Speeches

Mr President! This "Fit for 55" climate package is the insanity of this EU Commission, which is expressed in words and figures. This climate package is not just ill-conceived, it shows the complete seclusion of the EU elites – and the whole thing under Commission President von der Leyen. And to conceal this madness, the European citizens are deliberately misinformed by the Commission. The flourishing landscapes, the wonderful future they promise – nothing but fake news! The truth is that everything will be more expensive for Europeans in the future: Housing becomes more expensive, mobility becomes more expensive, heating becomes more expensive, food becomes more expensive. In addition, the jobs of European industry will also migrate to Asia, where much dirtier production is taking place. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs are being destroyed in Europe. Europe's prosperity will be destroyed, Europe's innovative power will be destroyed, Europe's economic existence will be destroyed. And why all this? For nothing. Because you can't do anything with it. Climate change is not even stopped by half a degree. Pollution is even worse! There will be in the history books: The European Commission, headed by President von der Leyen, has deliberately destroyed the world’s most successful, innovative and environmentally friendly industry. Poverty and poverty will be their legacy.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! The coronavirus crisis in particular has made us all aware of the particular importance of an efficient, modern, environmentally friendly and pan-European transport network. Although I am generally a critic of this permanent presumption of competence by the EU, which also contradicts the principle of subsidiarity, intensive cooperation between the European states is of crucial importance in the field of transregional transport policy. Unfortunately, it is precisely this cooperation that has so far often proved to be very problematic. The Court of Auditors’ report on the Brenner Base Tunnel last year, for example, showed this very clearly. The Brenner Base Tunnel is a prime example of how collaboration does not work: Insufficient coordination, lack of access routes, insufficient stations and, above all, enormous bureaucratic hurdles continue to delay the start-up of this line, and they also call into question its cost-effectiveness. The new directive now contains some positive approaches, especially in the area of intergovernmental cooperation and bureaucratic hurdles. I therefore hope that the new directive will lead to a significant improvement for future trans-regional transport projects. And for these reasons, I will also agree with the reports.