What Kai spoke about.

17

Jun

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

The resilience of the European transport sector and the need to ensure the supply of essential goods amid ongoing geopolitical instability (debate)

Mr President, recently I went to the supermarket and came back with 200 g of strawberries for EUR 5. I get daily messages from people worried about fuel prices, rising electricity bills and grocery prices. I always talk about better trains, because I want people to travel Europe by train as easily as possible, but equally because I want people to have affordable transport and groceries. Compared to road transport, trains save Europeans 132 million barrels of oil every year. That's lower transport costs, meaning lower prices on people's shelves. Trump may ease tensions with Iran today or not. In any case, that does not solve our problem. As long as we rely on fossil fuels, we don't control our living costs, and our costs for mobility are held hostage. Building on rail is a direct shield against these constant crises.

21

May

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Periodic roadworthiness tests and technical roadside inspection (Roadworthiness package) (A10-0139/2026 - Jens Gieseke) (vote)

Mr President, dear colleagues, I am speaking on behalf of our shadow rapporteur Tilly Metz. As the Greens-EFA we support the mandate for the trilogues on the roadworthiness package as already voted in the TRAN Committee. This is a compromise and we do not have the level of ambition in all parts as we would have liked, but the mandate also brings concrete improvements. For the first time, for example, Member States will have to use remote‑sensing technology to monitor real‑world air pollution. This can help tackle in-use emissions and noise pollution. We also welcome stronger action against odometer fraud, better protection for second-hand car buyers and the inclusion of vans in roadside inspections. So with this mandate we improve the current rules and therefore support confirming the TRAN mandate and invite you all to do the same.

20

May

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Reviewing the ETS system to support European competitiveness (topical debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues on the conservative and far-right benches, you want to talk competitiveness. So let's do that. Look at the news. Just days after the strikes in the Middle East, gas prices were already skyrocketing. That's the real tax on European business – our crippling dependence on imported fossil fuels. Yet you use competitiveness as a trump card to unpick the ETS, our most powerful market-driven tool for green innovation. The ETS is not a burden. It's the very tool that incentivises technical innovation; that lets us build energy independence and domestic clean technology; and that ultimately drives our competitiveness. True competitiveness won't come from protecting the system that let us fall behind in the first place. Come back to the future, colleagues. By holding us back, you're not protecting our economy. You're simply misunderstanding it and destroying our chance to catch up with the rest of the world and to adapt our economic growth to planetary boundaries.

19

May

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

EU governance under pressure – institutional responses to global challenges (debate)

Mr President, a young woman in Madrid stares at her phone at midnight, wondering how rent suddenly takes 70 % of her of her salary. Thousands of kilometres away in Berlin, a young man is doing the exact same maths, feeling the exact same panic in his stomach. Because despite what national leaders and far-right politicians are telling you, your struggles are European struggles. From Porto to Tallinn, from Naples to Kraków, Europeans face the same reality: energy bills rising fast, AI destroying jobs and calling it progress, climate anxiety, wars burning across the world and governments that have no answers to any of this. When national leaders think small, the winners are always the same: multinational landlords, corporate polluters, billionaires profiting from our division. The European moment is now. The moment for a United States of Europe is now. Our struggles are the same. Our solutions must be too.

26

Mar

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

EU-US trade deal (joint debate)

Mr President, we are strongly committed to a good and stable relationship with the US. That won't change. But, as Volt, we cannot support this deal. It's enough. Sometimes when your partner crosses a line, you have to tell them. And the US, or rather Trump and his cabinet, have been crossing lines with Europe for a while now, on a daily basis. We have to stand up. A good trade deal should work for both sides and this one simply doesn't. It's rather a product of coercion and not of negotiation. Europe should not concede under pressure, but negotiate from strength and protect our own interests. Let's get back to the negotiation table and make a deal that works for both.

11

Mar

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Building Europe's clean, independent and secure energy following the 2026 North Sea Summit (debate)

Madam President, as long as we depend on fossil fuels, we will be vulnerable to those who control fossil fuels. Can we control who rises to power? No, but we can control how dependent we are on them. Yet, Europe keeps repeating the same mistake. After Putin invaded Ukraine, we reduced our dependency on Russia. But instead of actually breaking the cycle, we simply shifted it, this time to the US. The cost of this vulnerability is enormous. Between 2021 and 2024, Europe paid EUR 930 billion extra for fossil fuel imports, just because of price shocks and geopolitical crises. These costs are predictable and they are avoidable. Energy independence is not only climate policy, it is security policy. Dear Commissioner Jørgensen, the Hamburg Declaration is not optional. This is our roadmap to European independence and it is on you to implement it.

11

Feb

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Accession of Montenegro to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters - Accession of the Republic of Albania to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (joint debate)

Mr President, the EU will recognise and enforce court judgements from Montenegro and Albania and the other way around. This is an important and welcome step to bring both countries closer to the EU, strengthen ties and eventually for Montenegro and Albania to become members of the European Union. This is great news. We fully support that part. At the same time, across Europe, many citizens are sceptical about enlargement and feel sidelined when their concerns are being ignored. So let me ask you, Commissioner: do you think it is wise to adopt this decision by relying on a non-objection procedure, which leaves the European Parliament completely out of it? Elected directly by the citizens of the Union, the European Parliament is the representation of the people. We want enlargement to succeed, and for enlargement to succeed, we truly need it to land with people. It must be transparent, democratic and it must be trusted. This is how we actually strengthen the EU from within.

10

Feb

2026

Questions EN

Watch

Extreme weather events in particular in Portugal, southern Italy, Malta and Greece: European response in strengthening readiness, preparedness and solidarity mechanisms (debate)

Thank you for accepting my blue card. Many of your colleagues, and you as well, talk a lot about the Solidarity Fund and about the reaction to those emergencies now. Of course, I agree that we need to react to those emergencies and help the people on the ground, but you are not talking at all about a strategy of how we can adapt for the future. We cannot just in even more severe situations, and those disasters getting more and more severe by the hour, by the day, by the month, by the year. So how do we react? What is your strategy? This is not a strategy.

10

Feb

2026

Answers EN

Watch

Extreme weather events in particular in Portugal, southern Italy, Malta and Greece: European response in strengthening readiness, preparedness and solidarity mechanisms (debate)

This is exactly what I am talking about. We need to have the structure to actually have our whole budget, the whole way we do European politics, going forward to a direction that is ready to tackle those problems. But this is not the case, and many of our policies are acting against our own values and those need to adapt to climate change. And I think we really need to be aware of this and make sure that we act accordingly.

10

Feb

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Extreme weather events in particular in Portugal, southern Italy, Malta and Greece: European response in strengthening readiness, preparedness and solidarity mechanisms (debate)

Madam President, one and a half years ago, extreme floods in southern Europe, in Spain, killed hundreds of people. Last week, storms of similar intensity hit again, this time especially Portugal. None of this is simply bad luck. These floods were a predictable possibility of a raging climate. In Portugal, we saw how quickly floods can overwhelm infrastructure, cutting roads, power and access to basic services. This is not a series of isolated disasters. This is the new normal of a climate emergency that Europe is still not prepared for. We need a real European plan to protect us from what's still to come for our towns, for our infrastructure, for our society. And for this, we also need a dedicated European budget for climate adaptation. When a flood hits, you only have a few seconds to save your life. Europe must be ready before the next one strikes.

21

Jan

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Preparations for the EU-India summit (debate)

Madam President, the world we designed our politics for no longer exists. Power politics are back. International cooperation is framed as weakness, and many Europeans wonder if the EU is still strong enough to shape this new world order. It is. And now we have a unique opportunity to prove that the EU‑India trade agreement is not just another trade deal. Together, the EU and India represent around 25 % of global GDP and 2 billion consumers. In a world where alliances are shifting, we should take any chance at supporting the fight for democracy, for climate neutrality and for social justice. Every improvement is welcome. And we very much know that if Europe steps back, others will step in, with very different intentions. India is already deepening ties with the Emirates while keeping China and Russia close. They are moving fast. We cannot afford to hesitate. At Volt, we believe Europe must stop doubting itself. Colleagues, we need to answer this fundamental question. Do we still believe Europe can act, or do we accept a future where we only react?

20

Jan

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Air passenger rights (debate)

Madam President, why are we even debating if people should get compensated when their plane is delayed? Of course they should. But this isn't just about delays or compensation, is it? It is about how we do politics. Passenger rights have successfully protected people, not profits. Now, some governments want to change that. But let me be clear: Parliament says no. No to less compensation. No to charging families extra just so that children can sit next to their parents. And no to EUR 50–80 fees for a small cabin bag. And also no to systems that make it nearly impossible for people to claim what they are entitled to. Colleagues, we know what is right. As Parliament, we are elected by the people and for the people. And, with votes like this, we prove that.

17

Dec

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 18-19 December 2025, in particular the need to support Ukraine, transatlantic relations and the EU’s strategic autonomy (debate)

Mr President, Trump wants one thing: a divided Europe, because a divided Europe is easier to break. And the saddest part is that some people in this House are playing along. But a united Europe is a stronger Europe. Joint climate disaster funds, cross-border rescue teams, early warning systems built together – that is Europe at its best, united in crisis, stronger than any single nation could ever be alone. Trumpists sees this strength and they fear it. They are pulling the oldest puppet trick in the book: praise authoritarians and whisper to conservatives that courage is optional. And too many of you are falling for it. Worse, some of you don't even fall, you follow. If you agree with them, just say it clearly. If you don't, prove it. We need a United States of Europe now. It is not naive; it is courage, cultivate it.

27

Nov

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference - Belém (COP30) (debate)

Mr President, 1 in 25 people at the COP30 was a fossil fuel lobbyist – the same lobbyists who are getting conservatives and the far right in this House to do their dirty work for them. It is you, more than half of this Parliament, that spent months weakening Europe's climate targets, so that we would show up at COP30 with as little leverage as possible. As a result, we looked unsure and smaller than we are, at a time where the US has left a gap for climate leadership that Europe should fill. It is citizens that are victims of your sabotage. Colleagues, instead of chasing short‑sighted political wins, let's focus on what the world expects from the EU. As citizens increasingly suffer under the intensifying climate crisis, will you keep wasting their money for tactical lies or join the fight for a liveable planet?

8

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

Europe’s automotive future – reversing the ban on the sale of combustion cars in the EU (topical debate)

Mr President, German car manufacturing – or, in von der Leyen words, 'the pride of Europe' – is fighting for its life. We are watching others win a race we should be leading. Why? Because we have an establishment that is terrified of losing voters to the right. Those who called this debate today are in the business of fear tactics and, as we saw in the introduction already, also of plain lies. They are far more obsessed with protecting corporate interests than the workers they claim to speak for. Meanwhile, the world is going electric – with or without us. Colleagues, every moment you delay, you are actively destroying our industrial base and handing market share to Beijing. Stop the foot dragging, not electrification – your hesitation is costing jobs. Let's put all of Europe's talent and expertise into our car industries' electric future. Commit to the 2035 target, and let's prove and ensure that 'made in Europe' still means 'number one'.

11

Sep

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

Summer of heatwaves in the EU: addressing the causes and providing adequate housing and health policies to address record-breaking temperatures (debate)

Mr President, heatwave, Hitzewelle, ola de calor – omnipresent last summer, this summer and probably every future summer from now on. But still, we are not taking adequate action to fight the root cause of the problem: climate change. Heat wave after heat wave. Commission President von der Leyen yesterday talked here about heatwaves and I hear and support what you say, Commissioner, but at the same time, the Commission's missing action showcases in a hurtful way that there actually is no commitment to act, no strategy to address health problems of our citizens and overheated cities. No credible action on droughts, no credible attempts to save our forests, water bodies, or to restore nature. No political will to change our ways of life accordingly. Standing ovations for the difficult and dangerous work of firefighters are nice, but they don't even address the core of the problem. We need to act, step up our efforts on mitigation and finally start to actually adapt to the ongoing climate change.

9

Jul

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

51 years after the Turkish invasion of the Republic of Cyprus: condemning the continued Turkish occupation and supporting the resumption of negotiations for a comprehensive solution in line with international law, the UNSC resolutions, EU principles and acquis (debate)

Mr President, 51 years of Turkish troops on EU ground is shattering trauma for Cyprus. For half a century, the island and its people have remained divided. A European capital cut in half. But the deeper tragedy is that generation after generation of Cypriots have been let down. Let down by leaderships that lack courage, let down by politicians who preferred nationalism over compromise and let down by a world that treats the status quo as acceptable. Europe cannot claim to defend international law while tolerating its violation in Cyprus. If we want peace, justice and European unity, we must act with clarity, urgency and political will. Pick up the threat from 2017 and work towards a peaceful, united, free and independent federal future. Cyprus deserves much more than commemoration.

19

Jun

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

Institutional and political implications of the EU enlargement process and global challenges (debate)

Mr President, what could the EU look like in 2030? 500 million citizens in the best and most resilient democracy in the world. A new union with more countries. For us, in the current 27, it means economic opportunities and a stronger defence union; 35 countries collaborating together. But how will the EU work with 35 countries? With 35 countries, it will be totally impossible. There's only one solution: reform. Treaty reform. Let's create a Europe 2.0 with a European constitution, where you can vote for the person who best represents you, no matter where you live. A Europe that speaks with one voice. Not ruled by national egos but by common interests. In other words, a new Europe that is bigger and better.

17

Jun

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

EU framework conditions for competitive, efficient and sustainable public transport services at all levels (debate)

Mr President, rail is the backbone of public transport in Europe, or at least it should be. But as long as buying train tickets feels like navigating through a maze, rail will struggle to compete. As long as passengers do not enjoy full passenger rights protection, people will not trust rail. Not because it's slow, but because it's hard to access. The upcoming initiatives on rail ticketing must finally deliver. One journey, one ticket. No excuses. We need open data, fair and clear rules, and a level playing field for all operators and platforms, public and private. Passengers should not need five apps and a PhD to book a train. Let's get away from rail being the most frustrating mode of transport. Let's make rail the easiest way to travel.

7

May

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

The illegal visit of President Erdoğan to the occupied areas of Cyprus (debate)

Madam President, four days ago, I witnessed President Erdoğan's visit to Nicosia and experienced how Turkey is imposing their rules and religion on the northern part of Cyprus. I saw a small group of Cypriots exercising their constitutional right to protest, standing up against the repression of Turkey. I saw how this peaceful protest was forcefully removed from the street and protesters being arrested by a police force that is directly connected to the Turkish military. I experienced myself how authoritarian regimes spread distrust among citizens and how it feels to constantly be observed and followed by undercover police. Cypriots deserve better. Cypriots deserve to find together in one united bi-zonal, bi-communal, federal Cyprus. No matter which language they speak. Turkish President Erdoğan needs to stop the constant indoctrination and interference in Cyprus, stop further escalation and return to the UN framework, open the promised crossing points and bring the two communities closer together. A peaceful, democratic, unified Cyprus, that's all we want.

6

May

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles for 2025 to 2027 (debate)

Mr President, imagine the electric vehicle market as a football match: the EU against the rest of the world. In the first half, we slept, we fell behind by one goal, our team, our industry was not competitive. Now, we are in the second half. We need to catch up, and the team came out of the dressing room motivated and full of drive. The sales numbers in 2025 for electric vehicles are reaching record highs and, despite a clear strategy, suddenly the coach is waving the team in the opposite direction, letting go of their own strategy and goals and creating huge uncertainty for the sector, emitting tens of megatonnes more of CO2 emissions, having to import billions of euros' worth more of fossil fuels, slowing down the momentum to finally get the small, cheap European electric vehicles on the market that we desperately need to score a goal. This proposal leaves us even further behind. Soon, China will control the entire battery and charging supply chain. The new score is 0-2, and the coach is standing at the sideline dancing and cheering loudly. What a disgrace!

2

Apr

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

The importance of trans-European transport infrastructure in times of stalling economic growth and major threats to Europe’s security (debate)

Madam President, a sustainable, interconnected and secure Trans-European Transport Network. That is what we want. In reality, it in parts often still looks rather fragmented, underfunded and vulnerable. That does not necessarily apply to road, but for rail most certainly. Rail infrastructure would be so important. Rail infrastructure means connectivity to have a fully functioning single market for business and citizens. Rail infrastructure means cohesion, linking regions and leaving no country behind. And rail infrastructure means security, especially in times of crises, to move goods and troops wherever we need them. Commissioner, I agree with you fully. We need to invest in a modern cross-border rail infrastructure for citizens, for the economy and for our security. So we need to complete the TEN-T network as soon as possible. We really need to strengthen the Connecting Europe Facility. A strong Europe moves on strong rail connections. Let's build them.

12

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

100 days of the new Commission – Delivering on defence, competitiveness, simplification and migration as our priorities (topical debate)

Mr President, 100 days: that's all it has taken President von der Leyen to give in to the dinosaurs of industry and to the pressure of her own party. By butchering important corporate sustainability laws before they were even implemented. By advancing immigration policy that gives in to the far right and paves the way for detention centres in third countries. And by weakening essential rules for reducing CO2 emissions of cars. We are at risk of heading in the wrong direction. My suggestion for the next 100 days: stop giving into the panic. Come forward with a bold plan to reform our European Union. Empower innovators instead of dinosaurs. Attract the best talent from all around the world. Increase female participation. Get the maximum value for citizens from the EU budget. Pave the ground for a European army, now. And prepare the EU for ambitious enlargement. We want the United States of Europe. This is getting more urgent than ever before, day by day.

12

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

Action Plan for the Automotive Industry (debate)

Madam President, I hear every day that the automotive industry is struggling to meet its targets, cannot afford to pay its fines, will have to lay off its workers. Yes, the sector faces struggles, but these are of its own doing. Some fail to recognise global headwinds and stick their heads in the sand instead of adapting. Here's a fact: the CO2 targets work. We parliamentarians love to gather here in this Chamber and talk about European competitiveness, but do we genuinely think that rolling back our targets, damaging investment certainty, rewarding laggards and penalising first movers will do anything for Europe's car industry other than leave it further behind China's? There's blood in the water and the sharks have smelt it. If you think the car industry has any intention to comply with the targets in 2027, you are sadly mistaken. Instead, the next goal will be to tear down the 2035 goal in total. Yes, the automotive plan contains some nice ideas. Give us a legislative proposal for the electrification of corporate fleets as soon as possible. But opening the targets is a huge mistake and the Commission needs to take it off the table.

10

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

Watch

Establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova (debate)

Madam President, the Moldovan people decided to turn to the EU to amend their own constitution and to ask for our support on their way to EU accession. Now we have to deliver. And we do. With this EUR 1.9 billion Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova, we support Moldova's path to EU accession. We help to mitigate the challenges that arise from the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. We help to strengthen Moldova's administration, civil society and judicial system. And we help Moldova to gain independency in their energy supply. And on this, the Moldovan Government was quite clear: Moldova wants to build up renewables; Moldova wants to increase energy efficiency; Moldova wants to work on building renovation. In this way, we support the Moldovan Government and we are proud to help prepare Moldova to become a member of the European Union.