What Erik spoke about.

17 Sep

2026

DE Speech

Strengthening global health resilience in partner countries (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, I'm glad you're here. Global health finance has been cut by more than 50% in recent years. On the one hand, you can look at tables and say, "Human, that's less money", but I think it's a good idea to look specifically at what this means for human lives, what it means for people. There is a study by The Lancet that says that by 2030, 22.6 million additional people cou…

16 Sep

2026

DE Speech

Post-electoral repression in Zambia and the killing of Mutotwe Kafwaya

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Madam President, Commissioner! One day after the August 13 election, opposition politician and former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot dead in a raid by security forces. As the previous speakers have said, this is not an isolated case; This is part of a pattern: Opposition candidate Mundubile and his deputy were charged with high treason; at least 84 people – opposition members – are detained wit…

16 Sep

2026

DE Speech

Deteriorating situation of media freedom and freedom of expression in Hong Kong following the recent arrest of bookseller Leticia Wong and the convictions of Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung

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Madam President, Commissioner! It was not until January of this year that we adopted a resolution condemning Jimmy Lai here in Parliament. And a few months later, on June 24, journalist and bookseller Leticia Wong and her husband were arrested in Hong Kong. This arrest exemplifies many arrests in recent months, the ever-increasing attack on freedom of the press, on independent publishers, on freed…

15 Sep

2026

DE Speech

The recent hybrid attacks and instrumentalisation of migrants in Ceuta and the need for a coordinated response to protect EU’s external borders (debate)

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Madam President, Dear colleagues! 141 people have died. 141 lives are no longer there. Families who have lost a son, a daughter, who have lost a sister. And Europe – we reacted in panic to this situation, not out of pity for the deceased, but because so many have arrived – survived. Twenty-two leaders blamed Spain. Parties show each other, we argue and we talk so much about instrumentalization of …

26 Mar

2026

DE Speech

Global Gateway – past impacts and future orientation (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! First of all, I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs and ‑ rapporteurs, but above all the rapporteurs, for the constructive negotiations on this issue. I would also like to say in advance: We want Global Gateway to be successful. Successful means for us that we make a central difference in the world in international cooperation and that we do not, l…

10 Feb

2026

DE Speech

Spain’s large-scale regularisation policy and its impact on the Schengen Area and EU migration policy (debate)

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10 Feb

2026

DE Speech

One round of political group speakers for the Ciriani and Düpont reports

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21 Jan

2026

DE Speech

Restoring control of migration: returns, visa policy and third-country cooperation (topical debate)

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Mr President, Madam Executive Vice-President of the Commission! I think it's good that we're talking about this topic today, that we take the time. I even think it is good that there are different opinions here in this House on how best to organise migration. I don't think it's bad at all if there are different opinions on where to tighten up in which regulation and that if we contribute democrati…

25 Nov

2025

DE Answer

Escalation of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan (continuation of debate)

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Perhaps two points: There is often a conflict in foreign policy between those who say that we must also represent our interests internationally, and on the other hand there are people who say that we must represent our values. And I think we need to stop thinking in these two categories. Our values are our interests. And I believe that we can also talk about trade agreements in this sense. And the…

25 Nov

2025

DE Speech

Escalation of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan (continuation of debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! I'm glad you're here. I think we all agree: The humanitarian situation in Sudan is not only devastating, this is the biggest humanitarian catastrophe we have right now. 19 million people have been displaced, 14 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid, and it is estimated that 225,000 people have died since April 2023. And when you rattle down those numbers, …

21 Oct

2025

DE Speech

Renewing the EU-Africa Partnership: building common priorities ahead of the Angola Summit (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! I'm glad you're here. As you said in your opening speech, we are Africa's most important partner in various areas. I thought it was important that you also emphasized once again that this is not God-given, but that there is competition. It is no longer a question of whether there are any partnerships with Africa, but of who has these partnerships and on the basis of whi…

9 Sep

2025

EN Question

Gaza at breaking point: EU action to combat famine, the urgent need to release hostages and move towards a two-state solution (debate)

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You were talking about hypocrisy. You were quoting polls which were done in Gaza, so do you believe that Hamas is an organisation which accepts scientific freedom, free press and polls? Because in the end you would rely on numbers which are based on Hamas propaganda, maybe. So, do you believe that the polls are trustworthy if they are done in Gaza at the moment, which the Hamas government is gover…

18 Jun

2025

DE Speech

Rise in violence and the deepening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! I can only agree with all the previous speakers. It is an incredible situation that has caused so much suffering in South Sudan that we now have to talk about the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. I think it's right that we're talking about it today. I think it's right to address the numbers, including the fact that people are behind them, but I actually wante…

6 May

2025

DE Speech

Discharge 2023 (joint debate)

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Madam President, Thank you for the debate. I would like to use the speech to express three thanks. The first is that I want to thank the colleagues with whom I have been able to work constructively on my report. I believe that despite very different views on the performance of certain agencies, we have found good compromises and done our job well. I hope that this will also be reflected in the vot…

6 May

2025

DE Speech

Discharge 2023 (joint debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, representative of the Council! Budgetary control is perhaps not Parliament's most emotional task, and sometimes it all seems a bit dry. But I believe that we – at least those who are here – know that this is a crucial mechanism in our democracy, also to inspire trust in democracy, in democratic institutions. In this respect – as Mrs Hohlmeier pointed out – it is very im…

12 Mar

2025

DE Speech

Democracy and human rights in Thailand, notably the lese-majesty law and the deportation of Uyghur refugees

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Mr President, Commissioner! I would also like to make it clear first of all: We want a good partnership with Thailand, but a good partnership also requires a common foundation of values. That is why this resolution is also an occasion to express our concern that this common foundation of values threatens to erode further and further. It is unacceptable for opposition politicians in Thailand to be …

27 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Hong Kong, notably the cases of Jimmy Lai and the 45 activists recently convicted under the national security law

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Madam President, Commissioner! We've been having discussions lately, including in Europe, and you can't say your opinion anymore. You wouldn't have a real democracy in Europe because the government is doing something you don't like. And I think that even when we talk about the situation in Hong Kong today, we have to make it clear again and again that we can count ourselves lucky in the European U…

26 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area: the urgent need to lift controls at internal land borders (debate)

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14 Nov

2024

EN Speech

Electronic value added tax exemption certificate (A10-0012/2024 - Aurore Lalucq) (vote)

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Madam President, I just wanted to reiterate that in Rule 197(3) of the Rules of Procedure it is written that the roll-call vote shall be taken using the electronic voting system. But if – and that happened today – the latter cannot be used for technical reasons, the roll may be called in alphabetical order, beginning with the name of a Member drawn by lot. I just wanted to say that, to my understa…

23 Oct

2024

DE Speech

Managing migration in an effective and holistic way through fostering returns (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Conservatives have just said: “We want to regain control.” In my view, that is correct. It is only from my point of view also correct to state that the truth is that in recent years we have lost control because we no longer want to comply with the rules because we no longer comply with the laws that we have given ourselves. In Italy, we have just seen it when it come…

22 Oct

2024

DE Speech

People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! I believe that it is an important sign that we are discussing here today, but that we will also adopt this resolution with great unity. It is important now to send a sign of solidarity with Taiwan from the European Parliament, including from the other EU institutions, at a time when the People's Republic of China is provoking almost daily with the deployment of milit…

9 Oct

2024

DE Speech

The cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

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Madam President, Commissioner! We have known about human rights violations in China for years – actually decades. It is really sad that we are not making progress, that people like Ilham Tohti, people like Gulshan Abbas are still in captivity. They are just two examples of hundreds, thousands of people wrongfully imprisoned and millions suffering from human rights violations. That is why it is imp…

9 Oct

2024

DE Speech

Strengthening the security of Europe’s external borders: need for a comprehensive approach and enhanced Frontex support (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! I think that the first thing that really belongs to politics is honesty. I believe that honesty in the debate we are having here now means that more and more money has been invested for years, more and more is also invested in structures and that the promise is made that if we invest more money, then there will be fewer asylum applications in the end. Now the promise: 3…

7 Oct

2024

DE Speech

The reintroduction of internal border controls in a number of Member States and its impact on the Schengen Area (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Sometimes you only realize how important something was when you no longer have it, and I hope that this does not also apply to the Schengen area with us. In the border regions with us all over Europe, enemies have become neighbours and neighbours have become friends in the last 80 years. It is also the free internal market and freedom of movement that make the old wa…

10 Apr

2024

DE Answer

Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

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So, I can report that even our members of the government do not look forward to this pact with euphoria, but that they have many criticisms. What is important to me is actually to say – because I have already heard something else from the Christian Democrats – that after the election it cannot be a question of looking at where it is easiest to get majorities for asylum policy, which can still be o…