Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, the European car industry is facing a crisis, we all know that. But could we not avoid this debate? Let's see how we got here. The closing Commission, applauded by the Socialists and the Greens, systematically tightened the screws. All bets were on one card: electrification. The automotive industry is facing increasingly complex and unpredictable regulation and unrealistic emissions requirements. It's impossible to pretend we can keep going up against the wall. The automotive industry has more than a century of tradition in Europe and employs millions of people. It is necessary to stop and thoroughly reassess the current direction. The Commission should act immediately. For example, we already know that car manufacturers cannot meet CO2 emissions requirements.2 and imminent fines just aren't fair. We need a revision of existing legislation as soon as possible, we need to give space to different paths to decarbonisation, otherwise we will end up badly to the detriment of the car industry, our citizens and the EU as a whole.

Mr President, Commissioner, the free movement of persons and the Schengen area are something that our citizens consider to be one of the greatest benefits of the EU. I am very concerned that internal controls, instead of an emergency measure, are becoming the new normal in the conception of some Member States. If migration is the main motivation, the situation is not sustainable in the long run. We urgently need to improve the security of external borders and continue work on asylum policy, including cooperation with third countries. Member States introducing controls should also openly say whether there is a mistake in not enforcing all applicable rules, such as those on expulsions. Or in their generous welfare system, attracting even economic migrants who would not normally get asylum at all.

Mr President, Commissioner, the current floods have caused great tragedy and have caused human and material losses. More damage in the Czech Republic was prevented by a timely response from the government and state authorities. The extent of the floods is greater than in 1997, but the damage is lower. When minimizing the damage, it became clear that the state had sufficient meteorological data and hydrological predictions. So let's invest in modern technology, including space technology! The flood situation must not be misused to mislead us into making green policy tougher. We need prevention, not tightening the Green Deal. Waterworks played a positive role and therefore, despite the resistance of many activists, we must continue to build more. The Union should provide maximum funding for the reconstruction of the affected areas, from all financial instruments at its disposal. People need to know that next time we will be even better prepared and that they will get help from the European level as quickly as possible.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to thank you for presenting the report on the State of the Energy Union. The ending Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, has undoubtedly done a great deal of work after the outbreak of the Russian-induced war and in the context of the energy crisis. It's a good thing we got rid of our one-sided dependence on our risky partner. We must continue to work on the diversification of gas supplies, but also on the diversification of electricity production. The development of renewables places great demands on strengthening the transmission systems of the Member States, and we also need to complete interconnections between transmission systems. But we shouldn't just look in one direction. The conditions in each region of the European Union are different and nuclear energy is an important low-carbon source for a number of countries, including the Czech Republic. In this respect, we must strictly respect the principle of technological neutrality and the right to choose our own energy mix. I want to believe that in this, the new European Commission will not throw a wrench at the Member States. I believe that we should also be cautious about setting new climate targets. We should first reflect on the situation for 2030 and only then discuss the parameters of the 2040 target.