment, support businesses and invest in energy independence. Unemployment remains very high in much of Europe. And if the eurozone continues to divide, all of Europe will suffer. Too strict monetary and fiscal policies would hurt us economically. To the Fiscal Conservatives in this House: We need to keep states in a position to act and therefore suspend the Stability and Growth Pact for 2023 once again. We need common European investments – yes, also through a new fund – and a fair distribution of crisis costs. And we need a European Central Bank that acts prudently and does not now stifle economic development by raising the key interest rate.

Mr President! Gas prices are exploding! The price of gas is currently almost twice as high as it was 12 months ago, +17% since the terrible outbreak of war. We are too dependent on Russian gas, and we are too dependent on fossil energy as a whole. Energy supply must be ensured in the short term and dependency on fossil energy must be consistently reduced. People with small and middle incomes are not allowed to pay the bill for Putin's war of aggression. It is not enough to rely solely on long-term measures. We need national measures such as a noticeable increase in the Hartz IV standard rates in Germany. But we also need a European gas price cap that ensures basic supplies at fair prices for all. The difference to the market price can be paid to suppliers through a European fund. Limiting them to basic services would prevent disincentives. We must not leave people alone in this crisis.

Dear Mr President, kære Margrethe Vestager! With the Digital Services Act, we are making history. Together with the Digital Markets Act, we have the opportunity to cast strong principles for our digital world into laws. We need to democratize our internet and put big tech in its place. This is why it is important to prevent manipulative advertising. We have seen in the US or even in Brexit that manipulative advertising is decomposing our democracy. When a society no longer has a common reality, but each one tailor-made Fake news Our society is divided, our society is divided. Personalized, manipulative advertising is a problem. Therefore, it must become easier to reject personalized advertising on platforms. That is why I would also like to ask you, ladies and gentlemen, to vote in favour of amendments that have exactly that aim. Strong rules also need strong enforcement. We should honestly ask ourselves whether we are well positioned for this. The Big techCompanies employ thousands of lawyers and join them in the battle against our laws. The number of employees in the EU Commission, on the other hand, is manageable. And that is why we believe that it will be very important to strengthen the EU Commission for this debate in addition to decentralised enforcement. Because we have seen in the European General Data Protection Regulation what happens if we do not do this. We need a European digital agency that manages to act on an equal footing with the big tech companies and enforces our laws.

Madam President, Your Presidency of the Council, Mr President, started - unfortunately, it must be said - with a bad start. Your lobbying for the French nuclear industry threatens a month-long dispute over energy policy. And I want to say quite clearly that it is wrong to rely on nuclear power, and it is completely wrong to declare nuclear power green in the taxonomy. There are greener, safer and cheaper alternatives to nuclear to make Europe climate neutral. And we need a French President-in-Office of the Council who will bring together in the coming months and not put French industrial interests above the common good. The expectations for you, Mr President, are high. You have the chance, for example, to make the future conference a real success. The time for vague declarations of intent is now finally over. It is good that you declared here today to fight together with the German Federal Government for the right of initiative for the European Parliament. But don't stand still – ensure more transparency in the Council and ensure that we have a European right to vote with transnational lists!

Madam President, ‘They put their astronomical profits before people.’ These are the words used by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen to describe Facebook’s business practice. We find greens: It’s time to act. With the Digital Markets Act, we have the chance to democratize the Internet. Control of our online communication and information must not be in the hands of a few Silicon Valley bosses. Small and medium-sized businesses must have the same competitive opportunities in online retail as Google or Amazon. Large platforms exploit their market power and data monopolies. The EU must also enforce a level playing field in online markets. The Digital markets Act It can be a basis for that. We can only limit Facebook, Google and Co. by clear European laws. We also need interoperability for Messenger. If you use a messenger, you should also be able to send messages to other messengers in the future, as is already the case with SMS or e-mails. We need stronger regulations so that tech companies don't buy up start-ups to get rid of them as competitors. And we have to make sure that the Digital Markets Act Not only does it look good on paper, but it can also be enforced by the EU Commission. This means that the EU Commission needs sufficient staff to Digital Markets Act enforce. And this also means that we MEPs need control rights so that we can also discuss and assess wrong developments. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, you should also support the amendments tabled by the Economic and Industrial Committee. They make our position clearer and should therefore be decided.