What Michael spoke about.

19

Apr

2023

DE Speech

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Children forcibly deported from Ukraine and the ICC arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin (debate)

Mr President! I am very grateful to the International Criminal Court, and in particular to Karim Khan, for carrying out his task of registering Russian war crimes and naming those responsible. Vladimir Putin and Marija Lvova-Belova are also personally and politically responsible for the crimes that we are discussing here today. It is infamous when the aggressor wants to give the impression of savi…

18

Apr

2023

DE Speech

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The need for a coherent strategy for EU-China Relations (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. With regard to relations with China, the often described relationship triangle remains valid: Partner, competitor and increasingly systemic rival. I think we should regulate economic relations with China within the framework of a functioning WTO if the bilateral agreement is finally not concluded. However, in any case, all parties involved must abide by the resp…

17

Apr

2023

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, yes, thank you very much, colleagues, after consultation also with the S&D and Renew, I would like to add this debate entitled ‘Repression in Russia, in particular the cases of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Aleksei Navalny’.…

15

Mar

2023

DE Speech

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Tunisia: Recent attacks against freedom of expression and association and trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar

Mr President! Tunisia, ladies and gentlemen, is on a disastrous domestic political course. Responsibility for this lies solely with the President. He has been certified by the Court of Justice of the African Union that everything he has done since 25 July has been done unlawfully and in violation of the Constitution: dismissal of the government, dissolution of parliament, abolition of the 2014 con…

15

Mar

2023

EN Speech

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Strengthening the EU Defence in the context of the war in Ukraine: speeding up production and deliveries to Ukraine of weapons and ammunitions (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, indeed, time is of the essence to effectively counter the aggressor and for the Ukrainians to push him back from Ukrainian territory. And we have lost time. Too much time last year because the reality was that many Member States, including my own, remained too passive for too long, in spite of strong verbal commitments. The Netherlands – to name one positiv…

14

Mar

2023

EN Speech

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Deterioration of democracy in Israel and consequences on the occupied territories (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, our support for Israel as a functioning, vibrant democracy in the Middle East is, to a large extent, dependent on this very fact – that it remains a functioning democracy, where the separation of powers between the executive, parliament and the courts prevails. The legislation that is currently passing the Knesset seeks, among other issues, to enable the Knesset to o…

13

Mar

2023

DE Speech

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The functioning of the EEAS and a stronger EU in the world (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! In absentia, thank you very much to the rapporteur, Urmas Paet. Ich hoffe nicht, dass ihm die Russen in einer dunklen Ecke aufgelauert haben, damit er jetzt nicht hier sein kann. We agree to a large extent. We need to become more relevant in foreign and security policy. This has long been the view of Parliament and, in fact, of most governments. We…

13

Mar

2023

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, that has been dealt with, as the other issue has already been approved, on the Silicon Valley bank. So, thank you. I’m supportive of the suggestion.

15

Feb

2023

DE Speech

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One year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. In nine days, the criminal, full-fledged Russian war of aggression against Ukraine will be celebrated for the first time. We should first commemorate the innocent victims of this breach of civilisation, the children, women and men who were killed, raped, tortured, who had to flee, who lost everything, and also the Ukrainian soldiers who fell for a just cause – t…

14

Feb

2023

DE Speech

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Response to the situation in Tunisia (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! What we have seen and heard here is a refusal of reality on the part of the Council and the Commission. Tunisia was once a bearer of hope after the Arab Spring, and we are back back to square one, As far as the situation is concerned. We are much closer to Ben Ali than to any other democratic politician since 2011, and we have witnessed a c…

2

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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Preparation of the EU-Ukraine Summit (RC-B9-0092/2023, B9-0092/2023, B9-0093/2023, B9-0094/2023, B9-0095/2023, B9-0096/2023) (vote)

Mr President, dear colleagues, as the EPP Group we support the amendment to criticise the International Olympic Committee for its intention to allow Russia and Belarus back to the games. We propose placing this call more prominently, as a separate paragraph of the resolution. The reason is that this will also allow us to take the split votes requested by the Renew and EPP Groups on paragraph 26. I…

2

Feb

2023

DE Speech

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Preparation of the EU-Ukraine Summit (debate)

. – Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! What can be said in a minute? Firstly: Ukraine must win this war, otherwise it will go on indefinitely. This is in the interests of Ukraine, Europe and the free world as a whole. Secondly: We must continue our full support as long as it is needed. There is a broad consensus on this. This applies to political support, military, financial, humanitarian supp…

17

Jan

2023

DE Speech

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The establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. We need this special tribunal to prosecute the crime of war of aggression. And I am confident: If there is political will among our governments and the Commission, then our legal experts will also find a suitable framework for this. Along the way, we need to help Ukraine secure the evidence. This must be done to a large extent and it must also be ensured that…

17

Jan

2023

EN Speech

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The EU’s response to the appalling attack against civilians in Dnipro : strengthening sanctions against the Putin regime and military support to Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, the criminal and, in words and deeds, utterly fascist Putin regime has committed yet another in a series of war crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine. I have been several times in Dnipro and I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims of this vicious attack. My latest figures – and you are right, Commissioner, the figu…

17

Jan

2023

DE Speech

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Implementation of the common foreign and security policy - annual report 2022 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy - annual report 2022 (debate)

. – Madam President, High Representative, ladies and gentlemen! We saw last year that there seems to be a need for strong external pressure in foreign policy matters in order to unite and act resolutely together. The war that the criminal Putin regime is waging against Ukraine, but in reality it is also waging against us by other means, has almost forced this common positioning. I would have liked…

14

Dec

2022

DE Speech

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Upscaling the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Yes, I am speaking here for the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and this is one of the policy areas where it is quite obvious that it is not enough at the front and back. Commissioner, I'm glad you're here. I would have liked someone from the Council to be there, because they also have to listen, and I hope they will be told that too. We have to be honest. As m…

24

Nov

2022

EN Speech

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Situation of human rights in the context of the FIFA world cup in Qatar (B9-0539/2022, B9-0541/2022, B9-0542/2022, B9-0543/2022, B9-0537/2022, RC-B9-0538/2022, B9-0538/2022) (vote)

Madam President, I’m sorry but a brief indication for my colleagues in the EPP. There’s a wrong signal in three amendments. It concerns 36, 43 and 44: please vote minus. Sorry for this intervention. 36, 43, 44: vote minus, please.…

23

Nov

2022

DE Speech

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Amending Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 - Amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 as regards the establishment of a diversified funding strategy as a general borrowing method - 'Macro-Financial Assistance+' instrument for providing support to Ukraine for 2023 (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Kuhs, you are working on Ukraine as supposedly the most corrupt state in the world. We could be a corner further in the fight against this corruption if we were not here with Russia, the most criminal state in Europe, carrying out its war against Ukraine here. Today we have with a huge majority labelled Russia as what it is: A state sponsor of terrorism an…

22

Nov

2022

DE Speech

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EU-China relations (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr High Representative! In relation to China, it basically remains a triad partner, competitor and systemic rival. It would be nice if China were available as a partner in defending a multilateral, rules-based world order and not only if it suits them. I would have liked China to be a partner on issues such as combating climate change, in the form of China takin…

9

Nov

2022

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, originally in the EPP we had a discussion and thought it would make more sense to have the High Representative present in a debate, and we therefore suggested that we have the debate in two weeks’ time. But given the urgency and the urgent developments that we have seen – Hannah Neumann referred to the vote in the Majlis and the fact that most of those arrested are even facing the…

18

Oct

2022

DE Speech

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General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023 - all sections (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, The Commissioner rightly said: Ultimately, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine disrupts the entire financial architecture. If we are to be honest, we actually need a new financial perspective, not just for foreign policy, so that we can do what we really need to do. This includes, of course, direct comprehensive assistance to Ukraine, including the who…

17

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, colleagues, the EPP Group is prepared to hold this debate this week if it gets a majority. However, we think in order also to preserve the unity of the Parliament on the issue of Ukraine, we should let the discussion go a bit further and we should have the resolution in November II and not to have it at short notice. There is a debate that is ongoing not only in Europe in our Memb…

5

Oct

2022

DE Speech

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Russia’s escalation of its war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, In this systemic conflict between our peace-loving democracies and a belligerent dictatorship, we have seen a renewed escalation in recent weeks on the part of the deeply fascist aggressor: Mobilization, especially in areas with national minorities, and a voting farce to give the impression that here a Ukrainian population is just waiting to be brought home t…

13

Sep

2022

DE Speech

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The situation in the Strait of Taiwan (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! Dear High Representative, I can almost entirely agree with what you have just said. I think what we experienced this summer didn't need Nancy Pelosi's visit as a pretext, but what China organized there was practically an exercise in practicing a complete maritime blockade around the island. We cannot accept this threat, and it is therefore right that, in respons…

13

Sep

2022

EN Speech

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Question Time (VPC/HR) The state of play of the war in Ukraine

Thank you very much for what you said. But Mr Stoltenberg was quite clear. He said it’s worse when Ukraine loses than when we have empty arsenals in our Member States. So how to get our Member States, the big ones especially, to deliver what they have got and not to think that it’s better to preserve it for their own purpose? Because I think one thing is clear, our weapons at home are already dire…