What Niklas spoke about.

14

Sep

2022

EN Speech

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Economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU: the 8th Cohesion Report - EU border regions: living labs of European integration (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, cohesion policy is of utmost importance for the whole European Union. It is the main investment tool to help us eradicate social and territorial inequalities. Every European shall be safe, free and have the means necessary to pursue a fulfilling life. We evaluate cohesion policy with these goals in mind and in order to adapt it to the current economic and soc…

22

Jun

2022

EN Speech

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Implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (debate)

–Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, if we take a look back to the hard times when COVID hit us the first time, we remember probably two distinguished moments. One was when all cultural entities were closed, the other one was when schools were closed. I think those are the two most prominent and also the hardest hit structural entities that we see. The cultural sector makes up …

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

Yes, thank you. I think it’s an excellent question but also leads to the question of what we do exactly at the convention. I believe the power of democracy lies in compromises, lies in the fact that we don’t have referenda where we just have yes or no. And the same thing is true also for this question as regards unanimity. Of course, I do see the point that smaller Member States need representatio…

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

Madam President, first of all, when I go to my constituency, yes, I agree. Not all of the citizens tell me we want to get rid of unanimity. Of course not. This is a highly technical question. The majority is just asking me: why is Europe not doing anything on this? Why don’t we solve the migration crisis? Why aren’t we helping people on the borders? Why aren’t we getting support for the low income…

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

Madam President, thank you. Mr Castaldo, I have a question. You have mentioned that there are two possibilities to go forward with Europe. One, with a closer Union that will be in the geopolitical sphere, be stronger and have a voice, and the other one, which will be playing ball with the other bigger powers. However, I would like your position on these two possibilities on the internal matters – …

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

Thank you very much, Madam Vice—President. And to you, Madam Vice—President, and to the other Vice—President in the front. The question is, you have mentioned the courage of the citizens during the Conference. Do you feel that this model is something for the future? Do you feel that this is something that we could take up also maybe in the convention that we are discussing now as a follow—up for t…

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

Since you’ve mentioned me so clearly, I think a point of order is definitely due. I do not think that it’s right to call this honourable House, together with the colleagues from the national governments, together with the colleagues from the national parliaments, together with the Commission, together with 800 randomly—selected citizens, ‘a house of clowns’ or something like this. I think this is …

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

if unanimity was democratic, then probably we should also do it here. What or why do we have a different voting system? But my extra question is, you have said that there has been no democratic process. I mean, we have invited, for the first time ever, 800 citizens of the European Union. Have you talked to them? Have you discussed actually with them? Because I have the feeling with all the proposa…

5

Apr

2022

DE Speech

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Trans-European energy infrastructure (debate)

Madam President, We must become independent of Russian gas and, of course, diversify our imports. But we do not have to make ourselves immediately dependent on the next dictatorships. And that's what we do when we invest too much in infrastructure that shows that we still need fossil fuels in the future. Instead, we need to expand renewables. But for this we need interconnectors, and we need a Eur…

7

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Implementation of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner Ferreira, dear colleagues and most importantly, dear Europeans, currently we are facing two devastating crises: the climate crisis, but most importantly, of course, Russian war on European soil. These lead to great uncertainty, but not what is uncertain – that’s quite clear. We know what we want to do. We want to become independent from Russian fossil fuels by extendi…

18

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU (debate)

Mr President, the culture and creative sector is still in the biggest crisis in its existence. Thousands of European artists, creators and performers have lost their income. Those people across Europe have used up all their savings, they have sold their instruments and tools and they still are living from day to day without clarity what comes tomorrow, or if they can put food on the table for thei…

6

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The Council's lack of will to move the European cross-border mechanism forward (debate)

Mr President, I want to start with the words of the Council itself. To quote the Treaty, it says ‘determined to lay the foundation of an ever closer Union among the peoples of Europe, resolved to ensure the economic and social progress of their countries by common action to eliminate the barriers that divide Europe.’ Those barriers are still here in the form of useless regulation, unnecessary bure…