Speeches

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!