Speeches

Mr President, Mr Secretary of State, ladies and gentlemen! Yes, we are now discussing the STEP strategy platform on the budget, on the budget revision. Actually, this is a bit of nonsense, because from a – yes – financial point of view, it is quite disappointing what we have been presented with at STEP. The Innovation Fund, InvestEU, Horizon – all these programmes would have needed more funding for strategic technologies than Member States were willing to provide. I think that's a mistake. And that is why, unfortunately, the MFF revision is insufficient from an industrial policy point of view. This is a pity, because STEP could actually have been a good answer to the industrial promotion of other regions of the world. If we look at microelectronics, solar and wind power, medical technology: All of these are industries that are to be promoted more unbureaucratically and better in the future. In the end, they will now do so with funds from the EU structural funds. We can now support up to 100 percent, which is definitely a big win, and funds are also pooled from other programmes. We are clearing the EU funding jungle, we are making everything a bit easier, we are providing a clear view. STEP does that, and that's good. Only: We have now also created a quality seal with STEP. And thus we put these projects in the shop window, also for private investors, so that we attract more private capital. Our group, the Socialists and Democrats, has insisted that we must also comply with high social and labour standards here. Because European money should only be spent on good jobs in Europe, ladies and gentlemen! STEP comes at the right time, but it's not enough. We need a forward-looking European industrial strategy, which is also adequately backed up financially. Be sure: We, as Social Democrats, will take this demand with us into the next legislature. We won't let go.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, It hurts me when Jewish institutions in Germany still need police protection to this day, when Jews are threatened. This threat comes mainly from the right; In September, more than 80% of anti-Semitic crimes came from the right. Therefore: Do not shed crocodile tears, but keep these people in check! Since the barbaric attack by Hamas on 7 October, however, many other crimes have been added, including those committed by Muslims. This is unacceptable and we are experiencing our strongest rejection. Anti-Semitic as well as anti-Muslim violence, however, stems from an image of man that views people as not equal. It affects groups that are excluded due to their religious affiliation, experience violence and cannot live without fear in everyday life. For the right-wing extremists in this house, people are not equal. Their solidarity is fake. They take advantage of the painful wounds of the Jewish community to in turn discriminate. They incite people against each other. However, we uphold the universal values of the European Union – the inviolable dignity of the human person, freedom, solidarity, equality and a fair society.

Madam President, Commissioner! I am not quite sure at the moment whether we have the same assessment of the dimension of the problem – if I have listened to your comments. Well, I'm from Germany. One in five solar panels in the world came from Germany some time ago. But then there was a black-yellow federal government that left the solar industry in the rain – that was many years ago. But now we are again in a situation where the European solar market is booming, but our domestic manufacturers don't have as much of it. You mentioned the positive numbers of solar energy rolling out. Actually, our industry is well positioned with its quality products, but they are flooded with Chinese products at the moment – with ridiculous dumping products from China. Meyer Burger, Heckert Solar, Solarwatt in Saxony are all considering reducing their capacities. These are big European manufacturers. And that's something that pushes. Time is pressing. This is a wake-up call for the whole of Europe, and we must act quickly. You called them: the resilience measures we plan in the Net-Zero Industry Act. We are all confident that they will help. And we hope to come to a conclusion tomorrow. I also have great hopes in the legislation to stop forced labour, but I actually expected a little more today. We really need to act very quickly. There are proposals on the table to ensure the short-term purchase of modules from European manufacturers. You yourself mentioned that you have to look very carefully whether you also take targeted and temporary trade policy measures. I am simply expecting more from the Commission, so that the manufacturers we actually want to strengthen are not simply gone in the end. We can't achieve our goals, either. manufacturing still with deployment. Then we can't achieve any goals. And that is why I would like the Commission to be more aware of the seriousness of the situation here.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. Expulsions, deportations, ethnic cleansing – these are the secret plans of the fascists. In Rome neo-fascists march, in Potsdam neo-Nazis meet with representatives of the AfD in the Union of Values, i.e. parties that sit in this house. They devise plans for how to expel people from Germany. Plans against fellow citizens who are not native German. Plans against Germans whose ancestors come from other countries. Millions and millions of our friends, neighbors and colleagues. It sounds monstrous and it's monstrous. For what Churchill once said should no longer apply: "If it rings at six in the morning at my door and I can be sure that it is the milkman, then I know that I live in a democracy." This elementary security of life and limb – without it, there can be no free society. The fascists no longer hide their intentions – neither in Rome nor in Potsdam. But the people stand up. Tens of thousands took to the streets in Germany this weekend. As Social Democrats, we stand by their side. No footsteps for the fascists!

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! At STEP I have a crying and a laughing eye. Weeping, because almost exactly one year ago, Mrs. von der Leyen stood here and talked about the challenges of the green and digital transformation. And we applauded at the time when it announced a Sovereignty Fund, also as a European response to the efforts and plans of other economic powers. As you know, she had to bury this plan. That is why today we are talking about STEP – only STEP – a small but smart step to support our industry on its way to more strategic autonomy. My laughing eye comes from the fact that we as Parliament have been able to significantly improve this STEP proposal. Let me mention three aspects: Firstly, it is good that we do not introduce new, unclear terms that would mean even more bureaucracy and research effort for companies, but we are building on existing industrial policy initiatives. Secondly: The STEP seal will also attract attention from private investors. As a Social Democrat, I am glad that we only want to give this quality label to projects that also comply with high social and labour standards, because European money should only be used for good jobs in Europe. And thirdly, we have ensured with the STEP contact point that companies can obtain information about all funding opportunities at a glance, and thus can light up the often complained jungle of funding a bit. Ladies and gentlemen, Europe itself must become strong in strategic technologies. We need a strong solar industry here, not just in China. We need a strong generics industry here and not just in India. And we don't just want to leave the artificial intelligence market to US companies. And who knows, maybe next autumn there will be a new Commission President here, presenting the new European Parliament with a convincing idea of a European Sovereignty Fund and bringing us all to tears.

Madam President, Commissioner! The report presented on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 takes into account the new global economic situation. Flows of goods are exploited and supply chains are overloaded geopolitically. Those who only look for the cheapest price today will soon look into empty warehouses. The EU needs a new strategic autonomy in critical sectors. We need to improve, scale up or rebuild production in these areas. This autonomy can also cost state money, but it must of course not only come from national aid. That is why we Socialists and Democrats have called for a genuine EU sovereignty fund. I regret that President von der Leyen has broken this promise from her work programme. Instead, we have now received a proposal for the STEP technology platform. This is a small, pragmatic approach that refrains from building new structures and primarily increases funding for centrally managed programmes. It's not a bad idea, but not much. However, STEP can only be a first step, and here the Commission has taken the pun intended. If this platform proves its worth, the Commission will have to come up with a permanent solution.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, for eight years, the people in Pirna (Germany), Strasbourg (France) or Bratislava (Slovakia) have been waiting for better employment opportunities, better cross-border infrastructure and sometimes just healthcare protecting them. This is eight years too long. Firefighters can be forced to wait at the border before being allowed to go and help their colleagues on the other side. And several Member States’ restrictions apply even for ambulances to take patients across the border. Colleagues, this is insane. We can solve these issues. I believe that this new initiative on the cross-border mechanism addresses the legitimate concerns on constitutional sovereignty that existed in the Council, so we can finally break this deadlock. For the sake of EU citizens, let’s make the cross-border mechanism a success.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. In my home region of Saxony, mining has a long tradition: Everything comes from the mine. This has shaped the country for centuries. Mountain parades pay tribute to this tradition, but in the meantime, local raw materials also mean a future for Saxony and for many regions in the EU. The European Critical Raw Materials Act, which we are advising today, is the right response to increasing demand and supply risks. Projects will be approved faster and less bureaucratic in the future, and this is a great success. However, it is important that ambitious labour and environmental standards are adhered to, because people rightly expect this, both here and abroad. We want to develop new deposits, but only on a case-by-case basis. We do not want a gold rush in the EU, because every recycled ton of critical raw materials does not have to be taken out of the earth in the first place. That is why I am glad that Parliament wants to increase recycling rates and strengthen the search for replacements. Recycling and innovation make us more independent, and so we combine innovation, tradition and the future when it comes to raw materials.

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 Wiktar Babaryka, the former presidential candidate, the political competitor. We demand his release, and we demand freedom for all 1500 political prisoners in Belarus. We stand on the side of the Belarusian people, on the side of the opposition. A delegation from this Parliament will meet with representatives of the opposition in Vilnius next week – hopefully with this resolution in mind. Let's remember Schiller's words: ‘Tyranan power can only tie hands’. Lukashenko will never break the will of Belarus’s democratic forces – never!

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 by supporting relevant sectors on the path to a net-zero economy, a transition which we urgently need. I, however, think that not enough has been done. The increase in the de minimis limits does not even compensate for inflation. The notification burden must be reduced. State aid control needs to concentrate on substantial subsidies which could seriously distort the single market. But we must be cautious. Let us guard cohesion principles and make sure that territorial divides are not widened. The cohesion I mentioned can be more effectively addressed by financially supporting Member States with smaller economic capacity than by being overly restrictive on small—scale regional state aid. I therefore ask the Commission to ensure a legal framework that fosters the transition by allowing relevant small—scale state aid alongside providing more support through cohesion policy instruments where the Member States’ own resources are insufficient. This is a joint effort. Let us make Europe a global model for a just transition.

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 CO2 emission values measured on the test bench and those in road traffic. The test was also introduced in real driving mode to measure nitrogen oxide emissions. This decision is correct, and it is also the basis of the new Euro 7 emission standard that we are currently working on. These real driving emissions However, they must be guided by realistic everyday conditions and not by abusive test drives. Emissions standards that are ambitious, clear and feasible strengthen trust in industry and authorities. Dieselgate must not be repeated.

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 their rule of law threatened. Across the country, impressive protests are taking place against the planned judicial reform of the current government. She wants to drastically undermine the rights of the Supreme Court. Reconstruction of this scale undermines the rule of law character of Israel. The EU must not remain silent here. The complex political situation of the occupied territories in particular, the status of which the new government wants to fundamentally change, requires independent courts that are capable and effective. Therefore, Israeli President Isaac Herzog rightly warns against a tear test of his country and calls for the revision of the judicial reform. Mr. Borrell, support President Herzog for the sake of Israel, its rule of law and its democracy.

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 one believes that you can invest in the long term if you keep diverting funds. Why do we do exactly that with the EU budget? Regional policy is the EU's key long-term investment instrument. It helps our regions to grow, to become greener, to become more modern, to create jobs. However, resources from regional policy are repeatedly misused for various crises. Almost half a dozen ad hoc instruments have been created under the ERDF alone. In this way, we endanger investments in technology, in urban development, in cycle paths. That's the wrong way. New, additional resources are needed for new tasks. Let's continue to build the House of Europe and invite our neighbours. We need a stronger, future-proof financial framework for this.

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 international law. He has made Belarus the staging and firing area for Russia's attacks on Ukraine. The regime must immediately cease its support for this war. Lukashenko and his lackeys are on the EU sanctions list as contributors to war crimes. An overwhelming majority of Belarusians do not want to fight against their neighbors. We can't slam the door on them. As the EU, we should give protection to the people of Belarus who do not want to become the cannon fodder of Lukashenko and Putin. We stand by the side of justice, democracy and international law. We will not forget you!