What Sophia spoke about.

7

Jul

2026

DE Speech

Watch

Presentation of the Action Plan on Cybersecurity and AI (debate)

Mr President, Madam Executive Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen! AI and quantum computing decide whether we are economically successful. Cybersecurity decides whether we will be able to act at all in the future. That is why we urgently need to set the course for the future. It is positive that the Commission has now presented this action plan, but it is now a matter of impleme…

12

Mar

2026

DE Speech

Watch

Rail transport safety in the EU – lessons learnt from the Adamuz accident and three years after the Tempi tragedy (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, The EU has one of the safest warning systems in the world. The truth, however, is: In recent years, there have been tragic train accidents with many victims. Our thoughts are with you and your family today. But remembering alone is not enough. When a train accident happens, the causes need to be fully clarified, and mistakes need …

10

Feb

2026

DE Speech

Watch

Presentation of the action plan against cyberbullying (debate)

17

Dec

2025

DE Speech

Watch

2030 Consumer Agenda (debate)

Madam President, Dear Commissioner, Dear colleagues! Many of us know this situation: Shopping in the neighbouring country – and suddenly the same product as a toothpaste or hair shampoo is much cheaper. Same brand, same quality, same content and same size. But it's a very different price. What's that about? This is due to territorial supply restrictions. Manufacturers dictate to retailers where th…

27

Nov

2025

DE Answer

Watch

Development of an industry for sustainable aviation and maritime fuel in Europe (debate)

27

Nov

2025

DE Speech

Watch

Development of an industry for sustainable aviation and maritime fuel in Europe (debate)

8

Oct

2025

DE Speech

Watch

Europe’s automotive future – reversing the ban on the sale of combustion cars in the EU (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Sustainable transport is our goal. But those who turn off the combustion engine also turn off the European economy. This definitely does not save the climate, but costs jobs and competitiveness. The automotive industry is an important lifeline of our European economy. It represents millions of jobs and progress. We definitely need to share that str…

17

Jun

2025

DE Speech

Watch

Latest developments on the revision of the air passenger rights and airline liability regulations (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, Minister, ladies and gentlemen! Many of us know it: An important flight journey is imminent, the suitcase is packed, you are checked in and arrive at the airport. And then the nasty surprise: A delay of several hours is announced, or the flight is completely cancelled. The consequences are manifold: You miss appointments, and your nerves are blank. But then the …

2

Apr

2025

DE Answer

Watch

The importance of trans-European transport infrastructure in times of stalling economic growth and major threats to Europe’s security (debate)

I think it's important that we use all the ways to transport. Personally, it is very important to me to strengthen the rail in particular. That's what I'm working on personally. I believe that the task of our Parliament is to focus on sustainable mobility in general.…

2

Apr

2025

DE Speech

Watch

The importance of trans-European transport infrastructure in times of stalling economic growth and major threats to Europe’s security (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Europe needs an efficient transport infrastructure, because only functioning transport routes guarantee our prosperity. But we can't just think about traffic on the road. This is especially true for alpine regions, which suffer massively from transit traffic. This is precisely why we need to focus on the modal shift from road to rail and, abov…

21

Jan

2025

DE Speech

Watch

Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms (debate)

Madam President, dear Vice-President of the European Commission, ladies and gentlemen! Digitalization is changing the way we live, how we communicate, how we work and how we inform ourselves. It offers us numerous opportunities, but definitely also risks. Fake news and hatred online endanger our democracies and also reduce trust in the media and institutions. The DSA is now the tool to seize the o…

17

Dec

2024

DE Speech

Watch

Towards a shared vision for European tourism, its sustainable growth and brand Europe (debate)

Dear Presidium! Dear Commissioner, welcome to the European Parliament! Dear colleagues! The European Union is a world leader in tourism. No other destination attracts more tourists than the European Union, and no other destination offers as much diversity as the European Union. This means that tourism also plays an essential role for the economy in the European Union. In my home region of Tyrol, f…

16

Dec

2024

DE Speech

Watch

A European Innovation Act: lowering the cost of innovating in Europe (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! We in the European Union have long been known for our innovations. In recent years, however, we have lost a lot of innovative strength and competitiveness. The good news: We can tackle the trend reversal together with a strong effort. The path to the goal is clear: On the one hand, less bureaucracy and reporting requirements are needed and, on…

23

Oct

2024

DE Speech

Watch

Need to strengthen rail travel and the railway sector in Europe (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! A drive from Innsbruck to Schwaz is 34 kilometers long and takes about 30 minutes, depending on the traffic situation. Every forced and control-related break of a train at the Brenner lasts just as long. The reason for this: In Austria and Italy, the same rules do not apply to rail transport. While the trucks rush past on the motorway and jam throu…

21

Oct

2024

DE Speech

Watch

Implementation of the Single European Sky (recast) (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Today we travel almost without borders through Europe. But above the clouds, where freedom seems boundless, we still encounter many invisible border bars in EU airspace, which severely restricts European air traffic. Airplanes often fly unnecessary detours because outdated national regulations force this. This leads to delays, costs and 10% more…

8

Oct

2024

DE Speech

Watch

The crisis facing the EU’s automotive industry, potential plant closures and the need to enhance competitiveness and maintain jobs in Europe (debate)

Mr President, Mr Vice-President of the European Commission, ladies and gentlemen! It is something very special to be standing here for the first time, at the hemicycle lectern, especially on a topic that moves us all: the traffic. And transport is sometimes also the main problem for CO2emissions in the European Union. In solving this problem, however, our car manufacturers and the suppliers, who a…