What Hannes spoke about.

22

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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Allegations of espionage by the Hungarian government within the EU institutions (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner! Spying, monitoring, eavesdropping, hacking: The Orbán system does not get out of the headlines. Illegal surveillance with espionage software, hacking laptops, tapping phones, targeting investigators from the European Anti-Fraud Office – increasingly brazen, increasingly unabashed, it seems. Hungarian intelligence services are said to have tried to recruit EU official…

20

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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The decision to impose a fine on Google: defending press and media freedom in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Madam Vice-President! The appreciable fine against Google is a signal to the entire digital market. It's not just about a billion-dollar fine for a company, but about the basic message: Competition rules must be observed. And if Google exploits its dominant position in the field of online advertising technology, favours its own services and thus prevents fair competition, this is a c…

8

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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Arbitrary detention of EU citizens Javier Marañón Montero and David Rodríguez Ballesta in Equatorial Guinea

Madam President, We call on the authorities of Equatorial Guinea to take immediate and unconditional action to end the inhumane detention conditions of Javier Marañón Montero and David Rodríguez Ballesta. The two EU citizens have been in the notorious Black-beachprison incarcerated. They do not have sufficient medical care, limited access to lawyers, isolated detention and little contact with thei…

7

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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Rising antisemitism in Europe (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! Today, October 7, we commemorate the 1200 murdered and 250 deportees of Hamas' terrorist attack. On Nova music festival 370 young people who wanted to celebrate and experience freedom were brutally murdered. I also remember those scenes from surveillance cameras when a father of a family is murdered in front of his two sons, at the age of my son. A terrorist then drinks…

6

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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Intergenerational fairness in Europe on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner! The value of a society is also reflected in how its generations treat each other. In any case, intergenerational justice is the basis of a society worth living in and based on solidarity, namely when people of all ages stand up for it. Commissioner Micallef's initiative to create a new policy framework with the Strategy for Intergenerational Justice is therefore welc…

6

Oct

2025

DE Speech

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Role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! I firmly believe that most Europeans do not know that there is a European model of sport and how important it is for sport. It relies on sports federations and supports professional and amateur sectors alike. Sport must be accessible to everyone, regardless of gender or origin. When a sport becomes particularly popular in a country due to extraordinary successes of athl…

11

Sep

2025

DE Speech

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A new vision for the European Universities alliances (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! Europe invests in education and research and thus in strengthening our liberal democracy. European university alliances are more than networks, they are engines of innovation, mobility and academic freedom. And what started in 2019 as a new initiative under Erasmus+ is now a European success story with 65 alliances and over 570 participating universities – an outstandin…

10

Sep

2025

DE Speech

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Case of Abdoul Aziz Goma, arbitrarily detained in Togo

Mr President, Commissioner! We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Abdoul Aziz Goma, an Irish-Togolese citizen. His case shows with all brutality how human rights and the rule of law are trampled underfoot in Togo. He has been in inhumane detention for more than six years, has been tortured, isolated and sentenced in an unfair trial. Torture and political persecution must never be to…

10

Jul

2025

DE Speech

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European Citizens' Initiative 'Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures' (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner! United in diversity is the foundation of the European Union. Just as cohesion, i.e. cohesion, is and must remain the heart of European policy. It must not be based solely on economic indicators, must reach all citizens and must therefore also address linguistic, cultural and historical peculiarities. This citizens' initiative focuses on regions with historically deve…

9

Jul

2025

DE Speech

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Democratic Republic of the Congo-Rwanda peace deal agreement (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! There is nothing that our world needs more than peace in one of the greatest hotspots of crisis and war of our time. We in the European Parliament have regularly addressed the intolerable situation for people, violence and abuse in eastern Congo. The agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo can be a first important step towards peace and stability. …

9

Jul

2025

DE Speech

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EU Preparedness Union in light of the upcoming wildfire and droughts season (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister! Forest fires, droughts, water shortages – such events occur at ever shorter intervals more violently and thus more destructively. And that is the experience I have had in my former position as mayor in my home region in Austria. This development is not a temporary phenomenon, a structured European response is necessary, the strategy for a resilient Union is…

8

Jul

2025

DE Speech

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State of play of implementation of the European Media Freedom Act in the Member States (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister! Without free media, there is no free society. And the Media Freedom Act is a milestone for the protection of media freedom, independence and pluralism. It protects journalists from political interference and creates the necessary transparency in ownership structures and media financing – thus directly protecting our liberal democracy. And in exactly one month,…

16

Jun

2025

DE Speech

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State of play and follow-up two years after the PEGA recommendations and the illegal use of spyware (debate)

Mr President, Madam Vice-President of the Commission, Mr Minister! Again, misuse of spy and surveillance software is shaking our democracy in its foundations. And again – this time with the Paragon case in Italy: It has long since ceased to be individual cases, but the European Union has a structural problem. Unfortunately, the European Commission is still lagging behind. We have repeatedly asked …

7

May

2025

DE Speech

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Violations of religious freedom in Tibet

Madam President, Commissioner! When we talk about the systematic violations of religious freedom in Tibet, we are not only talking about religious and cultural freedom, about identity and human rights, but above all about the need for the European Union to pay greater attention to the situation in Tibet. Especially tragic is the death of Tulku Hungkar Dorje in his prison. Circumstances must be inv…

6

May

2025

DE Speech

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A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! If the European Union is to set itself the objective of competitiveness and resilience, education policy, educational mobility, the promotion of skills for the labour market and to be credible in doing so, then it must do so in culture and education, and thus in Erasmus+; Creative Europe Invest in the Solidarity Corps. These programmes achieve great results with compara…

2

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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Prosecution of journalists in Cameroon, notably the cases of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior, Tsi Conrad (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, with elections approaching, press freedom is under attack in Cameroon. Journalists are unjustly imprisoned, subjected to unfair trials and held in inhuman conditions. Some are seriously ill, yet denied medical care. Especially in the English-speaking regions, independent media are under systematic attack. Reporting the truth is never a crime. We call on the authorities …

1

Apr

2025

DE Speech

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Safeguarding the access to democratic media, such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! The voices of freedom must not be silenced. Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Voice of America or Radio Free Asia are indispensable voices for freedom and against disinformation. They support media freedom in countries such as Russia, China, Iran, Belarus and Afghanistan. They give people confidence and faith in a better, free and democratic future. The Trump administra…

1

Apr

2025

DE Speech

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Improving the implementation of cohesion policy through the mid-term review to achieve a robust cohesion policy post 2027 (debate)

Mr President, Mr Executive Vice-President! Cohesion is and remains at the heart of European policy – a success story for the European Union. Cohesion is cohesion and more than an act of solidarity: a profit for everyone, including so-called net payers such as Austria, because the money used comes back several times. In order for cohesion policy to be even more efficient, it is essential that imple…

31

Mar

2025

DE Speech

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Need to ensure democratic pluralism, strengthen integrity, transparency and anti-corruption policies in the EU (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner! Nine former or current MEPs and twelve former parliamentary assistants were found guilty in an embezzlement process. And with Huawei gate after Qatar gate, there is once again room for third countries and companies to try to influence democratic decision-making processes with unfair practices. Under the impression of the scandal, measures were taken by Parliament in …

31

Mar

2025

DE Speech

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European Cultural Compass as a driving force for economic competitiveness and resilience (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner! The European Union is in existential jeopardy. The attack on our democracy and European values is internal and external. It is precisely for this reason that it is necessary to strengthen culture and protect our society from illiberal, authoritarian tendencies. The cultural and creative sector accounts for 5.5 per cent of the total economic output of the European Uni…

12

Mar

2025

DE Speech

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Severe political, humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sudan, in particular the sexual violence and child rape

Mr President, Commissioner! Sudan is facing the world's biggest humanitarian crisis. We regularly and repeatedly deal with this catastrophe on an inconceivable scale here in plenary, but there is still no solution to the situation. This week we celebrated International Women's Day here in Parliament. At the same time, women and children are systematically raped, abducted and enslaved in Sudan. Thi…

12

Feb

2025

DE Speech

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Continuing detention and risk of the death penalty for individuals in Nigeria charged with blasphemy, notably the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

Mr President! Commissioner! The freedom of art and culture is threatened in many ways. Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death for a song. On social media, he has published audio messages that have been deemed blasphemous. A singer who has expressed himself artistically is to be executed for blasphemy. A verdict that violates international human rights standards, but also the Constitution of Ni…

11

Feb

2025

DE Speech

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Boosting vocational education and training in times of labour market transitions (debate)

Mr President! Madam Executive Vice-President! There is an acute shortage of skilled workers in all Member States. Nearly two-thirds of small and medium-sized enterprises complain about this. At the same time, youth unemployment is close to 15% – an alarm signal and a mandate to act. Austria is a role model for many. The dual training combines practice and school; facilitate young people's access t…

21

Jan

2025

EN Speech

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Humanitarian crisis in Sudan (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the situation in Sudan has worsened again since our last discussions in October. Nearly 26 million people, more than half of the population, including millions of children, instantly need help. Violence, famine and displacement are their daily reality. More than 8 million people are displaced within Sudan. Another 3 million have fled to neighbouring countries. The wides…

21

Jan

2025

DE Speech

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The Hungarian government’s illegal espionage of EU institutions and investigative bodies (debate)

Mr President! eavesdropping, recording phone calls, illegally extracting data from service laptops, searching hotel rooms – the recently published allegations against the Hungarian secret service weigh heavily. Investigators from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) who were supposed to investigate systematic violations of the rule of law in Hungary have thus become the target. As early as 2017, …