What Matthias spoke about.

10

May

2023

DE Speech

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Belarus: the inhumane treatment and hospitalisation of prominent opposition leader Viktar Babaryka

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Criminal trials behind closed doors, solitary confinement, detention camps, blocking contacts, denial of medical care – this is everyday life in Lukashenko’s Belarus, and he is raging against the opposition in the country, against his own people. Again and again we hear about the mistreatment of political prisoners. We condemn the treatment of Wikt…

20

Apr

2023

EN Speech

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Cohesion dimension of EU state aid and de minimis rules (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner Schmit, colleagues, never before has the European Union faced so many crises at once. Our regions are key in addressing them. They need relief from bureaucracy and more flexibility to deal with the multiple crises. I therefore welcome the temporary crisis and transition framework adopted by the Commission. It enables Member States and regions to tackle the challenges …

19

Apr

2023

DE Speech

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Dieselgate: suspected widespread use of defeat devices in cars to reduce effectiveness of pollution control systems (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, The exhaust gas scandal has also occupied us a lot in Germany. I regret that the traditional German company VW has done damage here and lost confidence in the car industry. But the EU has reacted well and correctly. All Member States now require vehicle tests to be carried out in real driving mode. In this way, the considerable gap can be closed between the C…

14

Mar

2023

DE Speech

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

Mr President, High Representative! Israel is a traditional friend and ally of the EU. As the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, we see Israel as part of our European family of values. One of the principles of the democratic rule of law is the independence of the judiciary. We know all too well here in the EU that this must be defended time and again. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis see t…

14

Dec

2022

DE Speech

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Upscaling the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Imagine you are building a house. For this, you put money back every month. Your house should be stable, modern, climate-neutral, and your grandchildren should still live in it. But then you need money for other important purposes: They help your neighbor in need, they need bread and warmth for the winter. But what will become of the house? No o…

19

Oct

2022

DE Speech

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Lukashenka regime's active role in the war against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Don't forget Belarus! Sviatlana Zichanouskaja addressed these words to all of us last week when she visited us in Brussels. She is fighting with many other courageous people for the freedom of her people, a people that has held dictator Lukashenko captive and incapacitated for years. Now he has also engaged his people in a war contrary to intern…