What Bernhard spoke about.

Mr President! The EU wants to enforce a common line in the Ukraine conflict, but this is completely contrary to the national interests of many Member States. The sanctions are completely meaningless and actually only harm ourselves. Especially the massively increased energy prices in Germany ensure that the already enormously high costs of the completely misguided energy transition are even higher. At the same time, the sanctions not only ensure that Putin's approval is stronger than ever before, both among the population and among the oligarchs. And according to CNN and Bloomberg, Russia now earns even more money from raw materials than it did before the war. Those who support these absurd sanctions are harming our citizens and strengthening Putin. We critics of the measures are confirmed by this as well as by the course of the war. What have the arms shipments brought so far? More death and destruction and nothing else. Ukrainian citizens are the victims of a Russian war of aggression that has been unnecessarily prolonged and escalated by Western measures. Pronouncing all these facts does not make you a Putin-understander. Certainly not. According to Interpol, the supply of weapons also threatens to become a danger for us. In the meantime, US weapons from Ukraine are already being sold on the darknet. The EU would therefore do well to completely rethink its catastrophic foreign and security policy and leave it to the nation states in general in the future. (The speaker agreed to answer a question on the blue card procedure.)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. What happens when an organic farmer becomes a member of parliament and writes a report on defence policy for whatever reason? Right, elementary military issues are mixed with left-green ideology. While Sun Tzu and Clausewitz used to be taught, climate ideology is now supposed to make its way into the defense realm instead. Unsurprisingly, the report also fails at the reality check. The core task of the military to ensure the security of a country through deterrence and strength is completely torpedoed by the demands mentioned in this report. One of them is seriously that the expansion of an army must not lead to an increased CO2 burden. In Germany, thanks to the old parties, we have a completely run-down military that absolutely needs massive investments and structural reforms. This is simply impossible with such unrealistic specifications. A Leopard 2 – a tank for those who do not know – continues to swallow 530 litres of diesel per hour or 100 km; sorry. Should a tank be purchased that does not meet the requirements, but consumes less, emits less CO2? What madness. It even calls for governments to submit reports on military emissions to the UN and national parliaments. As a result, however, central information such as military firepower would be published. Shouldn't we give our opponents a concrete list of our military right away? Instead, let us agree on something that makes sense and is feasible, for example that the ecological perspective is included in future decisions, for example in peacetime exercises. Of course, the decisive aspect must be and remain the ability to defend. If we want to emerge victorious from future crises or even wars, we need a better strategy, equipment and combat power, not a better carbon footprint. And this is precisely why these decisions must remain and remain a national responsibility, so that in the end no organic farmer decides on national security in Germany. A lieutenant colonel of the formerly good, glorious German army spoke.

Mr President! The planned EU enlargement is not only a completely wrong approach, but a highly dangerous one. It is wrong because both the Balkan countries and the Republic of Moldova hardly meet any of the Copenhagen criteria that are prerequisites for EU accession. It is also wrong because the highly corrupt Moldova – currently ranked 105th in the Corruption Index – would be a net beneficiary for many years to come. Who's gonna pay for this? Presumably, as always, Germany, which is on its way to the poorhouse thanks to the policy of the federal government. The accession plan is dangerous because the breakaway Transnistria is planning a referendum on joining Russia. So we would not only bring a highly corrupt state into the EU that would be a net beneficiary for decades, but we could also be drawn into a direct conflict with Russia. So there is not a single reasonable reason in the interest of our citizens to even think about Moldova's accession to the EU. (Interim call) Shame on you!

Mr President! Osman Kavala is the co-founder of George Soros’ and therefore, for me, an enemy of any open, free society. However, this must not lead to his being sentenced to life imprisonment for unproven allegations – even the panel of judges did not agree on this. This purely politically motivated procedure proves once again Erdoğan's contempt for all standards of the rule of law. The consequences for Turkey from the EU will always be the same: We express our displeasure, pointing to the lack of human and fundamental rights in Turkey. That's it. This case would be an excellent opportunity to create long overdue facts: Turkey under Erdoğan has simply lost nothing in the EU. Nevertheless, the EU has been subsidising the despots with billions for years, thus cushioning their failure in economic policy. Put an end to this hustle and bustle and end the accession talks between the EU and Turkey, once and for all!

Mr President! The Commission wants to bring millions of migrants back to the EU. The fact that we supposedly need 1.75 million workers, but currently officially have over 13 million unemployed in the EU, clearly shows where the journey is going. From a so-called talent pool of countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Senegal or Nigeria, the workforce should come to establish a green digital economy here. How well this works has been seen since 2015. I'm just saying: Doctors, engineers, rocket technicians from Syria. Why are we always talking about migration? Why is there no professional support for citizens? Training costs companies money, of course. It's easier to bring in migrants. This can also push down wages nicely. The EU is thus making itself the buffalo of the economy. I therefore call on the Commission to stop these plans and use domestic potential instead.

Madam President, The EU continues to try with all its might to force change for Afghan women, although our value imperialism has undoubtedly failed there. The few representatives of Western values in Kabul are not representative there. They are just high-paying talking dolls and have absolutely nothing to do with the Afghan people. The fact is: Despite 14 years of massive financial aid, the Western system has not been able to gain a foothold there. A representative UN survey from 2015 proves this: Eighty percent of Afghan women surveyed consider beatings by their husbands to be justified if one of the reasons, such as sex refusal, going out of the house without permission, burning the food or arguing with the husband, is present. With what arrogance, intolerance, cultural disregard and cultural incomprehension do Western do-gooders appear, demanding the implementation of our value systems? Even if Afghan values seem archaic, backward and wrong against our cultural background, this does not give us the right to eliminate this mature form of society. That's not our job. Stop dreaming! (The President withdrew the floor from the speaker.)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. We are always talking here about our European, our democratic values, on which all our actions should be based. As a diplomat, I lived in Syria for five years and in Pakistan for four years, so I appreciate democracy very much. Now, Madam President, you are inviting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has recently trampled on these values; who declared a state of emergency for 10 days because free citizens protested against the coronavirus measures, which were completely disproportionate; of the approximately 200 bank accounts of Canadian citizens have been frozen because they had supported an unwelcome movement. Obviously, you can't disregard the values more than he did. I therefore propose that the Rules of Procedure should not give this enemy of democratic values any speaking time in this House of Democracy, and now you should keep your mouth shut.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. The situation on the Russian border with Ukraine is still worrying and very opaque. Whether the partial withdrawal of Russian troops can be interpreted according to a permanent relaxation is currently completely unclear. However, in order to improve the situation in the long term, various steps are necessary. On the one hand, Ukraine needs a guarantee that it will definitely not join NATO. As the renowned American political scientist John Mearsheimer put it: No great power wants to have another great power than its neighbors. Let's just imagine Canada joining an alliance with Russia. I'm sure the United States would be very happy about that. These facts show one thing very clearly: NATO has been gradually moving towards Russia for decades, not the other way around. I therefore reject a unilateral condemnation of Russia. There should be no new sanctions against Russia. Instead, the existing sanctions should be withdrawn in the future in order to reduce these unnecessary tensions. Ukraine, in turn, should assume the status of a neutral state in order to be able to maintain relations with Moscow and Washington, without in any way hitting either side and there again triggering conflicts between the two powers. Of course, Russia has to be clear: Of course, we stand by the Visegrád states, the Baltic states or our Polish friends uncompromisingly in the event of Russian aggression or threat. What unites us all, however, must be very clear: A war must be prevented!

Madam President, Ms von der Leyen has announced a €150 billion programme for Africa. 75 billion euros will probably be financed by the taxpayer. As always, the goals read wonderfully, in truth they are air bubbles and word sleeves. There is talk of democratic values, high standards, transparency and partnerships on an equal footing, including cheap loans, budgetary guarantees, reduction of investment risks, high environmental and social standards and so on. In good German: The European taxpayer finances the construction of Africa and is additionally made happy by the mass migration generated by the population explosion. I was a project developer in Africa, so I know the reality. Before the start of the project, a number of peripheral problems usually have to be solved. This includes things like road improvements so that the materials are not severely damaged during transport, or the construction of a new power line so that the project can even begin. By the way, we are paving up Africa's infrastructure, while the European one is increasingly decaying. Every eighth bridge in Germany, every one of these 140,000 bridges is dilapidated. The overtly demanded bribe payments in Africa are also bad, without which nothing works there – by reason of Good governance. This is the harsh reality on which well-intentioned plans and ideas will fail. There are more meaningful approaches involving African partners to develop this continent for mutual benefit. And always remember: They are obligated to the European taxpayer – and not to the African or any other.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. I understand the citizens of Kazakhstan when they rise up to put an end to the shameless exploitation of the country by the elites. 225 dead, hundreds injured and thousands imprisoned are the sad record so far. This must be strongly condemned, this must be condemned – no question about it. However, the fact that the German government is urging Kazakhstan to respect freedom of assembly and expression is already grotesque. Here, the government is responding to the nationwide peaceful mass protests against the coronavirus measures with completely disproportionate means: with an attack on freedom of assembly. Even two citizens who stand or walk together can already be counted as an unauthorized demo. A harmless shopping spree by a married couple can be a disaster for him. (Interim call) Shut up! A priest who prayed the rosary with a few faithful in Munich was taken into police custody before my eyes. Allegation: Unauthorized assembly. I thought I was in North Korea. The ban on Telegram is in place to further restrict citizens' freedom of expression. The fact that citizens are only looking for alternatives to the media, which only convey attitudes instead of facts, seems to be of little interest. Fundamental rights only seem to prove to be political ballast. Never before in our German history has life been so severely restricted as it is today. However, prohibitions and restrictions on fundamental rights are instruments that are absolutely unworthy of democracy. Hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters from the middle of society are referred to as right-wing radicals, Nazis and enemies of the state. They are to be silenced with arrests and heavy fines. So you do not solve problems, but rather you have to be careful not to deduce yourself completely into totalitarian states. Dear Federal Government, ... (The President withdrew the floor from the speaker.)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. Today we are voting on ‘legal migration policy and legislation’. For this purpose, we were provided with information in our preliminary information and by EPRS analysts at committee level. This information from the EPRS, which is included in this study entitled ‘European added value of EU policy and the right to legal migration’, claims that: In the EU, public opinion strongly supports EU action to promote the authorisation and rights of TCN companies and the creation of start-ups by these individuals. The problem is that the Commission’s consultation on which the EPRS based this statement is not representative to make such a claim. This is a serious mistake and a very serious misrepresentation of the facts. Moreover, the fact that the whole dossier on which we are voting today revolves around only this issue, i.e. promoting the migration of third-country nationals to the EU, makes the error even more serious. I informed the EPRS about this more than a month ago and asked for a message to be sent to all Members in this regard, but so far this has not happened. Against this background, I propose that the vote on this file be cancelled today and that this report be returned to the committee involved for re-vote.

Madam President, Dear colleagues, while together with the media you mantra-like always repeat the same fake news of poor refugees and hollow phrases of solidarity and values, the videos from the Polish border show the bitter reality: Extremely violent economic migrants attack Poland's border in order to enter the welfare state of Germany. No one has to be more grateful to Poland than we Germans. Poland has a problem called the EU. Border management is exactly the opposite of what the EU is aiming for with its new migration pact. That is why you are only offering help to Poland in registering illegal migrants – a slap in the face of every Pole who is defending our freedom at the border. Belarus has repeatedly refused Polish aid. The EU now offers a total of 700 million euros. Do you realize that half a million average taxpayers in Germany have to work a month for this? This is political failure. This is pure political impotence. Clearly: Belarus has triggered the crisis, Belarus has to solve this crisis. Finally, remember and act in the interest of the European citizens, who are mostly against mass migration!

Mr President! The fact that we are discussing a possible EU enlargement in the Balkans is simply absurd. The Balkan countries are and will remain a haven of corruption, and the economic situation there is catastrophic. Since 2007, the EU has invested around €8 billion there, also to boost the economy. According to studies, there has been no progress. As always, the EU has only burned money and failed miserably. But the EU would not be the EU if it did not confirm Einstein's well-known quote over and over again: ‘The definition of madness is to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.’ That is precisely why another 30 billion are now being invested over the next seven years. The taxpayer obviously has it. How many of these billions will seep back into dark channels? But you don't seem to care, colleagues. It's just the taxpayer's money. Let's not fool ourselves: The Balkan countries would be net recipients for decades to come. Who's gonna pay for this? Mainly German taxpayers. He will eventually realize that he is only the milking cow of the EU. He himself is still impoverished. The German – as we know, he is very rich – now has one of the lowest median assets in the EU due to redistribution. Almost amusing is the digital transformation that the EU wants to promote in the Balkans. Germany is in the sector worldwide, now a digital developing country. In large parts, hardly an Internet or telephone connection is possible. The EU would be well-advised to solve its own problems in the country first, instead of picking up more. It was also decided to increase the vaccination rate in the Balkans. This is outrageous and impudent. Do you now want to sell your fascist methods, which ultimately lead to the exclusion of millions of healthy people, to other countries as a model of values? The rules introduced are simply a crime against our people, and we want to introduce that in the Balkans too! This must not go on and this must stop, and now.

Madam President, Commissioner! In reports on the push-backs, women and crying children are shown to us in a visually effective way. But the reality is different. With naked violence, young, strong migrants are crossing the border in Poland. What about us? We are having a hypocritical debate that distracts from the central core of the problem: The EU's total failure to protect its external borders. If affected states act themselves, they not only have the right to do so, no, they also have the duty to protect their people and ward off intruders. Mrs Johansson, while here in Parliament you are protected by fences and heavily armed police, you are refusing precisely this protection to European citizens. The citizens of Europe have to bear the consequences: Murders, rapes, drug trafficking, parallel societies and billions of dollars in costs. And we are debating moral aspects of Push-backs. Seriously? We should ask ourselves: Why isn't the EU finally securing its external borders? Why are criminal traffickers called sea rescuers and why aren't we putting these people down? It's time to finally change that. Let's protect Europe!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. The EU wants to set up an Asylum Agency to "support Member States in crisis situations". What this means is quite obvious. It is about distributing asylum seekers more quickly and speeding up their applications. Let's not fool ourselves! Uncontrolled immigration, which has led to numerous terrorist attacks, countless murders and rapes in the EU, will only continue as a result. What we really need is a deportation agency. The Gambia case shows this more clearly than ever. The Gambian government refuses to take back rejected asylum seekers. In such a case, a deportation agency could enter into negotiations with this government and impose appropriate sanctions if the negotiations fail. These could be sanctions against members of the government, economic sanctions, stopping development aid and so on. The deportation agency could take over the logistics and organization of returns. Thus, one would effectively represent the interests of one's own population, but not with the planned asylum agency. This is only part of the planned migration policy, which is destructive for Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. Billions of dollars of taxpayers' money are being sunk into development aid, trust funds and other things to create a few jobs here and there, allegedly fighting causes of flight or helping people. This dysfunctional system does not create any sustainability, but only provides the NGOs with highly endowed jobs. We doctrinate on problems around, then in a hare-and-hedgehog manner the causes continue to follow. Let's finally name the problem: the massive overpopulation of Africa, the overpopulation in other parts of the world. What do thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of jobs bring us if millions of people enter the labour market in the same breath due to the extreme birth rates? At the same time, with our neo-colonial approach, we want to impose our value system on other cultures, although this is clearly not desired – see Afghanistan. Let's keep this in mind: Our value system is not an export hit. Speaking of Afghanistan. Even Erdoğan's Muslim Turkey is currently building a border fence with Iran to fend off the Afghans. The reason: They are not culturally compatible. As we fly in tens of thousands of Afghans, even Muslim countries see the problems we are hiding here from political correctness. Support for the refugees in Turkey is also just a scramble for the problems they have created themselves. The cause is the Syrian conflict. We're talking to the Taliban, but not Assad. Let's talk to him, let's eliminate the potential for blackmail, let's free ourselves from the role of victim, let's restore stability in the region, and let's finally stop seeing our morality as the yardstick of all things.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. Lebanon has been in a catastrophic situation since the devastating explosion in Beirut a year ago and the subsequent resignation of the government. This has already been said several times. The economy is on the ground. There is a lack of gasoline, electricity, medicines, food, everything. Iran and Hezbollah are using the situation to gather sympathy among the people of Lebanon with fuel supplies. The US had called on the plan, which even granted an exemption for business relations with Assad, to allow a gas supply via Syria to Lebanon. The EU should also take action here and break new ground and not stand in the way of an ongoing attitude of refusal towards Assad himself. Therefore: Return of the oil fields in northern Syria, which are apparently still under the control of the Americans. On the other hand, the sanctions against Syria must finally be lifted. Syria could supply oil to Lebanon and massively defuse the situation there. As I said before, talks with Assad are necessary and must not be denied. We are also talking to the Taliban. Why not Assad? With Assad, the return of Syrian refugees from the EU, Turkey, Jordan and also from Lebanon – hosts of 1.5 million Syrians at least – could be solved, thus also significantly alleviating the burden on the country and the region. The Syrians would also be helped, because they could return to their ancestral homeland. A win-win situation for all. It is time to stabilise and pacify the region before the problem is further cemented, as has already happened with the Palestinians. The EU is now called upon to do its part.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. The record after 20 years in Afghanistan is terrifying. The complete failure testifies once again that our value imperialism has failed crashingly. Failure with announcement. We do not have the right to transfer our values to other countries and cultures, nor is it clearly desired. 99% of Afghans want Sharia law, including the death penalty for homosexuals. Women's rights passé. We are currently transporting these archaic views to the EU by tens of thousands. Dear colleagues, don't be surprised about the next attack, the next gang rape, the next murder. Here we politicians have full responsibility towards our citizens. All of them, including you, will do you justice! Let's stop this immigration. Talks with the Taliban – yes, but no official recognition. The precondition for this must be the unconditional withdrawal of all rejected persons and, above all, all criminals. Whatever we do, I say from my many years of experience in this region, of which you obviously have no idea: We must finally stop exporting our values, unless we want to fail once again. (The President withdrew the floor from the speaker.)