What Martine spoke about.

6 Oct

2026

EN Speech

The state of play of advancing EU-Africa trade and investment relations (debate)

Watch

Madam President, dear Commissioner, the partnership between Europe and Africa is one of the most important relationships. We are neighbours linked by geography and by history, with a shared future ahead of us. Our cooperation must rest on equality, mutual respect and shared interest. Not charity, not one‑sided‑deal partnerships. Africa is young, dynamic, full of entrepreneurial energy and rich in …

19 May

2026

EN Speech

Opportunities and challenges presented by a comprehensive artificial intelligence strategy for EU trade (debate)

Watch

Mr President, artificial intelligence is already fundamentally reshaping international trade, and we cannot afford to be a passive spectator in this transformation. Our priority must be competitiveness through deployment. AI can be a powerful equaliser for our SMEs, cutting compliance costs, opening new markets, simplifying customs – but only if they have fair access to AI infrastructure. At the s…

18 May

2026

EN Speech

Negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity on the Union steel market (debate)

Watch

Mr President, dear colleagues, Europe is confronted with a defining industrial moment. Global steel overcapacity continues to increase, while Europe remains one of the few major open markets. The consequences are tangible – production sites under pressure, weaker investments, declining utilisation rates and thousands of industrial jobs lost across Europe. But this debate goes beyond steel, as it r…

11 Feb

2026

EN Speech

Developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy (debate)

Watch

Madam President, Europe is once again at a crossroads. We speak, and rightly so, about competitiveness, innovation and resilience. But Europe will not be strong if it is only efficient; it will only be strong if it is fair. Tomorrow this House will vote on a key report ahead of the European anti‑poverty strategy planned for 2026. Because fighting poverty is not optional; it is the responsibility w…

9 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Declaration of principles for a gender-equal society (debate)

Watch

Mr President, as an active member of the EMPL Committee, I am deeply committed to promoting equality at work. A gender-equal society cannot exist if women must choose between career and children. Parenthood and care work are vital contributions that must be valued and shared equally. Achieving real work-life balance means affordable child care, fair parental leave and equal opportunities for all w…

12 Feb

2025

EN Speech

Silent crisis: the mental health of Europe’s youth (debate)

Watch

Mr President, dear colleagues, we have all heard the alarming statistics and numbers from the previous speakers and I think we can all agree that this is a silent pandemic. In times of multiple crises, our fast-paced world and the rise of screen-based technology – especially social media – expose young people to limitless, often harmful content, fuelling dissatisfaction and mental health struggles…

22 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market (debate)

Watch

Madam President, dear colleagues, for too long we have been turning a blind eye to the suffering of countless individuals who are forced to toil in deplorable conditions, often for little to no pay. The bitter reality is that, by allowing products produced through forced labour available in or exported from the European Union, we are being complicit in this injustice. By undermining the efforts of…

22 Apr

2024

DE Speech

Common rules promoting the repair of goods (debate)

Watch

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, It is striking how much our consumption habits have changed in recent years. More and more often, throwing away and replacing damaged or old items becomes the norm, rather than repairing them. This throw-away culture costs us consumers, as colleagues have already said, around 12 billion euros every year and causes enormous environmental …

6 Feb

2024

DE Speech

Quality traineeships in the EU (debate)

Watch

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, In great anticipation of the Commission's proposal, I am one of the many young people and young people who have already undergone a number of traineeships in European countries. Sometimes you get paid more, sometimes less or not at all. In some cases, there was not even a detailed contract, let alone the right to, among other things, a well-deserved holiday. Fro…

5 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Instant payments in euro (debate)

Watch

Madam President, dear colleagues. According to the Commission, nearly EUR 200 billion are temporarily blocked every day due to delays in payments, losing as a result an economic benefit of EUR 1.8 billion per year. Yes, you heard that right – the inefficiency of the European payment system costs us almost EUR 2 billion per year. Such inoperability has been having a tremendous impact, not only on t…

17 Jan

2024

DE Speech

Extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime (debate)

Watch

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, Today we enter the frightening world of digital reality, where the loud cries of hatred and hate speech echo. Social media platforms, our daily companions, are setting the stage for a worrying increase in online hate speech. Our digital natives They are the invisible victims of this growing threat. The severity of hate speech is that the…

12 Dec

2023

DE Speech

Framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (debate)

Watch

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! The transition to climate neutrality requires a more conscious use of our raw materials. Because critical raw materials are indispensable for the production of environmental technologies and in digitization. In particular, technological progress and a more efficient use of our resources along the entire value chain must play a central role and have…