What Nicolaus spoke about.

3 May

2022

DE Speech

Resumption of the sitting

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Mr President! Just a little hint: Having already welcomed the Italian Prime Minister today, I would just like to point out to the House that today we also have numerous members of the Bundestag and of the German state parliaments at the top of the visitors' gallery, which we should welcome.…

3 May

2022

DE Speech

Threats to the safety of journalists and media freedom, on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day (debate)

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Madam President, Well, if I look at the seats like this, then the interest in journalism doesn't seem to be that huge. I have worked in journalism for over 20 years. The paper I worked for was itself the target of numerous SLAPP processes. I witnessed our colleagues being carried to their graves because they were shot in war zones, and these attacks were deliberately carried out in order to suppre…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

The Schengen evaluation mechanism (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Madam Rapporteur! The report is indeed good, even if I did not vote in favour for various reasons, but it actually applies only to normal times. The problem is that we are not living in normal times, and Schengen is actually dead. Even the French presidential candidate Valérie Pécresse has said that the demands for open borders, as they stand in the German coalition agr…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

Violations of right to seek asylum and non-refoulement in the EU Member States (debate)

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Madam President, Mr López Aguilar, you said that I probably disagreed, and you are right. They said it was scandalous that we were talking about pushbacks. I find it rather scandalous that Germany has already taken in 20,000 people again – that is the wrong word, but they have definitely come to Germany – about whom we really know nothing at all. We basically have the loss of control that we alrea…

6 Apr

2022

DE Question

Ongoing hearings under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Poland and Hungary (debate)

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Mrs Vollath, I think you understand me. Just one question for your understanding: In your view, is compulsory vaccination, as introduced by Austria, also a violation of fundamental rights? Or do you think that such compulsory vaccinations are covered by the Austrian constitution?…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

Cooperation and similarities between the Putin regime and extreme right and separatist movements in Europe (topical debate)

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Madam President, Thank you very much, Mr. Glucksmann! They had said that there were many politicians paid by Putin or even those who were his keynote speakers. For once, I agree with you. Yes, that's true. Let me name a few: for example Mélenchon, one of your French colleagues, or Wolfgang Schüssel from the ÖVP or, of course, Gerhard Schröder, the former German Chancellor – SPD – together with Mat…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

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Madam President, I would ask for a point of order under Rule 157 of the Rules of Procedure. At the press briefing on Friday, the S&D group admitted that it only put this issue on the agenda to talk about the election campaign in France and, above all, about Marine Le Pen. This is a clear violation of the House's usual practice of not interfering in current election campaigns. I therefore ask the B…

6 Apr

2022

DE Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 March 2022: including the latest developments of the war against Ukraine and the EU sanctions against Russia and their implementation (debate)

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Madam President, Mr High Representative! This war is terrible, and if you don't let yourself be touched by the pictures from Butscha or Mariupol, you probably won't be touched by anything. This war must be ended as soon as possible. But these feelings should not overwhelm us. Despite all the understanding of the sanctions packages that have already been adopted here, I have great concerns when I h…

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, Today we are talking about the consequences of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine for our food security and thus EU agricultural policy. We were happy with what we never knew – too many subsidies, too much bureaucratic control from Brussels and, of course, far too expensive for the taxpayer. Recently, green lifestyle ideas such as greening or the Farm to Fork strategy have been …

9 Mar

2022

DE Speech

A new EU strategic framework on health and safety at work post 2020 (continuation of debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! The protection of workers in the workplace is really an important issue. That is why you would have deserved better than this new so-called framework, which is imbued with ideology and - unfortunately, it has to be said so clearly - nonsense. Three examples: First, climate change is now to blame for an increased number of skin cancers. This is especially true for constr…

8 Mar

2022

DE Speech

The deterioration of the situation of refugees as a consequence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine (debate)

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Madam President, Mrs Johansson, Mrs Klinkert! They had said that the EU had acted quickly and effectively. Well, putting a directive into effect, so to speak, is not exactly what is meant by quick and effective action. Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary acted quickly and effectively, without asking the EU in detail. Until yesterday, however, the Poles and the Hungarians in particular were still…

8 Mar

2022

DE Speech

Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Now I just wanted to say something friendly about Mr. Borrell, and then he leaves. That's how it is. But, Mr Borrell – I can still see you up there – you are right: Correct information is the cornerstone of democracy. Unlike many in the INGE committee, however, I have worked as a journalist for a long time and therefore know: Yes, there is false information, accident…

7 Mar

2022

DE Speech

Shrinking space for civil society in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! Shrinking spaces, i.e. shrinking fields of activity for civil societies: This is nothing more than fake news. Especially in Germany, but also in many other countries, the financing increases year after year, so there can be no talk of shrinking space at all. What are Civil Societies? Civil societies are what are usually referred to as NGOs or now in New German as NPOs –…

7 Mar

2022

DE Speech

Citizenship and residence by investment schemes (debate)

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. – Mr President, Commissioner, Commissioner! This is a good day, if I can agree with you in large parts. Then this is also a premiere, and I hope that you are now actually implementing what the dear committee has been calling for for a long time. Woman in 't Veld said it: Of course, there are also sensible investment programs, but the problems of corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, but als…

16 Dec

2021

DE Speech

MeToo and harassment – the consequences for the EU institutions (debate)

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Mr President! Of course, violence against women is a problem that should be addressed. However, I would like to draw your attention here to a study by the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, which has once examined what sexual violence against women – at least in Bavaria – is all about. The results of this study were, firstly: Advertisements of women for sexual assault are taken extraordinarily…

13 Dec

2021

DE Speech

Equality between women and men in the European Union in 2018-2020 (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! We are talking about equality between men and women. First of all, the most important equality is legal equality. Incidentally, we have had them for 70 years – definitely in Germany, but also in most other European countries. Then there are always the same two arguments for the alleged unequal treatment of men and women. The first is that women are not in sufficient …

13 Dec

2021

DE Speech

Combating gender-based violence: cyberviolence (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! The famous Austrian writer Karl Kraus once said: An evil never flourishes better than when an ideal stands before it. That's the way it is here. Of course, the protection of women is important, but this report is exactly the opposite: He's a danger. The report starts with a concept such as: cyber violenceIt is not clear what it means at all. As an explanation, he refers…

13 Dec

2021

DE Speech

The 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its importance for the future of Russia and Europe (debate)

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Mr President! Today we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the demise of a totalitarian criminal regime, the socialist USSR. When the USSR went down, I remember, it was a day of great joy. It was thought that liberal democracy had prevailed with its protection of individual human rights. Unfortunately, that was a mistake. On the contrary: Liberal democracy is now under threat all over the world…

24 Nov

2021

DE Speech

Fundamental rights and the rule of law in Slovenia, in particular the delayed nomination of EPPO prosecutors (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, councillor! I myself was a member of the mission in Slovenia, and in the end, Head of Mission Sophie in 't Veld notes: The institutions are working. The judiciary, parliament, civil society and, above all, the press can work, and three quarters of the Slovenian press are critical of the government. Four things alone, according to the Head of Mission, are problematic. Fi…

24 Nov

2021

DE Speech

The EU's role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic: how to vaccinate the world (topical debate)

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Madam President, So now we want to vaccinate the whole world. Of course, one wonders why? So far, the reasons have been either false or misleading. Let me summarize: First it was said that they only wanted to vaccinate the vulnerable groups, i.e. the people over 60 years of age. Now it says: No, you have to start at 18 years old. Then there was the second reason: 70% have herd immunity. Now it say…

23 Nov

2021

DE Speech

Legal migration policy and law (debate)

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Mr President! Dear Mr. Schinas, I admire you. No one knows how to tell so many lies in such a short time. I will correct some of them. They said: Migration is the normal thing. 0.8 % of the world's population are migrants, 99.2 % are not. The normal is the sedentary. They said: Migration is beneficial for the host country and is based on some OECD studies. Strangely enough, the UN commissioner in …

22 Nov

2021

DE Speech

Introduction of a European social security pass for improving the digital enforcement of social security rights and fair mobility (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. Indeed, since 2014, Parliament has been calling for the introduction of an EU social security number, and indeed – I do not want to deny that – such a social security number would have various advantages. But you also have to see: The European Commission itself eventually buried the project as intrusive and expensive. Let us follow Mrs Nicholsonová…

10 Nov

2021

DE Speech

Strengthening democracy, media freedom and pluralism in the EU (debate)

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Madam President, Mrs Metsola, Mr Wölken! I used to be a journalist myself and had a SLAPP case against me – by the fascist expert Max Mosley. It would have cost the publisher about two million. That means I know what I'm talking about. That's why I have a lot of understanding for this initiative. But the proposal is well-intentioned, but unfortunately it is badly made, because there are too many s…

21 Oct

2021

DE Speech

The outcome of the Western Balkans summit (debate)

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Mr President, Mr Minister, Commissioner! Two weeks ago, a Spaniard spoke here with a similar slogan and, by the way, someone who always advocates Catalonia's independence. I thought that was a good idea. Of course, every people has a right to the protection of their traditions, their language, their culture and their livelihoods. And above all, it also has a claim to protection against the clearly…

20 Oct

2021

DE Speech

The first anniversary of the de facto abortion ban in Poland (debate)

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Madam President, Minister, Commissioner! Poland, Poland, Poland, Poland again and again! Time and again, the left here in Parliament put Poland on the agenda. And if you can't find anything new, then you're talking about an anniversary, about an alleged abortion ban that actually doesn't exist. But I think this concept is good. I would also have a few anniversaries that I would like to discuss wit…