Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner! End hunger, fight poverty, education opportunities for all children, strengthen women's rights, access to health care, healthy food and clean drinking water: The United Nations has set 17 concrete goals with the 2030 Agenda to combat global inequality. What has happened so far? The mid-term review of the 2030 Agenda presented by the UN Secretary-General last year is sobering. With more than 30 percent of targets stagnated or deteriorated compared to 2015, in terms of global hunger, we fell back to 2005 levels. Explaining the frightening reality with references to COVID, wars or natural disasters falls short. Rather, an unjust global financial system and systematic political corruption play a major role. The Oxfam Inequality Report published at the beginning of the year substantiates this with frightening figures: The richest percent of Africa owns almost half of the financial wealth of the entire continent, the seven richest men of Africa own more than the poorest half of the population. Valuable resources are in the hands of fewer super-rich. Any debate on the root causes of flight in this House is hypocrisy as long as we do not ensure that people in their home countries can live in dignity.

Madam President, Commissioner! No peace in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo: 150,000 people have been displaced in the past two weeks alone, and the provincial capital of Goma has already taken in half a million internally displaced people from the Sake area. The supply situation is catastrophic, the refugees live in inhumane conditions without sufficient food and medical care. The threatening power vacuum caused by the resignation of Prime Minister Lukonde plays into the hands of the M23 rebels, who have already advanced to just before Goma. Rwanda denies funding, training and equipment for the militia. However, these accusations made by the UN cannot be dismissed. Most of the gold that serves as Rwanda's main source of foreign exchange comes from eastern Congo. The agreement on critical raw materials with Rwanda is the first such agreement between the EIB, the world's largest supranational bank, and an African partner. Previously, the European Commission had already concluded an agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, all this is not a license for human rights violations, which must be clarified and, if necessary, sanctioned.

Madam President, (start of speech off mic) ... 20 million people, almost half of Sudan’s population, are affected by life-threatening food insecurity. After nine months, the violent conflict claimed around 12 000 lives and displaced 5.8 million people. Already before the outbreak of the conflict, Sudan was facing a humanitarian crisis due to extreme weather shocks, social and political unrest and rising food prices that continued to drive poverty, hunger and displacement. Many thanks to the European Commission for mobilising EUR 126.4 million in humanitarian aid for the people of Sudan in 2023. In view of the ongoing emergency situation, the EU and the Member States must increase emergency funding for the humanitarian aid and the refugee camps, and increase aid throughout West Darfur and neighbouring countries. The EU has to impose sanctions on those responsible for serious human rights violations. We also have to call on the United Nations Security Council to sanction violations of the UN arms embargo on Darfur, and to expand it throughout the country. We finally must ensure that the peace agreement can be reached, so that innocent civilians in Sudan are able to live in freedom, peace and security.

Madam President, Commissioner! The way in which the Greek authorities deal with the clarification of the Predator interception scandal will show whether Greece is moving towards autocracy or not – as I have pointed out here on several occasions. And for over a year we have known that journalists, lawyers and politicians like our former colleague Nikos Androulakis have been systematically intercepted. From whom? To date, there has been no satisfactory information from the Greek authorities on clients and backgrounds. Two years ago, journalist Giorgos Karaivaz, who reported on corruption and crime, was murdered. Independent journalists are threatened with SLAPPs. Reporters Without Borders lists Greece in the Press Freedom Index at 107. Place of 180 possible – the lowest ranking of all EU Member States. To the Rule of Law Index According to the Commission, there is no country in the European Union with major backsliding on the rule of law in the last five years. Surprising? Thank you to the Commissioner who said that action is necessary, and this is the message to Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis: Not lavish and lament, but finally enlighten and act!

Madam President, Commissioner! It has long been necessary for us in the European Parliament to draw attention to the situation of Tibetans. Their culture and language are threatened, their religious freedom is severely restricted. Demonstrations are violently suppressed. Now, more than a million Tibetan children have been separated from their parents and sent to forced boarding schools with the consent of the Chinese regime. Three quarters of all students are affected. The goal is to erase their Tibetan identity. Children's rights are systematically violated. Another unfathomable culmination of a whole series of human rights violations that the Tibetan people in the People's Republic of China have to endure. As the US has already announced, the conditions for issuing visas to Chinese officials associated with these boarding schools in Tibet should also be tightened in the European Union. A peaceful solution for Tibet can and will only be possible through dialogue and negotiations with the Tibetan community in exile.

Mr President, Commissioner! It is high time for the European Parliament to have a direct right of initiative for legislative proposals in order to effectively enforce the interests of citizens. Five months ago, the European Parliament proposed legislative changes by a large majority to protect citizens from the misuse of spyware. To this day, we waited or waited for an answer. And this is a disregard for the principle of loyalty between the EU institutions enshrined in the Treaties. The Commission's position that no legislative action is necessary fails to recognise the situation because new suspicions show that the existing legal framework is neither sufficient in the Member States nor at European level to prevent and sanction abuse. Therefore, an action plan to prevent the misuse of spyware against European citizens must be presented without delay and all legislative and non-legislative competences falling within the competence of the European Union must be exhausted.

Mr President, Commissioner, Secretary of State! Only four months have passed since the final report and resolution containing the recommendations of the PEGA Committee of Inquiry were adopted here in this House. For 15 months, we have worked intensively on the misuse of spyware in the Member States and also put forward concrete solutions on how the European Union can protect citizens from illegal spying on personal data and massive interference with fundamental rights. The final report also paints a frightening picture of how rule of law principles have been undermined by national governments and non-European influences. And new cases are still emerging: According to a report by Amnesty International, French software company Nexa sold the Predator espionage software to authoritarian regimes, including the government of Vietnam. High-level representatives of European institutions such as President Metsola or colleague Karleskind fell victim to the Vietnamese espionage campaign. Servers of the European Commission and scientific services are said to have been attacked with the same software that spied on the mobile phone of our former colleague Nikos Androulakis. The need for action is obvious, even if the allegations need to be reviewed. The Commission is obliged to reply in writing following the adoption of a resolution by Parliament on concrete measures. This deadline expired two days ago. An opinion must be submitted immediately and not soon. I expect concrete proposals for a legal act that exploits all legal possibilities within EU competences. The large number of cases shows that the existing legal framework is simply not sufficient. The trust of European citizens in the rule of law and democracy is at stake!

Mr President, Commissioner! It is necessary to also discuss culture and education in the Union's budget debate. COVID-19, high inflation, loss of purchasing power – multiple crises hit the cultural and creative sectors particularly hard. The Council's proposal to further reduce the budget of Creative Europe, the EU's only direct cultural support programme, is ignorant. Culture is a significant economic factor, accounting for 4.2 per cent of the EU's total economic output. Creative Europe has a comparatively minimal budget of around €2.5 billion between 2021 and 2027, and the Culture strand urgently needs €15 million in emergency assistance. Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps also need reinforcements for the coming year. With comparatively low budgets, these programmes make a lot possible, especially for young people, make the European Union tangible and stand for a Europe of people. Investing in education, culture and youth is investing in the future of Europe.

Mr President! Nothing better can happen to us than that we in the European Parliament not only talk about a people’s Europe, about education and opportunities for young people, but also act – and we do that when we address Switzerland’s and the EU’s relations. Since 2014, Switzerland has no longer been associated to Erasmus+, and following the failure of the negotiations on a framework agreement, the country has also been downgraded to the status of a non-associated third country in Horizon Europe, although the cooperation has worked excellently, although all organisational structures are in place. Swiss universities have been looking for partners ever since. Most recently, the University of Bern was looking for a partner and joined the European University Alliance. And it is also students from the European Union who suffer at least to the same extent from the exclusion of Switzerland from Erasmus+. Education as an important factor for the sustainable development of Europe therefore justifies a special position. This has nothing to do with raisin picking. Even if negotiations are difficult or even fail, young people must never become a pawn. Swiss participation in the Solidarity Corps and the European Capitals of Culture strengthens European values and brings people in Switzerland and the EU closer together.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Through the European cross-border mechanism, the European Union can be felt and experienced by its citizens. Therefore, its implementation is of fundamental importance. And not only because an economic gain of billions of euros is to be expected. We have already heard many examples of positive effects. Another example: Enabling children and young people to attend kindergartens and schools in the neighbouring country promotes the goals and cornerstones of the European Education Area, such as multilingualism, mutual acceptance and interest for different communities and thus also for the development of democratic competences. Language barriers and prejudices are being dismantled, both in border regions and in areas with regional language minorities. This solves cross-border problems in areas such as healthcare, the labour market or the mutual recognition of qualifications, such as medical staff and doctors. The European Union will be felt by the people if it manages to expand these borders in everyday life and grow together into a real community.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, according to Unicef, at least 13.6 million children in Sudan are in need of vital humanitarian aid. Newly born babies and infants are dying through malnutrition, dehydration, lack of medical care and the consequences of power failures. Hundreds of children have been killed and thousands seriously injured and abused. Humanitarian aid organisations report that basic medical care is limited due to the security situation, and food shortages have caused that half of all children suffer from hunger. The European Commission must do everything in its power to ensure that the people of Sudan have access to food, essential goods and medical care. The EU must implement targeted sanctions against General Burhan and General Hemedti and other individuals responsible for human rights violations, including the freezing of personal bank accounts under the EU’s global human rights sanctions regime. A permanent ceasefire agreement has to be the first step. A return to peace talks and democratic reforms have to follow. We must act quickly to resolve the inhuman situation, especially for the affected children of Sudan.

Mr President, Commissioner! When the PEGA Committee of Inquiry started its work 14 months ago, who would have thought to what extent politicians, journalists, lawyers as well as political activists will be intercepted and monitored in Member States of the European Union without legal foundations! The goal of using Pegasus and similar spying software in all these cases was to spy on, intimidate and silence critical actors from politics and civil society. Not all of these unacceptable processes, which pose an existential threat to democracy in the European Union, have been clarified at all. With our recommendations to the Commission and the Member States, we want to lay the groundwork for ending and preventing the unlawful use of espionage software in Europe. Such software may only be used to combat the most serious crimes and only by judicial order. The Commission must act promptly and present a legal act on the legal use, sale, purchase and transfer of spyware, including common minimum standards. Our former colleague Nikos Androulakis was spied on by the Greek government under the guise of national security. This case clearly demonstrates the need for a uniform definition of the concept of national security in order to exclude any arbitrary interpretation. Protection rules for particularly exposed professional groups such as journalists, transparency, legal assistance for target persons and mandatory documentation to trace the use of spyware are necessary. National security matters fall within the competence of the Member States - yes, that is true. However, it is for the European Union to safeguard and defend fundamental rights, the observance of which all Member States have undertaken under the Treaties. The implementation of our recommendations is an alternative step to restore the trust of European citizens in democracy and the rule of law.

Madam President, Commissioner! Sudan is another country in a chain reaction in the region and obviously has the potential to turn into a huge disaster if we don't act. The influence of other countries and groups already present in Africa, such as Wagner, would also extend to Sudan. The lack of drinking water, food and medicine is triggering a huge refugee movement. UNHCR speaks of up to 800,000 people, compared to 334,000 internally displaced persons the previous week, and 700,000 people are already reported, which shows how dramatically the situation is developing. The EU must immediately impose targeted sanctions on the warring parties, with a halt to further arms deliveries and limited access to their assets by the warring parties. Negotiations and a ceasefire are urgently needed. What is happening in Sudan will have an impact on neighbours such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and finally on us in Europe.

Mr President, Commissioner! The Committee of Inquiry into the use of Pegasus and similar surveillance and spyware has been working in this House, in the European Parliament, for a year now. Our task was and is clearly defined, namely to determine the extent to which Member States and third countries use surveillance measures against citizens and thus violate the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and in legal norms. The deeper we penetrate into the matter, the more shockingly the dimension opens up in which way rule of law and democratic principles are threatened in Europe. Our colleague Nikos Androulakis was intercepted for months with Predator on the pretext that he was a threat to the national security of Greece. To this day, he is denied any information about the reasons for his interception. Only seven Member States responded directly to our Committee's questionnaire. I do not yet assess the quality of this information. A joint reply by the Czech Presidency in October 2022 does not address the specific issues of deployment, legislation and authorisation procedures. The summit, of course, is the justification for Hungarian Justice Minister Varga's refusal to speak and communicate with the committee: “We do not want to help with the performance of the Hungarian and European left financed by Soros dollars.” As long as there are such approaches as a parliamentary committee of inquiry should work, this is not acceptable. Measures must be taken, as the Commission is the guardian of the Treaties. There has to be a procedure. In response to the Commissioner's statement, I would once again like to ask for concrete measures, because the trust of European citizens in the rule of law and in the institutions is at stake.

Madam President, Commissioner, the two pro-democracy members of the Eswatini Parliament, Mthandeni Dube and Bacede Mabuza, have been in jail since July 2021. They were detained after the pro-democracy protests in Eswatini in June and July, in which, according to different sources, between 46 and 79 people were killed. Their immediate release must be the primary objective of our resolution. The cases of state violence against the people of Eswatini continue to increase and have reached a sad peak with a murder of Thulani Maseko, witnessed by his family on 21 January this year. The country’s absolutist monarch is making clear threats and attacks by the security forces on political dissenters, human rights and democracy activists, trade unionists, students, and protesters are following. People are confronted with systematic intimidation, arbitrary arrests, kidnappings and alleged torture. The shutting down of the Internet and a ban of protests, impunity for the security forces involved and the discrimination against women and minorities complete this catastrophic situation. It is the duty of the European Union, as the largest donor to the country, to review the support programmes for Eswatini and suspend them if the use of funds is not in line with human rights, just as long as fundamental and human rights are respected and promoted in the country.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister! I will now give the answers that my previous speaker has asked for, namely: As early as September 2022, this Parliament’s PEGA Inquiry Committee dealt with espionage and wiretapping cases in Greece. I asked Greek journalists who had reported on the affair and provided information during this hearing: Is Greece on the road to autocracy in the face of these incidents? The answer: Not yet, but this depends on how the Greek government in particular handles the clarification, how transparent the committee of inquiry will work in the Greek Parliament, which respondents will be invited and what information will be given. In the debate in the House – here in September – we heard that Greece has nothing to hide. But developments in recent months are a cause for concern. There is evidence that the Greek government under Prime Minister Mitsotakis deliberately disregards the rule of law. Since 2019, when he took office, the National Intelligence Service has been under the direct control of the Prime Minister. A hearing with Greek government officials in this Parliament's committee of inquiry was a farce. The answers to MEPs' questions were simply inadequate. The questionnaire sent by the Committee to the Greek Government on the use of espionage software has remained unanswered to this day. There is no willingness on the part of the Greek authorities to cooperate with European institutions. The committee of inquiry into the illegal use of espionage software in the Greek Parliament ended after just one month without any significant findings. It is also particularly alarming that Greece is in free fall in the area of press and media freedom. After the World Press Freedom Index 2022 is the country of 70. Ranked 108th in 2022. Place slipped and thus the bottom light of the European Union. The murder of journalist Giorgos Karaivaz in 2021 has not yet been solved. Journalists are subject to intimidation and SLAPPs. And what justifies the fact that our colleague Nikos Androulakis was illegally intercepted for several months? What is the danger to national security posed by a Member who has worked here in the European Parliament for eight years? And why was an opposition politician deliberately spied on just a few months before national elections? I expect the Commission to take clear action to defend media freedom and the rule of law in Greece. We are alarmed and must ensure that democracy and the rule of law are not eroded from within – not in Greece, not in any country of the European Union.

Mr President, Commissioner! I was able to take with me from the last meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the EU that the European Union must regain confidence in these countries, mainly because it has not yet succeeded in signing the Post-Cotonou Agreement. And many of these countries are increasingly under the influence of China and Russia. African countries in particular are also heavily dependent on imports of wheat, cereals, fertilisers and cooking oil. Russia's attack on Ukraine has massively exacerbated the situation and demonstrated the need for direct European support for sustainable development. The issue of food security goes hand in hand with security, stability and respect for human rights. Many countries, especially in the sub-Saharan region, have faced terrorism and displacement for years, and the interests of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are largely in line with those of the European Union. The democratic and economic development of these regions has a direct impact on the countries of the European Union. And Global Gateway can and must make EU development policy more sustainable. The European Parliament in particular should play a key role in this. Unfortunately, a large majority in this House still does not know enough about it. And it was only through a press release that we learned that the Commission has given the green light to 40 programmes under Global Gateway. In any case, these programmes must ensure that people in their home countries have a sustainable perspective and future. Infrastructure projects are of course very important. Similarly, development cooperation programmes must also include Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), democracy, the rule of law and the rule of law. good governancepromote freedom of the press and media and, above all, education. The fact that the European Parliament has so far only been given an observer role in the Global Gateway Committee is a mistake that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.

Madam President, Commissioner! The consistent fight against crimes detrimental to the EU's financial interests is of paramount importance for the budget, but above all for citizens' trust in the European Union. The need to increase the financial and human resources of the Anti-Fraud Authority (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is more than clear from current figures. While the number of cases of irregularities and fraud has remained roughly the same between 2020 and 2021, it has more than doubled to 3.2 billion euros. With a budget of 45 million euros alone, the European Public Prosecutor's Office has already approved the seizure of more than 250 million euros in its first year of work. All efforts to increase transparency and control against fraud and corruption strengthen credibility in the European Union and citizens' trust in the European institutions, especially now that it is so necessary.

Madam President, Commissioner! One thing in advance: If we give a voice to the weak and disenfranchised here, it has to do with attitude and nothing else. Up to 150 people were killed in protests against the interim government in Chad. The number of injured remains unclear. More than 1,300 people have been arrested and tortured, and 200 are still missing. Most of the detainees are located 600 kilometers from the capital in the high-security prison Koro Toro under catastrophic conditions at temperatures of over 40 degrees in summer and zero degrees in winter. The announcement of his own candidacy and the extension of a transitional period of 18 months until elections by President Mahamat Déby, who succeeded his killed father, took people to the streets. The country is marked by serious fundamental and human rights violations and faces corruption, extreme poverty and an escalating famine. The EU must respond to the humanitarian situation in the country and strongly support the democratic transition. An investigation into the violent suppression of peaceful protests is absolutely necessary. And it would take a joint opinion from this House, the support of all Members - and especially the largest group here in this House - to send a clear message that supports these weak people, who also support these people accordingly in this situation.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister! 3.8% of all European employees work in the cultural and creative sectors and contribute a considerable 4.2% to European economic output. It is therefore high time to adapt the strategic framework of European cultural policy to the challenges and pursue ambitious goals. Culture as a driver of sustainable development and social justice must be an absolute priority in the Council Work Plan until 2026 in the face of high inflation, inflation, war and horrendous energy prices. The aftermath of the pandemic is already clearly felt and the full recovery will take years. The professionalisation of the cultural and creative sectors is a contribution to counteracting precarious working conditions. Let us implement a common legal framework for fair working conditions, common minimum standards for all Member States with adequate remuneration. The European Parliament has this European Status of the Artist demanded last year. So far, neither the Council nor the Commission have moved. But it is the culture that is worth fighting for.

Mr President, Commissioner! Since the armed conflict between the army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the militia ‘23 March’ has once again escalated, more than 262 000 people have been displaced – by far the majority of whom are women and children. 2.4 million children suffer from acute malnutrition. 7.5 million people currently do not have access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation. The United Nations documents serious human rights violations, sexual violence against women and forced labour of children. The conditions in the refugee camps are dramatic. Violence is no coincidence – the eastern Congo region is rich in natural resources. The armed groups are also financed by illegal trade in minerals, which are important for the arms industry. Neighbouring countries, especially the government of Rwanda, are urged to stop the illegal mineral trade by their countries, to stop all funding of rebel groups. The European Commission must send clear messages with the EU Strategy for the African Great Lakes and provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the catastrophic circumstances in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr President, Commissioner! REPowerEU has to solve the urgent problem of our energy supply, to lead us out of dependence on energy imports, to guarantee affordable, secure and sustainable energy for Europe. Thus, one of the most important tools for Europe is to achieve the goal of climate neutrality, drive the digital transformation, boost growth and create jobs. Although REPowerEU is in line with many other programmes, including cohesion policy, in order to be successful, it must involve all affected levels nationally, regionally and locally and, above all, have a socially inclusive impact. REPowerEU must not be financed at the expense of people by underfunding and neglecting other EU programmes and projects. REPowerEU is neither an instrument of cohesion policy nor of environmental and climate protection. However, a departure from climate action is not an option – especially under the impression of the UN-COP-27 climate conference in Sharm-el-Sheikh.

Madam President, Commissioner! Sigmund Freud wrote to Albert Einstein in a letter: Everything that promotes cultural development also works against war. The Russian war has attacked the culture of Ukraine. The consequences: Flight and expulsion, cancelled concerts and performances, destroyed museums, theatres, concert halls, cultural sites and cultural monuments. Nevertheless, culture plays a big role, we remember the impressive images of Ukrainian choirs and orchestras that have made music outdoors. They have impressively conveyed the incomprehensible importance of culture in the face of this war of aggression and its power. Putin's war is a cultural war directed against everything Ukrainian. From Melitopol, Russian troops have stolen 1,700 valuable artifacts, including a 1,500-year-old gem-studded gold diamond, one of the world's most valuable artifacts from the time of Hun King Attila. Since the beginning of the war alone, UNESCO has documented damage to around 200 buildings and monuments in twelve regions of Ukraine. Russian occupiers have shot the Ukrainian conductor Yuri Kerpatenko, who did not want to collaborate with them. And at the same time, Russia is sending its own cultural workers into this war. Putin's aggression is an attack on our European values, on democracy, cultural diversity and freedom, but also on Russian culture and Russian humanism. The war also poses massive problems for the cultural sector in the European Union. In addition to the aftermath of the pandemic, cultural workers are struggling with sharply rising inflation, associated inflation and a decline in purchasing power. The energy crisis will present the operators of cultural institutions with hardly manageable problems, especially this winter. Reductions in culture in the budget of the European Union must not take place and under no circumstances be justified by war. When asked to finance the war through cultural cuts, Winston Churchill said: Then what are we fighting for? We are fighting for European values.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister! From 2019 to 2021, enough calories were produced to feed the world's population. There is even a 24% surplus. Nevertheless, the number of people suffering acute hunger is increasing rapidly and further. The latest data from the United Nations is alarming. Food insecurity has reached a 10-year high, driven by rising food and energy costs and also by the consequences of the war. But basically we have enough food in this world. The problem is access to it, its distribution. Hunger is the direct result of poverty. Three examples of the drastic impact of climate change, wars and inflation in already devastated ACP countries: In Sudan, food prices rose by almost 150% in one year, in Ethiopia by 50%, and in Solomon Islands, rice and milk prices tripled. Last week, the European Union acted swiftly by pledging a €100 million grant to the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust Fund. This is a first step. However, additional funding, debt relief programmes and an effective fight against corruption are needed. That's because $50 billion is needed to end acute food insecurity in the next 12 months. No one should suffer from hunger, neither in Africa, nor in Europe, nor anywhere else in the world.

Madam President, Commissioner! The economic and social crisis in Tunisia has reached a dramatic peak in recent days. The state bankruptcy could be prevented on the weekend only by a 1.9 billion IMF loan. And the IMF is calling for unpopular reforms, such as freezing salaries in the bloated public sector and cutting subsidies for energy and food. It is precisely these austerity plans that will once again be painful for many Tunisians. For weeks now, staple foods such as rice and sugar have not been available at all, even bottled water was rationed temporarily, and fuel is scarce. In addition to the war in Ukraine, the government blames speculators who hoard food and then sell it expensively on the black market. Economists, on the other hand, see the blame for the poor fiscal policy. Of course, short-term loans alone do not secure a sustainable future. A Tunisian student summed up in an interview: If the money is not used for reforms, it will again only flow into the pockets of the elite, which is driving the youth out of the country with its policies. Many Tunisians are looking for a way to Europe. Only a few days ago, 18 young Tunisian refugees lost their lives after a boat accident. The European Union must do everything it can to give the people of the country a new perspective. Tunisia must return to democracy as soon as possible and thus to stability and optimism.