What Michael spoke about.

7 Jul

2026

EN Answer

Urgent measures to strengthen the competitiveness and safeguard quality jobs in the EU’s automotive sector (debate)

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Thank you very much. What I think is that we see an amazing rise of the sales of electric cars in Europe, much better than expected: 40 % growth rates. And in this very moment, to cut down on our legislation, it just doesn't make sense. I mean, the market is much further than the right part of this House. So, there's the first mistake: we are acting against the market. The second is we want to be …

7 Jul

2026

DE Speech

Urgent measures to strengthen the competitiveness and safeguard quality jobs in the EU’s automotive sector (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! The internal combustion engine – that was a great and good engineering skill and that is something that automotive workers can be proud of. But honestly – the internal combustion engine, that was once. The fact that Volkswagen and Bosch and many jobs are being cut is due to the fact that when we switch to E‑Mobility, we are not fast enough for the others to take the …

17 Jun

2026

EN Speech

Electrification Action Plan (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, is the European Union trapped in a toxic relationship? You know the pattern: you give and you give, and you get nothing back. You become insecure, vulnerable, dependent on the other person's mood. And let's be honest, that's exactly the relationship we Europeans have with oil and gas, dependent on the whims of autocrats like Putin and the mood swings of…

17 Jun

2026

DE Speech

Preparation of the European Council (joint debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Imagine losing a billion euros every day and your only plan is to embrace the internal combustion engine even more firmly: Welcome to Europe's China policy. Because that is exactly what is happening – every day we buy more in China than we do in China for one billion euros; So while I'm talking here, the next billion is already on its way. All t…

20 May

2026

EN Speech

Reviewing the ETS system to support European competitiveness (topical debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, when my daughter bumps into the wardrobe, she tells the wardrobe off very loudly. And the right side of the House is doing exactly the same thing. They are blaming the Emission Trading System for their own failed, fossil-driven policies. But frankly, my daughter is two years old, so she has an excuse. Do you know what is actually driving energy prices up? Do you know…

25 Mar

2026

DE Speech

Energy security, independence and supply in the geopolitical context - ensuring market stability and affordable energy for industry and citizens (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! If it pops anywhere in the world, we'll pay the bill here. We noticed this four years ago when Putin plunged us into the gas crisis. And we notice that today. There is an important difference between Trump and us in Europe: Trump's gas buddies earn stupid and stupid every day. And we in Europe pay the price. We don't have oil, we don't have gas. We have fa…

11 Mar

2026

DE Speech

Building Europe's clean, independent and secure energy following the 2026 North Sea Summit (debate)

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10 Mar

2026

EN Answer

Presentation of the Energy Package (debate)

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You know, I am very much in favour of a truly European energy system because this is exactly what brings prices down. We know that if we do, for instance, a central grid planning, we save more than EUR 500 billion and I think this is what makes us strong. Working together in Europe – this is what makes us strong. Let me tell you just one thing: as a Green, I like the market. There is no insurance …

10 Mar

2026

DE Speech

Presentation of the Energy Package (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Millions of Europeans are afraid of electricity bills. It's not a coincidence, it's a business model. It is the result of our dependence on oil and gas. And the FDP may have perished, but I want to save Christian Lindner's sentence: Renewable energies are freedom energies. They protect us from dependence on Putin, on Trump, on wars. The cheapest, the best energy…

10 Mar

2026

DE Question

Presentation of the Energy Package (debate)

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Dear colleague Wechsler! You have just said that you welcome the package from the Commission. I welcome it too. But the Commission says the electricity tax must go down for E‑ cars and heat pumps. The Commission says it must be made easier to build solar systems on rooftops. The Commission says that we need cheaper grid charges for energy sharing. The Federal Government is not doing these three th…

16 Dec

2025

DE Speech

Presentation of the automotive package (debate)

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16 Dec

2025

DE Speech

Grids package and tackling raising energy prices through robust infrastructure (debate)

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27 Nov

2025

DE Speech

Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference - Belém (COP30) (debate)

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25 Nov

2025

DE Speech

Effective use of the EU trade and industrial policy to tackle China’s export restrictions (debate)

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Madam President, Madam Minister, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! We need to stop being naive. China is at the same level in all technologies as we are, or further. China is the largest exporter not only of raw materials and electronic equipment, but also of cars and machinery. China is not the Cashcow Europe, but every sector, every large company in Europe must fear that competitors from China…

8 Oct

2025

DE Speech

Europe’s automotive future – reversing the ban on the sale of combustion cars in the EU (topical debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Let's be honest: China is the largest new car market in the world, and it electrifies at a rapid pace. European manufacturers are losing market share every day. The numbers from August: BMW minus 13 percent, Audi minus 9 percent and Mercedes-Benz minus 20 percent. That is the core of the problem. Our industry is not weakening because we were too…

8 Jul

2025

DE Speech

Need for the EU to scale up clean technologies (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! We discussed the relationship with China here this morning, and the situation is really frightening. Recently, a boss from a leading electrolyser manufacturer called me. We have the best technologies, but against subsidies from China, they simply don't stand a chance. He told me if we didn't do anything now, he'd have to shut up. Then he has to put…

18 Jun

2025

DE Speech

Electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Yesterday we decided to stop importing gas from Russia, but we must not just switch to dirty gas from Trump now. We need to seize the opportunities of sun and wind here on our continent. This requires a strengthening of the electricity grids, but also a strengthening of each individual household, because we can all benefit from the energy transi…

21 May

2025

DE Speech

Russian energy phase-out, Nord Stream and the EU's energy sovereignty (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, ladies and gentlemen! Last year, Vladimir Putin received €22 billion from Europeans for gas and oil. And in the same year, Ukraine received €18 billion in military aid from Europeans. The financing of the butcher Putin, the dependency, Nord Stream: This must end once and for all! And now the European Commission is proposing something very courageous: Fossil im…

7 May

2025

DE Speech

The role of gas storage for securing gas supplies ahead of the winter season (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! With the new law to end Russian gas, we are finally turning the money tap on Putin. You have to be clear and clear: Nord Stream is over once and for all. This is a victory for Ukraine. And it is also a green success, because we have been calling for this for a long time. This frees Europe from fossil blackmail and dependence. But beware! We must no…

2 Apr

2025

DE Speech

European Steel and Metals Action Plan (debate)

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Madam President, Mr Executive Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen! A year ago, we invited over 50 works councils from the steel industry to the European Parliament and their message was clear: Ensures that the modernization to green steel succeeds. This is the only way for the steel industry in Europe to have a future. That's exactly how it is! Let's not fool ourselves. We will not win the price …

12 Mar

2025

DE Speech

Action Plan for the Automotive Industry (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! No one in the industry denies that the future of the automotive industry is electric. The number of new registrations of electric cars in Europe rose by 37% in February. What are you doing? They are slowing down this trend with an attack on the Green Deal. They bow to a lobbying campaign against rules that have been known for eight years, making…

11 Mar

2025

DE Speech

Clean Industrial Deal (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! This industrial deal is not bad, but it lacks something very crucial, namely the direction. If we want a strong, an innovative, a competitive industry, then we cannot rely on oil and gas and combustion engines – Europe has only sun and wind. And dear Mr Ehler, Europe does not have a business model if we do not have climate protection. The busine…

12 Feb

2025

DE Speech

US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the World Health Organisation and the suspension of US development and humanitarian aid (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Ladies and Gentlemen! It seems to have passed some, but Monday was an important deadline: According to the rules of the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Union would have its climate goal, its NDC, shall transmit. She didn't do that. It may not be a big offense, but to maintain credibility, we need to uphold and follow these very rules. So, Mrs. von der Leyen: In…

19 Dec

2024

EN Speech

Resumption of the sitting

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I want to speak about the political prisoner in Azerbaijan. Roberta Metsola asked to lift the travel ban of our Sakharov finalist, Professor Gubad Ibadoghlu, so he can visit us in the European Parliament and get his medical treatment. The Azerbaijani regime did the opposite. They also cut ... Sorry, Mr President, this is not working right now ... (The President interrupted the speaker).…

19 Dec

2024

EN Speech

Resumption of the sitting

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Mr President, Roberta Metsola, the President of this House ... (The President interrupted the speaker).