Speeches

Madam President, the final declaration of the G20 in Rio de Janeiro testifies to the impressive decrease in the diplomatic influence of the West on world affairs. Some passages, such as, in particular, the one on Ukraine or the one on the Middle East, show that, among the countries that represent the most important part of the world economy, the American and European theses on these wars are not accepted. The contrast with the recent BRICS summit in Kazan is all the more telling. While the BRICS have a political project, the G20 already seems to belong to another era, an era in which the US administration and most European states had not yet chosen to prefer war to diplomacy and thus precipitate their marginalization. If we want to regain any influence in the world, we must end the war by negotiating peace.

Madam President, according to our treaties, the European Union is not intended to become a military alliance. Without the revision of the Treaties ratified by the Member States, the militarisation of our Union violates our legal bases. The introduction of a defence commissioner testifies to the will to create accomplished facts without consulting national parliaments or listening to the will of the people. We fear refusal as in 1954 and we prefer to do without democracy. This defence dimension, which goes beyond security cooperation, violates the neutrality of Ireland and Austria. Referendums and state treaties are ignored. The transformation of the European Union into a military alliance, effectively a mere appendix to NATO, will make it impossible for Ukraine to join the European Union. If it survives the war, it will and must remain neutral. Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, if we are to be better prepared for crises, let us at least do so with respect for democracy and the Treaties.

Mr President, the Court of Auditors plays an important role in the institutional architecture of the Union. It must therefore have all the necessary means to be able to carry out its tasks – its reports, which are factual, are therefore highly interesting. It is all the more important that the Court of Auditors remains a politically neutral forum for analysis and does not succumb to the temptation to adopt a political agenda. Her recent report, for which I thank her, shows many weaknesses in the implementation of the EU budget. The resources allocated to the Recovery and Resilience Facility have often not been used for the intended purpose. The huge sums going to Ukraine are not subject to effective control, despite being one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The necessary conclusions are that the Member States must not increase their contribution to the EU budget, which itself must no longer incur debts – which, moreover, are contrary to EU law. Debts incurred by the Union must be repaid from the Union budget.

I will then make a short summary. I think, Mr President, that Luxembourg should have status in this Parliament in the same way as all other languages also. I wish that my language should not be discriminated against by this Parliament. And I would like to remind you, Mr President, that Luxembourgish has also been a founding language of the European Union. Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer and Joseph Bech – three of our founding fathers – discussed in Luxembourgish the future of Europe, a peaceful future. And I would like to have this language recognised in this Parliament.

Mr President, I respectfully request the same right for the people of Luxembourg as for everybody else in this Parliament, and I would kindly request you to let me speak in Luxembourgish.

Excuse me, my dear colleague, I do not know your name, but do not feel offended by that, please. First of all, I would like to tell you that, even in a context of war, I believe that freedom of religion must be ensured. It is religion that gives people hope and also offers a moral dimension, which must be respected in any war, perhaps even more than in other circumstances. Secondly, as far as Ukraine is concerned, I have to tell you that there is a lot of concern about human rights. We do not talk much about it here, but unfortunately Ukraine is not the rule of law that we would like it to be. While we always say that it is there to defend the values for which the European Union wants to commit itself, this is unfortunately not always the case. Third, I will tell you that this ban on a church has been strongly criticized by human rights defenders, including in the U.S. Congress. I refer you to his debates.

Madam President, Commissioner, it is regrettable that intolerance towards religions is on the rise. Even in Europe, Christians are persecuted and Christian churches are burned and desecrated. In Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate, has just been banned. Due in part to massive illegal immigration, anti-Semitism is once again becoming a danger to Jewish communities in Europe. Some, especially on the left, hide their anti-Semitism under an anti-Zionist argumentation. Let's be clear: Any anti-Semitism is unacceptable. It is Judeo-Christian values that have shaped Europe and created the basis of our freedom. Religious tolerance is a fundamental value of the European Union. Those who oppose it, those who deny our history, those who attack believers, those who oppose the free exercise of worship and those who propose to impose another culture on Christian Europe will clash with our determination to defend our values and our freedom.

Madam President, the Hungarian Presidency had already been criticised even before it began on 1 July, including in this Parliament. Prime Minister Orbán was then vilified for his efforts and initiatives to facilitate a negotiated peace for the Ukrainian conflict. Personally, I can only congratulate him for this courage. We need dialogue with all the belligerents to end this war as quickly as possible. A presidency of the Council must always have the freedom to work for peace. At the same time, I refute the attempts made by the European Commission to weaken the Hungarian Presidency. The Commission has stepped out of its role as guardian of the Treaties, and as you said, Prime Minister, it is not a State, but an administration at the service of the Member States. It does not have to organise meetings in parallel with those of the Presidency. The powers of the Commission are those granted to it by the Member States. If it considers itself superior to these, the Member States would be well advised to withdraw powers from it at the next revision of the Treaties.

Madam President, in this conflict the European Union has never tried to define a policy that corresponds to its own geostrategic interests. Instead of developing a capacity for analysis and autonomous action, it has poured into an absolute follow-up with the United States and the United Kingdom. Our Union will soon have to question its own responsibilities in the genesis and continued deterioration of the Ukrainian conflict. The current situation increasingly threatens world peace. The Western powers must understand that they can under no circumstances launch deep missile attacks in Russia. A solution negotiated directly between the belligerents is becoming increasingly urgent. Right now, humanitarian aid and diplomacy must replace arms supplies and financial support. The European Union will then have to help rebuild Ukraine and offer it new prospects for development. Our Union and its Member States, as well as NATO, must fully respect Ukraine's neutrality.

Mr President, those who have warned us since 2015 of the risks of illegal and uncontrolled mass immigration were entirely right. Such immigration creates, among many other problems, imminent security risks. Today, therefore, we reiterate our call: The many attacks on the lives and property of peaceful European citizens must stop. Those who do not enjoy the right of asylum or international protection must be removed from our countries without delay. But there's more: asylum and protection are temporary statuses and cannot be assimilated to immigration. The status of beneficiaries must therefore be regularly reassessed and, as soon as circumstances permit, they must return to their country. Similarly, those who return to their country, for example to spend holidays there while enjoying a protection status in Europe, must lose this status with immediate effect.

Madam President, the reality on the ground shows that Ukraine will not be able to win the war against Russia. Why then do a policy of prolonging suffering and waging war until the last Ukrainian? I support the mediation efforts of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. I note that, according to a dispatch from AFP yesterday, even President Zelensky believes that Russia must be represented at the next peace summit. Not only do we need a negotiated solution with Russia for the current conflict, but we also need a European security architecture that includes Russia. I do not want a new cold war or an arms race. We will therefore have to ask ourselves honestly about our own responsibilities as the European Union in the genesis of the Ukrainian conflict: What was our role in the non-implementation of the Minsk agreements? Did we exacerbate internal tensions in Ukraine through the Association Agreement?