Speeches

Madam President, The multipolar world order struggles for influence, raw materials and energy, in Ukraine, in the Middle East or in competition with China in developing countries – this is exactly what the Global Gateway programme was created for: as a European response to China’s New Silk Road, as an EU geostrategic tool in global competition. Instead of pragmatic interest policies, however, the Commission continues to focus on the global implementation of climate goals, Mr Síkela, export woker values and cooperation exclusively with like-minded partners. Energy and raw materials projects are within the narrow framework of the Green Agenda and the Sustainable development goals. More than 300 billion have been spent so far intransparently. Mrs Bentele of the CDU, you have rightly criticised this, but some good criticisms in your report are unfortunately spoiled by the fact that you, too, want to continue exporting the climate ideology that visibly promotes the decline of Europe to the world. This is not a way to gain geopolitical influence. Listen, if not to me, then to the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which told you last year that Global Gateway does not work for German companies. We can no longer afford that.

Madam President, The obesity ‑ epidemic is a disaster. In Germany, 60 percent of men and almost half of women are overweight. Nearly one in five is obese. It doesn't look much better across the EU ‑. Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are linked. The blame is worthless, highly processed foods full of sugar, refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle in front of the screens. The big food companies make billions from it, but millions of people die each year from the consequences of being overweight – more than from wars and malnutrition combined worldwide. If the EU now develops activism here, it is hypocritical. Their lockdowns and school closures in the coronavirus era have massively exacerbated the whole thing, especially among children and adolescents who were condemned to immobility. We need not only research, as the EU is now funding, but also a strengthening of regional agriculture for fresh, seasonal food in daycare centres and schools and comprehensive physical education, which also includes performance – prevention is the key word. A transparent label, e.g. modelled on the Swedish Keyhole-Systems – less sugar, less bad fats – would ensure effective consumer protection, leaving people free to choose. In the U.S., all this is already more advanced, in the bad as well as in the good. The new, inverted food pyramid of U.S. ‑ Secretary of Health Kennedy focuses on full-fledged, healthy nutrition and says profits at the expense of health the fight. Make America and make Europe healthy again – This fights diseases at the root and reduces economic costs in the billions.

Mr President! Ladies and gentlemen of the CDU and EPP, Mr Tobé – you are first class hypocrites. The arsonists stage themselves here as the fire brigade. Who opened the borders in 2015 and illegally allowed millions into the country? That was Angela Merkel (CDU), and the Merz government in Germany continues to fly in Afghans instead of the promised migration turnaround. And the EU migration pact does not work either. Poland, Hungary and other Eastern Europeans are perfectly right to reject forced quotas of illegal migrants and penalties for non-admission. This is not solidarity, this is blackmail. It is a serious encroachment on the sovereignty of states. Over 4 million migrants have come to Europe illegally since 2015, with disastrous consequences for our society and our households. There were 7 million asylum applications. If the influx from completely non-cultural regions continues in this way, there will soon be no Europe - at least no Christian or democratic one. The President of the United States is already telling us that. We need rigorous border management and not a Frontex leader who calls "closing borders" talk. We need a radical reform of the completely dysfunctional and abused asylum legislation and, above all, we need a new self-assertion of European civilization. The EU is failing here so far and you too, dear CDU and EPP, are part of the problem and not part of the solution.

Mr President! A lady lying on the children's playground upstairs without in the sun is asked by the police to dress. She complains of discrimination – her friend next to her was finally also above without – and receives EUR 750 in damages. Real case from Berlin. Or: A migrant gang of drug dealers in a city park must not be more controlled than random local passers-by, because this is discriminatory against People of Colour would be. Just two examples of the absurd consequences of your plan to expand so-called anti-discrimination. Anyone who feels discriminated against in some way or just wants to make money gets a right of action. The burden of proof is often on the defendant. This profoundly socialist attempt to make the unequal equal poisons the social climate and systematically produces inequality. And we heard it: Hungary should be forced to accept the propagandist Pride parade Allow and give up your child protection. With good reason, this intrusive EU directive has been blocked since 2008 – and should remain so.

Madam President, Yes, we heard it: At the climate conference in Belém, Brazil, the EU wants to act as an alarmist driver of a green transformation that has already failed according to all economic and environmental criteria. Industry is collapsing in Germany and other European countries. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost last month, companies go bankrupt or migrate. While Trump is doing the crazy climate policy in the U.S. and China and India are focusing on their CO2The EU is stubbornly sticking to the 1.5-degree target, as if the global climate could somehow be impressed by European heat pumps and electric vehicles. Not only our prosperity is sacrificed for this madness, but also our freedom. For these measures against all reality and reason are only possible in an ecodictatorship. The EU's message at COP 30 should be: No more billions – or soon even trillions – in the Global South for the profiteers of climate ideology, but let us finally find reasonable ways of adapting to climate change that we cannot stop or change.

Mr President! The European Commission has fined Google nearly €3 billion for violating the law. Digital Markets Act It has created advantages for itself in the advertising market. You might think: That's right, because monopolies and oligopolies are known to hinder free and fair competition. But it's not that simple. The EU, technologically detached from its own fault, is increasingly fleeing regulation in order to bend through bureaucracy, which should actually regulate market forces. Say: If we had European competition with Google, we would not have to artificially fight monopolies and thus hinder innovation. If US President Trump has now sharply criticized the EU, then of course this also goes against Internet censorship by the Digital Services Act of the EU. All these regulations and punitive actions not only fuel a foolish trade war with the US, they also ultimately harm European citizens. It's sad to have to say it, but it's true: Freedom in Europe is best defended today by the US President and his administration – against this Commission.

Mr President! The EU is approaching a digital surveillance state that will far outshine George Orwell. The chat control you are planning, Minister Bjerre, is a frontal attack on the privacy of citizens. The European electronic identity for every citizen based on digital wallets on the smartphone, where all sensitive data is stored, opens the door to data access by unauthorized persons. Worse still: This increasingly totalitarian EU will not only digitally monitor its citizens, but will also penalise and sanction them. It will make them digital subjects. Especially if you think of the digital euro, which makes any small payment traceable, then in case of wrong political opinion on the Internet or soon perhaps in private chat not only the post office will be cancelled and possibly indicted, but the bank account will be blocked. If we use a digital system, then it must be technically constructed in such a way that no central authority, not even the state, has access – as in the case of Bitcoin in the area of currency. Only then will such a system grant freedom. This EU must not be given digital power over its citizens.

Mr Brandstätter, these are a lot of questions for a minute that I think I have for the answer. It is typical of your method that you pick out individual cases. You did not mention with a word in your speech – I listened carefully – that we have the problem with left-wing extremism, with Islamism. You didn't mention that in a word. Instead, you bite on individual cases. We are clearly against anti-Semitism, the clearest of all parties in Germany by now. We also do not allow ourselves to be persuaded or downplayed by such objections that you raise.

Madam President, In Germany, the country of the alleged Never againHypocrisy on the subject of anti-Semitism has reached an all-time high. German Chancellor Merz struggles with tears in the reopening of a synagogue, but he allows an Islamist and left-wing extremist mob to regularly roam the streets in Berlin, desiring Israel to die. Jewish businesses and businesses are no longer safe from attacks. Jews receive death threats, many think of emigrating. And what does the EU do? The aim is to strengthen internet censorship and further criminalise so-called hate speech – the main focus being on right-wing extremism. Maybe you should listen to the editor-in-chief of the Jewish General in Berlin: “It is Islamists, secular Muslims and left-wing extremists who are massively threatening us, who are making our lives hell.” That's the elephant in the room. Those who promote mass migration from Jew-hating cultures and talk left-wing extremism down and cover, as we have experienced today, are responsible for this new anti-Semitism. Stop trying to drive out this devil with the Beelzebub of censorship. The problem must be tackled at the root. But that's what we have to do when we govern. They prevent your political life lies from doing so.

Mr President! We heard it from Mrs. von der Leyen: The EU wants more sovereignty, more power, more centralisation. In order to achieve this goal, everything is instrumentalized, including education. Yes, Erasmus+ student mobility is a good thing, but the true meaning of the European University Alliances is different: EU-compliant higher education is to be created across Europe, with EU courses on ideological programmes such as green transformation, etc. And universities that once hang on the EU funding pot can no longer get rid of it – which bread I eat, the song I sing. Where this leads, the Bologna Process has shown: a bureaucratic schooling of higher education, which has just driven out of universities the spirit that has made Europe great and on which the EU wrongly relies. In fact, European universities are falling further and further behind in the international ranking, and the level of our degrees is getting worse and worse. True excellence is not achieved through such university alliances, but through optimal conditions for top researchers, selection of the best students without quota craze and freedom from ideological guidelines.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. One concern was pervasive at this summer's Internet Governance Forum in Oslo: The Internet must not be fragmented. The World Wide Web must not collapse into European, one American, one Chinese The wide web. The resolution tabled today and you too, Commissioner, are voting in this chorus, and we, as the ESN Group, welcome in principle the worldwide publicity of a free internet. But, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, if you are really serious about the transparency and democracy that you have invoked, please stop Digital Services Act and to set other European censorship laws as a model for the world, as happened in Oslo. The Trump administration in the US has already made it clear what it thinks of it, namely nothing at all. The world certainly does not need an internet according to the rules of the EU censors. And if the IGF has a meaningful mission beyond the purely technical aspects that are undoubtedly important, then it is precisely to avert this Orwellian scenario.

Mr President, in the 21st century in Europe, there is still a divided country: Cyprus. And that's a disgrace, dear colleagues. As in any such long‑lasting conflict, there is great mistrust and hurt on both sides, the Greek and the Turkish. Anyone who saw the interesting and courageous interview by our colleague Fidias Panayiotou with the political leader of Turkish Northern Cyprus will understand that there is no simple solution, but there can be a solution to this conflict. Whether a confederation or a return to a unitary state is the best option, it only be resolved diplomatically between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, but the EU can provide and must provide much more support here, including more pressure on Türkiye, not least because a lot of illegal migration to Europe passes through Cyprus from the north to the south. And this has to stop. One thing is also clear: Türkiye's role in the Cyprus conflict is one more reason to end the EU accession negotiations with Türkiye once and for all, and to finally stop the billions in payments to Türkiye that are still being made in this context.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! The former Prime Minister of Senegal stated at the Seville conference that Europeans are obliged to provide almost perpetual development aid due to their brutal colonial history – moreover, Africa has many young people, skilled workers, to export to Europe. For me, this was symptomatic of a certain attitude of entitlement there that is no longer up-to-date. Mr. Bullmann, SPD, who sat on the same podium, was so enthusiastic that he invited the lady straight to Brussels. Mr Bullmann, ladies and gentlemen, the Seville report failed in this House at the end of June precisely because it cannot continue in this way. European development policy must not be based on a bad conscience, nor on climate or gender ideology, but on Europe's geostrategic and economic interests. Keyword: End of mass migration. We don't have to copy China, but we can already take a little more self-interest from China. Commissioner Síkela, you said something right earlier, but please clean up Trump and Musk in the US with ideology and corruption in the EU funding programmes. We need a European DOGE.

Madam President, Dear Prime Minister Frederiksen! Many citizens in Germany look to Denmark with envy, but also with hope, because they have achieved what our government has not been able to do so far. With your consistent migration policy, you protect your country's national identity and social cohesion. This model must become a model for Germany and for the whole of Europe in order to preserve our culture and our security – all the respect of our ESN Group for this. But we also hear disturbing things. Denmark's plans for EU-wide chat control and countering so-called misinformation are an attack on civil liberties. Their Danish Islam law was a submission, and monitoring private chats and censorship of unwelcome opinions threatens democracy at its core. Child protection yes, but under this guise our fundamental rights must not be undermined. Please ensure that, in addition to security, freedom also becomes a guiding star of your Presidency. Then we wish you every success.

Madam President, The left-wing parties in this House theatrically condemn what they call the genocide of Israel in Gaza. The truth is: Israel is taking action in Gaza against a terrorist organization that is abusing its own population as a shield and which in turn is openly announcing genocide against the Jews. Where was your outrage after the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October 2023? Anyone who comes to Parliament with Palestinian cloth after that date andFree of Palestine” calls for those who take part in demonstrations where:From the River to the Sea“It cannot rely on humanity and morality, it shares a common cause with Islamofascism, which, incidentally, has been co-financed by the EU for many years through UNRWA, which is known to have been infiltrated by Hamas. A Palestinian state, Mrs Kallas, which you consider to be the solution, would continue to incite and arm against Israel – that cannot be the solution. Yes, Israel's actions in Gaza are in some places critical, but let's tell the whole story of the conflict before we act as moral judges here.

Madam President, Choose Europe for Science. Why should young scientists do this? But only if they make themselves an accomplice to the political life lie of our elites that Europe still stands for excellence, academic freedom and prosperity. The sad truth is: Today, there are witch hunts against critical scientists across Europe who do not follow the left-liberal mainstream one hundred percent, as recently against the young historian Hasselhorn in Germany. Read this, Mr. Brandstätter. And Ms von der Leyen said yes in her speech in Paris at the beginning of May: Diversity is the lifeblood of science. Trump is clearing up ideological diversity programs in the United States. And whoever flees from there is certainly not an excellent researcher, but an ideologue, whom we should not lure to Europe with expensive programs. We must stop promoting agenda sciences such as gender, critical race, etc. in Europe and finally allow a free discourse in climate research. Only then will we restore excellence, and then the pathetic words of Macron and von der Leyen on the Sorbonne, which were indeed very beautiful, but unfortunately hypocritical, will again correspond to the truth.

Madam President, So on April 28th at 12:35 pm local time it happened: Great blackout all over Spain and Portugal, also in parts of France. A few days earlier, the Spanish government had proudly announced that the country's entire electricity supply was now renewable. The result: central infrastructures such as trains, airports, telecommunications and payment systems paralyzed, an estimated €5 billion in damage, 35,000 stranded passengers had to be evacuated from trains and tunnels. How many had to stay in elevators for hours? How many deaths may have occurred in hospitals? The electricity from solar and wind power is extremely volatile. In the case of overproduction, as on Monday, there is a frequency drop. And if the surplus electricity cannot be exported abroad because the grids are overloaded there, the system automatically shuts down so that the infrastructure is not destroyed. These physical relationships are known. They can't be changed either. It had been warned by experts for years. Nevertheless, the Spanish government denies the causes and the EU Commission continues to rely on ideology instead of science and reason. If safe coal, gas and nuclear power plants continue to be shut down in the climate change craze, as is happening on a large scale in Germany, then not only does this mean enormous environmental destruction – one can look at the landscapes paved by solar panels and wind turbines – we will soon have the blackout all over Europe. What we need is a move away from the failed energy transition. There is nothing to be gained from questions of solidarity in the crisis and sustainable electricity supply, dear Commission.

Madam President, so the Trump administration in the United States is threatening academic freedom? This claim by the European Commission and some MEPs here is pure hypocrisy. Where was the outcry from the EU and the academia in Europe when more and more non-leftist scientists in the US were dismissed or forced to resign by their radical colleagues and the left-wing student mob simply because they didn't bow to the woke ideology? Bret Weinstein, Joseph Manson and Mike Adams even committed suicide. The wokeness virus has taken over US academia and in Europe it's also widespread, including its cancel culture. If President Trump now takes action against the intolerant and unscientific gender ideology, if he stops DEI programmes that discriminate white people and also restricts the dogmatic, almost religious climate research, then he's taking measures that help restore scientific freedom, not suppress it. We need such measures in Europe too.

Mr President! Wherever the EU has its hands at stake, bureaucracy, centralisation, equalisation and regular reporting obligations for those affected, as well as creeping infiltration with EU ideologies such as climate rescue, genderism, diversity etc. The economy groaning under EU requirements can sing a song about it, and education policy is no different. We therefore do not trust the fine words with which a European school alliance is now to be established. Pupil mobility – similar to Erasmus+ student mobility – teacher training and career opportunities, lifelong learning: Everything sounds wonderful, but is bought dearly, namely by the dismantling of the national educational traditions, also the dismantling of the quality and the gradual loss of national sovereignty in the sense of the ever closer union. The fundamental contradiction of this approach is particularly clear: On the one hand, we celebrate European diversity and at the same time do everything we can to eliminate it and to introduce the same standards, the same thinking and the same results everywhere. And as soon as the EU has a foot in the door with subsidies, it will also punish anyone who does not meet its targets – it is safe to assume. School outcomes are increasingly catastrophic. In Germany, a quarter of children cannot read and write properly after primary school. Nevertheless, more and more people are allowed to go to high school, and 30% will then receive a university entrance qualification – not only the euro is inflationary, but also the school grades. The EU's recipes such as more inclusion and so-called gender equality will not remedy this misery. They only reinforce national misdevelopments, which, for example, have made the German school system an anti-performance comfort zone and a playground for educational ideologues. What we need is a return to the performance principle and to a differentiated education, depending on the talents of the children, which are also very different. Then there will also be something with the much-vaunted European competitiveness, without any EU centralism.

Mr President! None other than out of the EU – this is the opinion of around 270,000 highly qualified people who leave Germany every year, mainly in the USA and Switzerland. As a replacement, we have brought hundreds of thousands of low to non-qualified people into the country since 2015, directly into our welfare systems. The Commission now wants to encourage the return of talented people who have emigrated and defines targets for the planned economy. Why would a truly highly qualified person choose Germany, where an exorbitant tax burden awaits him, which will rise even further due to unrestrained government borrowing and the unrestrained printing of money by the ECB? What is Germany supposed to do, what is the EU supposed to make attractive for real talents if they have to be afraid of knife attacks and attacks there on the street and if now also EU-wide to the war against the neighboring nuclear power Russia is being upgraded? It was rightly recognised that we need more STEM students and more engineers, but then everything is wiped out again by quotas for women and other requirements, and the many hundreds of gender professorships across Europe, which ensure a restrictive intellectual climate, are happily further promoted. The bus drivers from Kenya in Flensburg in all their honours – they are also regarded by the EU as specialists – but the software developer in the USA will help you with EU Talent Pool and do not bring the Competence Observatory back to Germany. Put an end to the major political errors that I have raised, and the service providers will come back on their own, without any special programs for the planning economy.