What Erik spoke about.

19 Jan

2023

DE Speech

The Global Gateway Initiative (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! I think we can already see from the debate that we are all relatively united in Parliament. We do not really feel taken with us, but we actually want to contribute to the success of the project, and I believe that when you look at the Commission's homepage, you can see a little bit where the problem might lie. So on the homepage it says: ‘Global Gateway’. This is adorne…

18 Jan

2023

DE Speech

Criminalisation of humanitarian assistance, including search and rescue (debate)

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Mr President! We are in politics to make reality beautiful, not to make it beautiful. And when we look at reality at the external borders, it is not only not beautiful, it is simply cruel. It would have to make us angry enough that so many people at our external borders suffer in search of security and thousands die. But the reality is much worse: Several EU countries at the external borders not o…

15 Dec

2022

DE Speech

The humanitarian situation in Ukraine due to Russia’s attacks against critical infrastructure and civilian areas (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! What we are doing for Ukraine is not nothing – I think we all know that. 18 billion euros, which were released on Monday, that's a high amount. But what the Ukrainians have been paying since February 24 is such an infinitely greater price for our freedom that I think we have every reason to look: What can we as the European Commission, what can we as the European Par…

14 Dec

2022

DE Speech

The Commission’s reports on the situation of journalists and the implications of the rule of law (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! I am honestly a little frightened about some speeches – not all of them, of course. I therefore wanted to say that attacks on freedom of the press do not only begin when journalists are murdered or threatened, but, in my view, that begins when we begin to use Parliament here to say about some reports: This is not a free press at all, it has nothing to do with freedom…

13 Dec

2022

DE Speech

Suspicions of corruption from Qatar and the broader need for transparency and accountability in the European institutions (debate) (debate)

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Mr President! Corruption is poison for democracy, and many have said so. We also know that the European Parliament has been poisoned. I've had a lot of conversations these days, and I actually found it very good that there was a broad majority that said: We're not even trying to say this is the problem of some criminals, and we have nothing to do with it. There were also few who said: This is the …

12 Dec

2022

DE Speech

Negotiations ahead of Parliament’s first reading (Rule 71)

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Madam President, In recent days, I have spoken not only to those who have worked on this case, but also to many colleagues from different groups, and that has been a rare thing in common. All of us, all of whom I spoke to, were shocked by the allegations being made here. And everyone agreed that corruption is an attack on democracy, that corruption must also have hard consequences – hard consequen…

23 Nov

2022

DE Speech

The Human rights situation in Afghanistan especially the deterioration of women´s rights and attacks against educational institutions

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Mr President! Commissioner, it is very good that you are here, and it is also very good that we are having this debate, that we have this resolution, that we are showing that we do not forget the suffering of the people of Afghanistan, and in particular that we do not care how we can improve the situation in the future. We just have to look: How can we improve the humanitarian situation in Afghani…

23 Nov

2022

DE Speech

The future European Financial Architecture for Development (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! I would also like to begin by thanking and congratulating the rapporteur on this report. I believe it is an important report, and I also believe that it comes at exactly the right time. We have a situation in which the world, but also Europe, is really confronted with unprecedented crises. You can talk about global warming, you can talk about the war of aggression again…

23 Nov

2022

DE Speech

The need for a European solution on asylum and migration including search and rescue (debate)

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Mr President! Mr Weber, I wanted to address you briefly at the beginning, because you said that you also decide at your doorstep who comes in, and that must also happen at the European external borders. I honestly believe that such language images are also an expression of deprivation of prosperity, which we cannot actually allow ourselves in this House. I believe – and I hope – that no one will f…

9 Nov

2022

DE Speech

Full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in Croatia (debate)

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Mr President! Let me be clear: I believe that this is a great decision for our House – the European Parliament – for Croatia, but also for the European Union as a whole – a great decision to clear the way for Croatia to become a member of the Schengen area. As a result, the European family grows closer together. It is true that there are more freedoms for many millions of people in Europe. You don…

18 Oct

2022

DE Speech

Continued internal border controls in the Schengen area in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (C-368/20) (debate)

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Mr President! I think we need to be clear once again that when we talk about controls at the external borders, in the end there is actually one sentence: Borders are only protected if human rights are also protected at these borders. What we are experiencing now, however, is that also through these human rights violations at the external borders, through this chaos, also through the fact that we a…

17 Oct

2022

DE Speech

FRONTEX's responsibility for fundamental rights violations at EU's external borders in light of the OLAF report (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! You said yes: You were shocked when you read the OLAF report, and I've heard that a lot lately. You are shocked to read this report. Honestly, I'm a little surprised. So, there are no new things in it – there are things in it that we have been discussing here for years. Things that are claimed to be sometimes fake news, sometimes Turkish propaganda, sometimes some polit…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

The Schengen evaluation mechanism (debate)

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Madam President, First of all, I would like to thank Sara Skyttedal, our rapporteur, and also the others who have worked so efficiently and well on this report. I only have one minute, so I focus on a few points. This is, above all, the question of fundamental rights. Respect for fundamental rights at borders is an integral part of the Schengen acquis. But not too much has been noticed in recent y…

5 Apr

2022

DE Speech

Situation in Afghanistan, in particular the situation of women’s rights (debate)

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Madam President, When I think of the women and girls in Afghanistan, of course, I think of suffering above all else. But actually I am also thinking of an incredible strength, of women in Afghanistan who have suffered so much and then take to the streets against the injustice of the Taliban, using their lives. I think we all have the pictures in mind. If the people of Russia had such courage, perh…

23 Mar

2022

DE Speech

Need for an urgent EU action plan to ensure food security inside and outside the EU in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, Minister! Putin's war of aggression is terrible. Terrible, of course, especially for the people of Ukraine – but it can also quickly become a horror for the most vulnerable in the world. Ukraine alone could feed 400 million people. It was the grain chamber of Europe. Anyone who attacks this country, of course, bears responsibility for the suffering of the people of U…

15 Dec

2021

DE Speech

The proposed Council decision on provisional emergency measures for the external border with Belarus based on article 78(3) TFEU (continuation of debate)

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Madam President, Undoubtedly, the actions of dictator Lukashenka are inhumane. He uses people to achieve his political goals. It disregards human dignity and international law. It hinders humanitarian aid and free reporting. All this is reprehensible. And because this is reprehensible, it is an extremely weak and also wrong answer if we criminalize humanitarian aid even at our borders, if we preve…