Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner! Culture lives not only in the metropolises, but in the regions, in small places, in committed initiatives. This is where spaces, means and visibility are often lacking. That is why the initiative of the Kulturkompass is all the more important. Culture is more than art and entertainment: It is a link; It creates encounter, understanding and community. It is a space in which differences do not mean separation, but enrich us. At a time when polarisation and exclusion are on the rise, it is all the more important to strengthen this unifying character of culture. It gives us the opportunity to build bridges – between generations, between countries, between realities of life. Culture must be accessible and accessible to all. This is why we need targeted support for structurally weak regions, easier access to funding and, above all, real local participation. This is the only way to make cultural policy more than a compass. It will become a common movement that makes Europe tangible – close, colourful and alive.

Mr President, Commissioner! Imagine: a young student from a small town in a rural region. Your parents have never had the opportunity to go on vacation abroad, and financial worries are commonplace. For this young woman, Europe seems far away – an idea on paper, but not part of her everyday life. But she's not alone. Many young people do not have the chance to get in touch with peers from other countries. They lack the opportunity to really experience Europe because it is too expensive, because the school does not offer it or because no one cares about it. This is where the European School Alliance comes in. It offers young people the opportunity to work together across borders, to discover new perspectives and to make friends. Programmes such as Erasmus+ and eTraining allow students to get to know other cultures, practice languages and understand what European cooperation means. But these opportunities must apply to everyone. European exchanges must not only be for young people whose parents can afford them. It must also reach those who find it harder – young people from families with little money, from small villages, from difficult living conditions. School is the key. They can ensure that all young people can participate in exchange programmes, regardless of their parents' income or level of education. But that only works if we break down hurdles and create more opportunities. This is why we need more financial support for disadvantaged students, digital and local exchange formats, more information in schools to help everyone learn about opportunities and more money for programmes such as Erasmus+ and eTraining. European exchanges are more than just an advantage for the labour market. It changes people; It makes you more open, curious and confident. And above all, it shows that Europe is for everyone, not just for some. It is the promise that it is not origin that determines the future, but education. I hope that the student from the beginning of my speech gets this chance. And who knows, maybe at some point she will be standing here in front of you in the European Parliament and is one of the youngest MEPs and is committed to making sure that even more young people want to discover Europe.

Madam President, Thank you very much, Commissioner. Education must be accessible to all, regardless of social background or place of residence. A strong Europe needs equal opportunities. Erasmus+ stands for what makes the EU strong: Exchange, education, equal opportunities. It has opened doors to millions of young people. However, not everyone benefits: What about the young people in rural areas, the apprentices, the craftsmen, the carers? Financial hurdles and lack of information often hold them back; That shouldn't stay that way. We need better funding for Erasmus+, targeted information campaigns. At the same time, we need to better cover the costs so that everyone can afford an Erasmus+ stay. In all the debates on competitiveness, it is important to: Education is a fundamental right. Erasmus+ is not just about strengthening the labour market; it strengthens social cohesion, promotes intercultural competences and makes a united Europe tangible. In short: Erasmus+ not only produces professionals, but also cosmopolitan, committed citizens. Let's have a real Union of Skills Give everyone the same opportunities!

Madam President, Madam Executive Vice-President! Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and demographic change are rapidly changing the labour market. But this change must leave no one behind. The key to this is vocational training in order to provide everyone, whether at the beginning or in the middle of working life, with the necessary skills to make them fit for the labour market. Programmes such as Erasmus+ or Interreg show how valuable international exchange is. Therefore, we need to further expand the exchange opportunities for apprentices and teachers. However, vocational training must also be promoted, especially in rural areas. Learning does not end with education. Lifelong learning is essential for professionals to keep pace with change. Continuing education is not a luxury, but a necessity. For all the challenges and changes that exist, it is important that we take all people with us and that no region is left behind. The promotion of vocational training is not only an economic but above all a social responsibility. Our task is to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to develop and is actively supported in the transformation of our world of work.

Mr President! A self-determined life in rural areas with good jobs, affordable housing, good education, a barrier-free infrastructure, where young and old live well and gladly. But the reality is often different. More and more people are playing city against country. Women are pushed into traditional roles, young people lack career prospects, and older people have a hard time reaching the necessary care infrastructure. The result: Many people leave their homes and move to cities. That shouldn't stay that way. Local people have the right to shape their future, where they are rooted, and Europe must support them. European cohesion policy offers great opportunities to address precisely these structural shortcomings and to create equal living conditions for all, for example through targeted support for women in rural areas, targeted training, support for start-ups, and improved work-life balance. Such measures strengthen women and also the entire region. They promote social cohesion. We should stop playing young against old, city against country against each other. Our job is to bring them closer together.

Mr President! The future of European security is decided in the Baltic Sea region. Submarine cables, pipelines and ports are essential for trade, connectivity and security of supply. But these critical infrastructures are under enormous pressure. The Russian shadow fleet is specifically mapping maritime facilities. Recent damage to submarine cables between Finland and Germany, Lithuania and Sweden clearly shows the threats. We need to act decisively through infrastructure diversification, improved monitoring and coordinated protection measures at European level. Where there are state threats, we need military protection in addition to civilian strategies. A strong alliance of states in the democratic Baltic Sea region is needed to defend values and resolutely counter threats from autocrats. My hometown Rostock has a special role to play in this development. Rostock is not only an important port location, but also a central coordination point for maritime security issues in the Baltic Sea region. This role needs to be further strengthened. We need to take the helm ourselves instead of continuing to expose ourselves to these threats.

Mr President! Brexit, the re-election of Trump and the elections in Romania: The impact of platforms like TikTok and other social media on our democracy is unmistakable. These events show the consequences of algorithms – driven by autocrats – deciding what content we see. In particular, autocrats try to radicalize young people via social media through anti-democratic, inhumane videos and create a parallel world characterized by hatred, hate speech and the spread of fear scenarios. Where no one else listens to rights, they get unrestricted access to a large audience on social media without being confronted with an actual supervisory authority. There is an increasing disinhibition of right-wing opinions and symbols, true to the motto ‘Get out of the digital space and into reality’. Central information campaigns and media literacy are needed. There is a need for better tracking and monitoring of online hatred, consistent prosecution of hate speech, fake news and incitement to violence offences. Social media should not incite fear and spread hatred and hatred. They are there to build bridges, to bring each other closer, to inspire us. Democracy does not end at national borders or on the Internet. For us, this means telling autocrats to fight there, too, and not making us dependent on the daytime mood of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg or even Vladimir Putin.

Mr President! "We children also have rights – it's clear – and that's exactly what we stand up for" sings the youth band Cringe and Lost from my constituency. Unfortunately, it is often not as clear as it should be. 35 years ago, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. But today almost 25 percent of children in the EU are still at risk of poverty, in Germany just under 17 percent. A recent Eurochild study shows that child poverty has actually increased in 16 Member States since 2022. The EU must consistently implement children's rights, fight poverty, strengthen education and cultural participation. It must promote integration and ensure protection against violence. Your origin must not decide what future you have. Maintaining your rights to protection, education, health and co-determination means giving you the chance to live a self-determined and safe life. This will also strengthen a fairer Europe and our future. Children have rights, that's for sure.

Madam President, The recent incidents in the Baltic Sea are an alarming signal. On 18 November, the submarine cable C-Lion1 between Finland and Germany was damaged, shortly before another cable between Lithuania and Sweden. Russia and China are stepping up their activities in the region, mapping the Baltic Sea with so-called research vessels, and targeted sabotage seems likely. Such attacks on critical infrastructure are not only unacceptable, they are a direct attack on the stability and cohesion of our society. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms. Our infrastructure is vulnerable. That's why we need more robust cables, satellite solutions and clear resilience plans to prioritize particularly important data transfers. At the same time, the EU needs to invest more in its own infrastructure and strengthen cross-border cooperation. For my hometown Rostock and all of Europe, this is an urgent necessity. Now is the time to act decisively – purposefully and collectively. We cannot allow attacks on our critical infrastructure.

Madam President, New technologies offer great opportunities: They open up access to a world of knowledge and networking. But there is also a downside: The power of the large digital platforms has now grown oversized. It worries me that we rely on the moral notions of the few billionaires who control these platforms. We should not depend on the daytime mood of an Elon Musk, a Mark Zuckerberg or even a Vladimir Putin. The impact of these platforms on our democracy is unmistakable. Brexit was just a taste of what can happen when algorithms decide what content we see. The more radical the content, the more clicks it gets. And the result: a distorted reality that feeds fear, hatred and mistrust of our democratic institutions. This is also what members of the AfD from the European Parliament are embracing here: For example, if they show a clear aversion to immigration, Islam or queer rights on TikTok, fake news and hate speech are often spread. Young people are particularly affected by these developments. There is often a lack of awareness to distinguish between true information and targeted disinformation. The psychological and emotional impact of hate speech and hate speech on young people is enormous; they jeopardise their trust in society, in democracy and in their future. We also see this in the voting behaviour of young people in the eastern state elections in Germany: In Thuringia, according to the research group Elections, 35% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 put their cross at the AfD. We therefore need to make digital platforms more accountable. Clear rules and effective mechanisms are needed to quickly identify and remove hateful and anti-democratic content. We also need to step up our support to civil society organisations fighting such radicalisation and to work together to counter hate speech and fake news. The Internet should remain a place of knowledge and coexistence and not a space that undermines our democracy.

Mr President! No voice for the regions? These days it is clear how serious Ursula von der Leyen is about a Europe of regions. According to an internal paper, the Commission plans to centralise key funding in cohesion policy; The regions are left out. This decision concerns key areas such as agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Rural areas in particular are particularly dependent on these subsidies. I come from the Baltic Sea coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Topics such as demographic change, infrastructure, energy transition have occupied us for decades. How should we strengthen cohesion in the EU if people on the ground are left out? If we leave the decision to the nation states, we risk pitting the interests of rural areas against industrial centers. In addition, Parliament, as the budgetary authority, would also lose influence over these funds. Ecological, social and local development does not come down from above. We must strengthen the regions, instead of depriving them of their voice, for a Europe of regions that grows together and is fair to the people: This is our vision!