Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, for 20 years our leaders have made two mistakes: Underestimating the Russian threat and overestimating American reliability. Here we are today caught between two brutes, Vladimir Putin, who declared war on Ukraine and Europe, and Donald Trump, who is against Europe, our interests, our values. In this world of brutes, we can only rely on ourselves. We will need all the moral forces. It is the debate that is stirring up my country, France, right now. We will also need all our material forces. This is the historic vote on EDIP. Tomorrow, Europe will have a genuine European defence industrial policy. Tomorrow, Europe will make sure that this European money goes to European industry, to European workers. With our vote, we are lighting a ray of hope, the hope of a powerful Europe, proud of its values and which is finally beginning to give itself the means to fulfil its ambitions.

Mr President, ten years ago, the Paris Climate Agreement brought hope for a better world. Today, COP30 in Brazil is about implementation. As Europe and developing countries work together to find an agreement, we will vote tomorrow on the climate law. A law that is not perfect, but is an essential step. We Social Democrats wanted a more ambitious law, without these international credits, the credibility of which has yet to be demonstrated. But, in the face of Trump's and Putin's supporters, we've done what we've been doing for decades: build compromises avoiding compromises. We have reached an agreement with the political heirs of Konrad Adenauer, the rational right that knows that climate action is vital. In the face of the historical challenge, we must rise to the height of history. So, ladies and gentlemen, I hope that tomorrow we will have the same sense of responsibility when we vote for the European Climate Law.

Mr President, Vladimir Putin has been waging a hybrid war against Europe for years. His goal, the reconquest of the Russian Empire. His method, political destabilization. Its tools, the financing of extremist parties, information warfare and what the European Commission has rightly called energy warfare. Indeed, for 20 years, Europe has increased its dependence on Russian oil and gas. Even before his attempt to completely invade Ukraine, Vladimir Putin used our energy dependency against us, dropping his gas deliveries in the summer of 2021. It created a real gas shock to destabilize the European economy. Today, we Europeans declare our independence from Russian fossil fuels. No more a drop of Russian oil will arrive in Europe as of January 1, 2027. A single gas molecule will no longer arrive in Europe as of 1 January 2027. Today, we know that we can do this thanks to the energy and ecological revolution, because it is through sobriety, energy efficiency and investment in renewable energies that we will be able to regain our energy sovereignty, that is, our freedom. It is in this spirit that we European Social Democrats will continue to contribute to the grand pro-European coalition that we have formed in this Parliament and which supports this text. It is with this same determination that we will negotiate on foot with the Member States, so that Europe finally frees itself from Russian fossil fuels. Let me conclude by thanking all the colleagues from the political groups who supported this agreement, and in particular the co-rapporteurs, Mrme Vaidere and Mr Niinistö for the leadership you have shown in these negotiations, you can count on us to the end.

Madam President, I stand before you today with a tight heart. I am thinking of those 200 people who died a year ago during the floods in Spain. Among them, nine children. If so many Europeans died that day, it is because of climate change, it must be said. Scientists have been alerting us for decades. Climatologist Filippo Giorgi reminds us that there is still time to avoid the unmanageable and manage the inevitable. Avoid the unmanageable, because yes, the worst can still be avoided thanks to our action here in this Parliament. When the laws we pass advance climate action, we help save lives. Managing the inevitable means ending decades of procrastination. That is what we should have done yesterday, right here, to better protect our forests. Our forests are burning and a right-wing – extreme right-wing majority in this Parliament refuses to monitor them. To remain passive in the face of the climate emergency is to condemn our nations to chaos.

Mr President, today the extreme right still shows us that it has no sense of responsibility. Let's be clear, the future of the car is electric. Scholars have been saying this for ten years, and it is now such evidence that even the German Right publicly acknowledges it through the voice of Ursula von der Leyen. Yet the far right still refuses to face reality. Is it because you are too influenced by the diesel lobby? Or is it because you're afraid that Vladimir Putin will run out of oil money to keep financing you? Faced with the irresponsibility of the extreme right, what to do? First of all, regulatory stability must be preserved. Secondly, we need to invest in Europe in the production and recycling of small electric cars adapted to people's real needs. Finally, I hear you say that electric cars are too expensive and are not accessible to the poorest. But this is because you refuse the European-wide roll-out of social leasing. Because an electric car at €80 a month is the Europe we want.

Mr Mariani, you are just showing me what I have to say about pro-Russian agents in this Parliament. The sentence is that of General Burckhardt, Chief of the Armed Forces Staff. As a former soldier myself, I know what we owe to the honour of our soldiers and I regret that you are now attacking one of the greatest generals we have had in our country’s recent history.

Madam President, Russia has openly designated France as its first opponent in Europe. It has made France one of its priority targets. These words were uttered by General Burckhardt, the Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces, on July 11. For years, Russia has sought to weaken France. It finances extremist parties, attacks French interests and wages an informational war, as illustrated by the Gossi mass grave. Beyond France, it is the European Union that Vladimir Putin wants to destroy. If these drones are now violating our airspace, it is to test us. Faced with the Russian threat, we Europeans must stand together. But how to do it? Here in this Parliament, pro-Russian agents are taking part in the debate. To resist them, we need to act in the areas of defence, diplomacy and energy. Our honour and responsibility is to move forward together in a pro-European coalition, the only one capable of preserving our freedom.

Madam President, Marseille is burning, and the far right is looking elsewhere. The flames reached the Estaque district. I am thinking of the marine firefighters of Marseille and the firefighters of the SDIS who continue to fight against the flames. I am also thinking of the people of Marseille, my friends – Élisa, Léa, Christophe, Pascaline. I also feel a deep anger because IPCC scientists have been warning for thirty years that climate change is intensifying fires. Let's be clear: Our support should not be limited to words. It is not a TikTok video that will save Marseille from the flames, but the courage of the firefighters. It will also be our political courage to tackle the roots of evil: the climate emergency. Today, however, the right-wing and far-right majority in this European Parliament rejected our request to urgently adopt the proposed European Climate Law. Colleagues, let us react before it is too late. Let’s act before we enter a world where the courage of firefighters will no longer be enough to save Marseille from the flames.

Madam President, Marseille is burning, and the far right is looking elsewhere. The flames reached the Estaque district. I am thinking of the marine firefighters of Marseille and the firefighters of the SDIS who continue to fight against the flames. I am also thinking of the people of Marseille, my friends – Élisa, Léa, Christophe, Pascaline. I also feel a deep anger because IPCC scientists have been warning for thirty years that climate change is intensifying fires. Let's be clear: Our support should not be limited to words. It is not a TikTok video that will save Marseille from the flames, but the courage of the firefighters. It will also be our political courage to tackle the roots of evil: the climate emergency. Today, however, the right-wing and far-right majority in this European Parliament rejected our request to urgently adopt the proposed European Climate Law. Colleagues, let us react before it is too late. Let’s act before we enter a world where the courage of firefighters will no longer be enough to save Marseille from the flames.

Mr Leonardelli, we MEPs are representatives of the citizens who elected us. So when you talk to people who have served the homeland as firefighters, like our colleague Grégory Allione, you talk to him, not to someone who would represent the head of state – first. Secondly, we know that there is – excuse me, I see you dodeline your head, that is how it works in a democracy, even if I know that it is a word that is little practiced in your political party... Nevertheless, my question is simple: What did you vote on this noon when we voted on the urgency procedure for climate action? Remind me what your vote was.

Mr Leonardelli, we MEPs are representatives of the citizens who elected us. So when you talk to people who have served the homeland as firefighters, like our colleague Grégory Allione, you talk to him, not to someone who would represent the head of state – first. Secondly, we know that there is – excuse me, I see you dodeline your head, that is how it works in a democracy, even if I know that it is a word that is little practiced in your political party... Nevertheless, my question is simple: What did you vote on this noon when we voted on the urgency procedure for climate action? Remind me what your vote was.

Mr President, EUR 200 billion: This is the sum that the Europeans have given to Vladimir Putin since 2022 to buy his oil and gas. Even today, the European Union is the largest buyer of Russian gas, far ahead of China. Among the European countries, it is my country, France, which is the first buyer of Russian gas today. Last April, another 1.5 billion euros of European money went to Russia. This money, Mr. Putin uses it to finance his war, to recruit thousands of soldiers who will die in Ukraine. To put an end to this shameful situation, to this dishonour, we must act. I warmly thank the European Commission, and in particular Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, for the work it has done in recent months. Finally, it offers us a clear plan. Together, we, the representatives of the European peoples struggling for their freedom, together make this plan a reality, together free Europe from Russian energies.

Mr. Speaker, when I was ten years old, my eyes questioned the white and red lines of a flag floating in the wind of my native Normandy. I already knew what World War II was, but that flag I didn't know. Today I am thinking of the Polish soldiers of General Maczek's First Armoured Division. At Mount Ormel, they fought with rare bravery. Of the 1,500 soldiers engaged, only 60 were still able to fight after their victory. I know what I owe them. I know they allowed my grandfather to live in a free France. I also know that many of them have never seen free Poland again. History does not repeat itself, but yesterday's criminals have their heirs, who are now tempted by recidivism. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump find support right here in the European Parliament in this extreme right-wing heir to the worst hours in our history. In today's peaceful fight for democracy, let us remember those Polish heroes who fell on Mount Ormel. Let us show ourselves worthy of their courage.

Madam President, European industry is suffering from its dependence on fossil fuels. Our predecessors made this choice, putting the future of our industry in the hands of Vladimir Putin. In 2021, Putin cut gas supplies and created the first gas shock in European history. In May 2021, gas costs 20 euros per megawatt hour. Six months later, it costs 100 euros per megawatt hour. In 2022, after the Russian military defeats in the battles of Kiev and Chernihiv, Putin almost completely cut off our gas. Today, gas prices remain high and volatile for us, hovering between €40 and €60 per megawatt hour. The rest of this story is up to us to write. Our industries will only be fully prosperous with truly European energies: renewable energy. That is why I support this resolution today, led by our colleague Giorgio Gori, because, yes, only an energy revolution can save our industry.

Madam President, I have a simple question for Mrme Disclaimer: in 2021, the Green Deal did not exist, and no public policy was implemented. Yet the price of gas, in Europe as in France, rose from 20 euros per megawatt hour in April 2021 to 100 euros per megawatt hour in December 2021. Who do you think did this? The man whom Marine Le Pen chose to shake hands with in 2017, when she sought international recognition: Mr. Putin. So what is your plan to lower the price of gas? Is it allying yourself with Putin's Russia?

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in order to remain in control of our destiny, let us control our electricity prices. My country, France, is already producing carbon-free electricity in abundance, thanks to nuclear power and renewables. To remain masters of our destiny, we must invest massively in all renewable energies, including onshore wind, marine energies and rooftop solar. This will allow us to continue producing electricity at an affordable price, while respecting the European targets set in the national energy and climate plans. To remain in control of our destiny, the French government must listen to the European Commission and stop raising taxes on electricity. Colleagues, we now have all the tools to better control electricity prices. It's up to us to make good use of it. This is how we will restore confidence in electricity prices to help our industrialists, local authorities and citizens to be able to make the choice of electricity serenely.

Honourable MEP Knotek, I've got a simple question: can you tell us what is the price of electricity produced by gas today in Europe? And what is the price of electricity produced by onshore wind power today in Europe?

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Vladimir Putin has declared war on European democracies. This war, he has been waging for more than ten years: cyberattacks, disinformation, military invasion... How does Putin manage to finance his war? The answer is simple: fossil fuels. 140 billion euros is Russia's military budget at war. 250 billion euros is Vladimir Putin's income from his oil and gas sales. It is therefore by attacking Russian oil and gas that we will deprive Putin of the means to win his war. So, what to do? First, no more importing Russian energy: Nord Stream must remain closed and Russian LNG deliveries must stop. However, we must go further. In Europe as in India, renewable energies are the energies of freedom. It is by investing globally in renewable energy that we will roll back Russian oil and gas. Our Green Deal is Vladimir Putin's kryptonite.

Good evening, honourable Stoyanov. In your speech, you said that we should have more production of natural gas in Europe. I wanted to ask you if you knew what is the percentage of the natural gas we consume in Europe today that we are actually able to produce in Europe today?

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today I would like to tell you the story of Soizic. She is a home nurse in Torigni-sur-Vire, rural Normandy. Every day, she takes her car to provide medical care at home. At the end of the day, she often walked 120, 150, 180 kilometers. Since Soizic has a small electric car, a Renault Zoé, it saves more than 1,000 euros a year, because driving an electric car costs three times less than driving an oil car. Soizic’s story is the – banal – story of this ongoing ecological revolution: an increase in purchasing power, a better quality of life and clean, European energy for a car manufactured in Europe by a European company. The question now before us is simple: how to make the electric car accessible not only to nurses, but also to carers, who earn less money? It is for them that we must create a European social lease, a simple system, a rent of 50 to 150 euros per month, so that millions of workers in our rural areas can finally access the freedom offered by the electric car.

Madam President, two words: ecology and economy. Two words that are so close, but that many here are still trying to oppose – in particular the extreme right, which wants to copy Donald Trump’s policy. I note with you, my dear friends, the total absence of each of Jordan Bardella's MEPs from the PfE Group in this room at this very moment, which speaks volumes about their interest in our industry. So, ladies and gentlemen, let’s start by agreeing on a simple and basic truth: Europe is low in fossil fuels. We already import 90% of the gas and 97% of the oil we consume. Our Europe is poor in gas and oil, but it is rich in renewable resources: the wind, the sun, geothermal energy, the power of the seas and the central element, namely the innovation and collective intelligence of Europeans. We Europeans of the 21st century know that ecology and economy are two sides of the same coin. So, yes: Sobriety, energy efficiency, renewable energy, repair and recycling are the pillars of our future economic prosperity.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are once again experiencing a historic moment in which part of the European right wishes to make a pact with the far right. Here in the European Parliament, the far right simply wants to remove the Green Deal, as if our European companies should not catch up on the technological gap they have taken over China, for example in terms of electric cars and battery production. Colleagues, we are not catching up by slowing down. This European Green Deal must not be abolished, it must be complemented by a European investment plan for research, innovation and battery production in Europe. On this day, I call on my right-wing friends to remain true to their values and history. You are the heirs of the founding fathers of the European Union. Your founding fathers, Robert Schuman and Konrad Adenauer, know where the alliance between the European right and the far right is heading. They have lived in their flesh what happens when small political calculations take precedence over honor and a sense of duty.