What Lukas spoke about.

2

Apr

2025

Speeches DE

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European oceans pact (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe! The European Oceans Pact It is more than just a political project. It is a promise that we will no longer only exploit our seas, but also preserve them. Our oceans are CO2-Storage, food source, biodiversity space, our most important allies in the fight against climate change. That's why beautiful words aren't enough. We need to act – bold, concrete and European. That is why we demand: A European zero pollution strategy for the seas, inclusive, consistent plastic reduction and microplastics ban, strict fishing quotas and traceability to make fisheries sustainable and transparent again, and public investment in marine research, as well as a new blue hydrogen strategy linking future technologies to wind power at sea. Climate protection begins on land, but without us it also ends there.

2

Apr

2025

Speeches DE

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Energy-intensive industries (debate)

Madam President, dear people of Europe! Our energy-intensive industries, such as steel, chemicals, cement and glass, are not simply production sites – they are the backbone of our economy, drivers of investment and innovation and systemically important to our sovereignty. And unlike the colleague hostage of BSW, who thinks this is a dream, I say: Yes, we can transform these industries – unbureaucratic, sustainable and European. What we need is clear: a genuine decoupling of the price of electricity from the price of gas, a reliable transformation price for non-electrifiable sectors and a European Investment Plan that supports our industry champions – from world market leaders on the outskirts to Hidden champions in the country. We need to create lead markets for climate-neutral products and ensure that decarbonisation does not mean de-industrialisation. We have the strongest single market in the world. We can and must achieve both at the same time.

1

Apr

2025

Speeches DE

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Crackdown on democracy in Türkiye and the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu (debate)

Madam President, dear people of Europe, dear friends in Turkey and in the Turkish diaspora! Of course, we are concerned about the situation of a candidate for accession to the European Union. And that's why we are concerned when Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of the country's largest city, is arrested, when the opposition leader is arrested with him, when he is accidentally deprived of the diploma necessary for inauguration in the next presidential election at exactly the same time. If the Turkish state calls this man corrupt, let him reveal the evidence to us. Then let him reveal the investigative records to us and show us that this man is indeed corrupt. At Marine Le Pen, we have just seen how such delicate legal proceedings can be brought to an end transparently under the rule of law in the eyes of the public. But if the Turkish state cannot live up to these principles, then it is no longer a state governed by the rule of law.

1

Apr

2025

Questions EN

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Improving the implementation of cohesion policy through the mid-term review to achieve a robust cohesion policy post 2027 (debate)

Thank you for taking the blue-card. In your speech, you talked about your fear that the defence spending would swallow all the other – as you said – very important matters. While I share that fear and theory, I would like to ask: why exactly do you think that? Why exactly should that happen? Because I think if we just state that without any reasoning in these really dark times, that would also not be good.

1

Apr

2025

Speeches DE

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Presentation of the New European Internal Security Strategy (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe! The threats to our internal security are real – from Russian sabotage to Islamist, left-wing or right-wing extremist terrorist cells, from cyberattacks to election manipulation. This strategy recognises this, but if we want European security, we need European solutions. This means an investigative power of Europol in transnational cases, European forces to protect critical infrastructure, networked databases instead of 27 times bureaucracy and 27 times national competence chaos. But it also means defending freedom while defending security: No occasionless mass surveillance, no chat control, no criminalization of encryption. Security is not a pretext for dismantling fundamental rights; It is a promise to protect them. If we rely on modern, digital, fundamental rights-based security, we build a Union that can protect itself without foreclosing itself, without losing its soul.

1

Apr

2025

Questions DE

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Presentation of the New European Internal Security Strategy (debate)

Thank you, Mr. Colleague, for accepting the blue card. I am basically completely with you with what you have said. I'm just wondering one thing: They said no mass surveillance, but at the same time more digital policing. So, what's the difference between mass surveillance and digital policing for you? If we want the police to work digitally, do we not have to accept a certain level of mass surveillance in order to be able to consistently control social networks in particular?

1

Apr

2025

Speeches EN

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2024 (debate)

Madam President, dear people of Europe, this report fills me with hope because it shows what I believe to be true, that the European Union stands for human rights in all areas of policy, not just in words, but also increasingly in action. But we also have to be honest to ourselves: it is not enough. In Sudan, in Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and many other places, people are raped, tortured and executed. I believe we must start where the crimes are the greatest, and we must use the court that was made for this purpose – the International Criminal Court in The Hague – because every EU Member State is a state party of the Rome Statute. So let's act like it. Let's use our diplomatic, military and intelligence resources to identify these criminals – find them, take them into custody or, if it must be, abduct them – and bring them to justice. Because if the victims of atrocities cannot be safe in their own countries, then the perpetrators should not feel safe anywhere in the world either.

1

Apr

2025

Speeches DE

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CFSP and CSDP (Article 36 TUE) (joint debate)

Madam President, dear fellow human beings! That's where the colleague Neuhoff from the AfD really stands here today and calls Russia a defensive empire. A defensive empire that wages a war of aggression and has been committing war crimes for more than three years, trampling on the sovereignty of other states. And this is the state that the self-proclaimed patriots and nationalist politicians in this parliament are defending here. If you ask me, these people declare themselves to be the enemies of our democracy, the enemies of our system, and perhaps we should treat them the same way. Only Mr Bystron, whose immunity we have voted on today and whom we have lifted, will be prosecuted because he has been bribed by the Russians. And only to the end: This is the same party with which, unfortunately, the leader of the Conservatives, Mr Weber, whom I really appreciate, had a nice chat today. Let's not treat these people as our friends!

1

Apr

2025

Speeches EN

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 20 March 2025 (debate)

Madam President, dear people of Europe, at its March meeting, the European Council sent an important signal: support for Ukraine, a clear path for Moldova and Georgia, and a renewed commitment to enlargement as a pillar of peace and stability. That matters, especially in a world where democracies are under pressure. But what shocks me is how some colleagues here have used this very debate – misused it – to discredit democratic institutions all around Europe: to attack the Romanian Constitutional Court and the Romanian electoral authorities; to question the legitimacy of the French judiciary, even after Marine Le Pen was found guilty in front of a French criminal court; and to suggest that in Germany, a possible ban for the AfD would be an act of political will, rather than a legal proceeding led by the Federal Constitutional Court, which is, by the Constitution, the only institution with that competence. That irony is breathtaking, and we, the democrats, have to fight back.

31

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Guidelines for the 2026 budget - Section III (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe, in a time of war, inflation and political fragmentation, this Parliament is doing something remarkable. We are looking beyond the crisis. The 2026 guidelines invest in security and competitiveness, in climate protection, yes, and they also invest in Europe's soul, because hidden between figures and margins lies a historic promise. The vision of a truly united Europe with funding for enlargement, for neighbourhood stability, for institutional readiness. We are saying to the people of the Balkans, you belong! (The speaker spoke in a non-EU language) Because we are not whole until our flag shines over Pristina, over Sarajevo and over Tirana. And that's why, even in dark times, we keep building the light. That's what this budget says. That's what Europe stands for.

13

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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European Schools Alliance: potential to achieve the European education area by driving innovation, enhancing mobility and championing inclusivity (debate)

Mr President, all students in Europe will hate this idea, but we need new school subjects in all of the European schools. Before I elaborate, let me educate some colleagues like Mr Jongen, who struggles to read Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union or, for example, Article 23 of the German Constitution, which in fact set the aim of 'ever closer union'. But a Europe-wide school policy makes sense. What difference is there in teaching English, art, music or maths. And in the same way, all our European children need to understand these topics. All of our European children today need to be educated in two new subjects. The first one is digitalisation. All the possibilities and dangers of the digital realm need to be taught to them. And the second thing – and this is ever more important – is democracy. How does this Parliament work? How does the European Union work? Those are things that children need to learn all over Europe. So let's go forward and enact these ideas.

13

Mar

2025

Speeches DE

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Action Plan for Affordable Energy (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe, dear students of the DBG, Felix! Affordable energy is not just an economic issue; It is the great political front line of our time. After all, energy not only means meeting primitive human needs such as warmth in winter, but also work and the industrial future. We still source our energy largely from autocrats; There are others, but still autocrats. And we need to change that: We need true European energy independence. We need a massive solar program with which we will have solar cells on every public building in Europe by 2035. We need a €100 billion special fund to expand infrastructure, especially charging infrastructure. We need a Europe-wide wind power expansion with less bureaucracy, faster permits and minimum capacity for each Member State. Affordable energy is not a luxury, it is the basis of social peace, economic strength and geopolitical independence.

12

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Severe political, humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sudan, in particular the sexual violence and child rape

Mr President, people of Europe, let me be clear: I support the authors in their motion. But I'm also wondering, Mr Andrews, you talked about soft power and about humanitarian aid. But are we talking about economic collapse? Are we talking about a pandemic, about political instability or a natural disaster? Ms Pajín said we have to take the situation seriously. I am asking what is a serious reaction to war? Mr Heide said we need to protect the victims. How do you protect people from armed killers and rapists? Look up again on this board. It says 'child rape' – child rape. And that is something, in my opinion, where we need to send something named after this Union of ours: Eurofighters.

12

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Democracy and human rights in Thailand, notably the lese-majesty law and the deportation of Uyghur refugees

Mr President, dear people of Europe, Thailand has just deported Uyghurs back to China. Let's not sugarcoat it – and I thank you, colleague, that you did not. These people are being sent to concentration camps - not prisons, not re-education centres. Concentration camps. And no, as far as we know, there are no gas chambers, but there is torture, there is forced sterilisation, there is forced marriage and the complete eradication of their culture. This is not a political exaggeration. This is not based on rumours. This is based on facts reported by Der Spiegel, by the Fraunhofer Institute and by other renowned institutions. Europe knows the horrors of concentration camps. We know what happens when the world stays silent in the face of such madness. We must be clear: no country in the world shall send Uyghurs back to China. We in this House, across all political divides, must agree on one thing: when people are thrown into concentration camps, we stand up. Because if we don't, who will?

12

Mar

2025

Speeches DE

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EU Consumers Day: filling the gaps in protecting 440 million consumers in the EU (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe! Commissioner, I'll give you a moment. I am a lawyer, I studied law, and one of the first places where I had to deal seriously with the European Union was consumer protection law. Consumer protection law is a very popular topic in German legal education. We all have to deal with it very carefully, and accordingly it also has a meaning: It is one of the foundations of this Union, the idea that in our internal market, in this area of free trade, the people who stand in the most unprotected place of the market are protected by the Union in order to get a fair position. And accordingly, I would like this EU Consumers Day Use it to give you this story. Please always remember that European Union consumer protection law is one of the areas in which our citizens are most affected.

12

Mar

2025

Questions EN

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EU Consumers Day: filling the gaps in protecting 440 million consumers in the EU (debate)

My question to you, colleague, would be: in times where the tech oligarchs, as you said, develop more and more into the enemies of democracy, should we maybe think about taking away these companies on European soil from them?

12

Mar

2025

Questions EN

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Frozen Russian assets (debate)

I wholeheartedly agree with what you just said. I was just wondering, in the very end, you said that it should be seen as a down payment on the reparations. Wouldn't you agree with me that the reparations should be on top? Because that is what Russia actually deserves for its behaviour.

12

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Adoption of the proposal for a Parenthood Regulation (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe, I would like to touch on two main arguments that were brought before this House. The first one is that all of this is an infringement within the competences of the Member States. I just ask those people: 'why do you think our beautiful flags are at that end of the room?' Because this whole thing here, this whole Union, is about giving competences to the Union instead of letting the Member States regulate that. Yes, we have to have discussions about this, but it will happen more and more and more, whether you like it or not. You can cry about sovereign nations all day. Those sovereign nations – all of them – decided to form this Union. The second point is ideology. That just makes me smile, because while one part of the aisle just really wants to talk about the rights of people and self-determination and children's rights, the other ones are actually imposing religion – the religious idea that only a man and a woman can have a family and only a man and a woman can raise a child. If that's the baseline of your politics, please go back to 300 years ago.

12

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Action Plan for the Automotive Industry (debate)

Madam President, dear people of Europe, imagine Karl and Bertha Benz sitting here in our Chamber today, listening to our debate on the future of the automotive industry. Karl – the visionary, the man who invented the car – would probably shake his head and say, 'Again, the same old arguments.' And Bertha – the true pioneer, the woman who took the first long‑distance drive to prove the world wrong – would roll up her sleeves and say, 'Enough talking, let's move forward'. Back then, people called their invention a 'devil's carriage', they threw stones at it, they laughed at it. Now, 140 years later, some of you sound just like those sceptics. Some deny the need for green transition, when in reality you're just (with another round of green-bashing) clinging to power, and some cling to outdated models under the pretext of technological neutrality, when in reality you know change is never free. Yes, our automotive industry faces challenges, but progress never comes looking backwards. Instead of protecting the past, we need to move forward.

11

Mar

2025

Questions DE

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Clean Industrial Deal (debate)

Thank you very much, Mrs. Colleague! I can only agree with you that we have to take people with us, that we have to be brave. I wonder, or I would like to ask you: How exactly can we prevent us from standing here again in five years and just as we have unfortunately broken down the Green Deal of God a bit for this Clean industrial deal, this Clean industrial deal And then again, and in the end, it's just a Industrial deal Does the climate go to the dogs? How can we ensure in the long term that we do not have to soften our climate targets even further in the future?

11

Mar

2025

Speeches DE

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White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

Mr President, honourable Members! When we talk about defense, we talk about war. A war that hopefully never comes, but a war that will not be waged by the average MP here, at 55, but by my generation. My generation! But when it comes to that, I guarantee you: My generation, which grew up with peace and freedom, will never let this freedom be taken away. We will defend our Union, whatever the cost. We will fight on our coasts, we will fight on our borders. We will fight on our fields and roads, and if need be, on every hill and in every valley of Europe. Because Europe is our homeland, and for our homeland we will defend ourselves. We don't want war, but if we have to, we will fight for our freedom.

11

Mar

2025

Questions DE

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White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

Mrs. Colleague! My question to you would be: Do you really think anyone is at war? Do you really think that we strengthen the defense industry, that we strengthen the defense because we enjoy it, because we like to build weapons? Or do you not think much more likely that we are doing this, for example, because a bloodthirsty dictator in the east of this continent has launched a war of aggression and his army is committing countless war crimes?

11

Mar

2025

Questions EN

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Presentation of the proposal on a new common approach on returns (debate)

Thank you for taking the blue card, colleague. I'm just wondering – because I'm hearing the word 'Germany' a lot here – as a German, I want to ask you: don't you think that the times where we put people in camps in Europe should be over? And don't you think that we can have better solutions to the problems that do indeed rise with illegal immigration than putting people in camps, locking them away, taking their phones, taking their liberty and taking their rights? (In response to laughter from another Member) ... And you laughing at that is a shame indeed!

11

Mar

2025

Speeches DE

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Presentation of the proposal on Critical Medicines Act (CMA) (debate)

Madam President, dear people of Europe, Commissioner! Imagine someone in your family desperately needs a drug, but in your home country that just doesn't exist, while in the neighboring country it is present in rough quantities. Absurd, but unfortunately bitter European reality. And ironically, EU law allows for just that: All four fundamental freedoms of the internal market have exceptions on grounds of public health. These regulations from the last century have to be abolished, because public health is not a national, but a European issue, especially for vital medicines. The Critical Medicines Act I welcome it, but let's be honest: If we really want to ensure Europe-wide supply, then we must go deeper and finally eliminate the legislative roots of exceptions in the European treaties themselves. The pandemic has shown us: Diseases know no borders, and so we should not know any in Europe. Because medicines have to go where people need them – without borders.

11

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Roadmap for Women`s Rights (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe, my mother was born in 1966, in a small village in western Germany. Around the age of 16, she became the first female member of the local rifle club. A few years later, she became the first woman in our family to study - dentistry. Together with my father, she opened a dental practice and had two children, one of whom, as you know, has a special level of energy. When my parents' marriage fell apart, it was my mother who mainly provided for us, ensured we received a good education and continued to run this practice on her own. Women can achieve incredible things if we just let them, and that alone is why we should let them.