What Reinhold spoke about.

Madam President, dear colleagues, the latest elections in Venezuela took place within an authoritarian regime that has presided over democratic backsliding for more than a decade, as many colleagues mentioned it already. Maduro didn't win the elections and he is still in power. That's the problem and we can never accept such a situation. Since Nicolás Maduro assumed the presidency in 2013, the situation has become worse day by day, and the dictatorship is meanwhile established. Maduro consolidated his power by creating an alternative legislative body to eliminate the National Assembly, and then using a packed Supreme Court to sideline the legislature and bar the major opposition figures from the presidential elections in 2018 and 2024. During both elections, international observers have found there has been limited freedom for political opposition, biased media coverage favouring the ruling party, and restrictions on civil society participation. The situation in Venezuela directly affected the European Union. It was mentioned the number of asylum applications submitted has dramatically increased. The people of Venezuela deserve free and fair elections and all results must be transparent and verifiable. We must do everything in our power to increase international pressure on the government in Venezuela. That is our duty today and tomorrow.

Madam President, Yes, we have a great common challenge, and our enormously important task is to actually strengthen our competitiveness. What do we need? We need to complete the internal market, we need to significantly improve the capital and energy market situation, and we need to invest massively in the technology sector. We need more Europe here. We need less when it comes to overregulation. It is not enough to talk about it, we have to act – and now it is time to act. A new debt package does not immediately bring with it structural changes that we need. But what it certainly brings is a new interest burden and that is not a good means for more growth. I am optimistic that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will make announcements in the right direction before and after 9 June. All initiatives in this regard are supported by me, but also by our Federal Government with Chancellor Nehammer.