What Lukas spoke about.

21

Oct

2024

Speeches DE

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One-minute speeches (Rule 179)

Mr President, dear people of Europe, High House! A few days ago I got a comment under my video about the weekly review of my work. A citizen there expressed in very flowery words his displeasure at the discrepancy between my and his workload and my and his salary. This man works over 180 hours a month on a construction site. The core of our work – even though the number of people here in this room is a direct lie to me – is the sittings here in the Chamber, and yet we start on Mondays in the early evening and end on Thursdays at noon; So we don't work a full four days here in this room. And now some of you will say: I have to come and go; Now imagine that the man from the construction site would say that to his boss. My influence here is even more than limited, but I would still like to make a suggestion to you: Let's start at noon on Mondays and end at noon on Fridays! Then we all still have enough time to travel, and maybe we don't even sit here in this room every night until 11 or 12 o'clock.

21

Oct

2024

Speeches DE

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A stronger Europe for safer products to better protect consumers and tackle unfair competition: boosting EU oversight in e-commerce and imports (debate)

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen of Europe, House! We have already talked today about the importance of the European single market. I am therefore all the happier about this debate, because we must also protect our internal market. We cannot accept products flooding the market that are produced in violation of human rights, sometimes even by Uyghur forced laborers in concentration camps. We cannot accept products flooding the market that do not meet our safety standards. We cannot let it happen idly if these products are deliberately subsidized by authoritarian states. We cannot afford to have these products distributed within the EU by large international corporations, consciously exploiting various tax systems. Finally: We cannot afford it if the internal market is destroyed by being played off by foreign competition. People want a strong single market, not one ordered on Wish; As many of my colleagues have rightly pointed out, this starts with the customs system.

21

Oct

2024

Speeches DE

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Implementation of the Single European Sky (recast) (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! The famous German poet Reinhard Mey once sang ‘Above the clouds, freedom must be boundless’, and there is endless truth in these words from a European political point of view. Because above the clouds there are no borders, you're just somewhere over Europe. That is why I support the update of the Single European Sky, even though it has taken half as long as I am in this world. At the same time, however, we should not stop where we started now and think about other things. I would like to suggest two things to you. On the one hand, there is a need for a fee adjustment for climate-friendly flights. We have noticed in the past that above all we can control the development in society through something like this, and climate change knows no borders. On the other hand, we need a single European air data space. We must therefore optimise the exchange of data between Member States in the air transport sector and thus make it more efficient, because data also knows no borders. The work on Single European Sky is valuable – it is not over yet.

21

Oct

2024

Speeches EN

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Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU citizens (debate)

Madam President, dear honourable House, dear people of Europe, Mr Letta, before I came here to this Parliament, I finished my law studies at the University of Cologne. During this time, I put a lot of effort into learning the four European freedoms: the freedom to move people, services, goods and capital. And I can tell you, learning all the law-related details – especially the court rulings – that was a pain in the ass, indeed. Names like Dassonville or Cassis de Dijon, who will tell you here nothing, send a shiver down the spine of every law student. But at the same time, whenever I opened my books, I felt love for Europe. Because what is Europe if not the idea of freedom? And that's why, Mr Letta, I would like to take the time to give you my deepest support for one of the main ideas of your report: the implementation of a fifth freedom – the freedom of research, innovation, knowledge and education. Because as Europe is an idea, ideas should roam free on this continent.

10

Oct

2024

Speeches DE

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Consequences of the devastating forest fires in the Amazon and the importance of the Amazon for climate change (debate)

(Start of speech with microphone switched off) ... Climate change is the biggest threat to our civilisation as such, which concerns us all – even if the intellectual horizon of some people on the German border stops. If we don’t win this fight, we are all lost – and we lose this fight. But we haven't lost this fight yet because we have a great ally: nature. We need the oceans, we need the moors, we need the forests. And that's why I'm telling you: In this inferno, in which the most famous of all forests is currently located, we must act. I would like to call on all Member States of the European Union and all countries worldwide to do everything. Send your other firefighters, send financial aid. Stop buying products created by the deforestation of the important forests and use the diplomatic power you have to get President Lula to rethink. We can win this battle together as people of our beautiful green and blue earth.

10

Oct

2024

Speeches EN

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Composition of committees and delegations

(Start of speech off mic) … Rule 202 deals with the point of order. This rule gives us, the Members, the opportunity to uphold the rules of these plenary sessions, and we break it every plenary session. Every plenary session, it is misused to make political statements instead of calling out the rules. Now, I talked to our dear President about this because I wanted to hear her take, and she told me that this is the only chance that we can use to give the Members an opportunity to speak about things that they like. So it's the only situation where we have a debate where there is a speech, and then there is an actual reply to that speech in a plenary full of Members. It's the only situation where this 'heart chamber' of the European idea is really making a sound, and that's not how it should be. So if the rules have led us to this situation, then we should change the rules to make this a real plenary, a real Parliament.

10

Oct

2024

Speeches EN

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World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)

Mr President, honourable Members of the House, our body is just a shell of flesh and bone, but our mind is what we need to really exist. And if we talk about an important topic like this, we need to compare ourselves with the individual situation of the people that we represent. We – all of us here – can have a spot in therapy instantly in this House, here and in Brussels. Why do I know this? Because I have one. So we can just go there and get help. But the people outside this building, the people that we are representing, they cannot do this. And this is something that needs to change. We need to focus on those who have the urgent need first, and then we need to give the opportunity to get help in a state of mental illness for everyone. Because if we do not secure our mind, our life is lost.

8

Oct

2024

Speeches EN

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Outcome of the Summit of the Future: transforming global governance for building peace, promoting human rights and achieving the sustainable development goals (debate)

Mr President, dear people of the world, sometimes there are topics where it's better to quote than to give your own account. So let me quote: 'There comes a time when we heed a certain call; when the world must come together as one; There are people dying, and it's time to lend a hand to life – the greatest gift of all; We can't go on pretending day by day; that someone, somewhere will make a change; We are all a part of the world's great big family; and the truth you know – love is all we need; We are the world, we are the children; We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving; There's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives; It's true we'll make a better day; just you and me.' Let's go forward on global governance for building peace, human rights and sustainable development goals.

8

Oct

2024

Speeches DE

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The democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. Mr Braun – by the way, a very fitting name in terms of the choice of colours – asked us – Mr Braun, I am talking about you – whether we are tired of the EU interfering in the affairs of states. We are not fed up with it because what you call interference is based on the democratic will of these states, because these states have democratically opted for a common Europe and for the surrender of competences. If you now remember the demonstrations in Georgia, you can remember the countless hundreds of thousands of European flags flying over the crowd, more European flags than I personally have ever seen at a demonstration in a European country. Now neo-Nazis want to tell us something about democracy. I'll tell you: The people of Georgia want democracy, the people of Georgia want the road to Europe, and we must support them in this.

8

Oct

2024

Speeches DE

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The crisis facing the EU’s automotive industry, potential plant closures and the need to enhance competitiveness and maintain jobs in Europe (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, this House! As you can read here, the European automotive industry is in crisis. In times of crisis, one should stand together, reflect on one's common strengths. That's why I was particularly surprised when I recently heard about plant closures of the European automotive industry in Germany. I personally – but only marginally – would rather recommend that the European automotive industry close its factories in China, where Uyghur forced labourers from concentration camps – and I would like to emphasise this once again at this point: Concentration camps – work. Like I said, just on the sidelines. Dear Ladies and Gentlemen! We here in Europe, we build the best cars in the world. The most beautiful cars, the fastest cars and that is the reason why our cars also appear in all internationally known movies etc. That is why I would like to call on the European automotive industry to stand with us. We have world leaders without end, the strongest middle class in the world, hard-working people – and states that can subsidise all of this. Let's stand together and save the automotive industry!

8

Oct

2024

Speeches EN

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Preparation of the European Council of 17-18 October 2024 (debate)

(Start of speech off mic) … House, praised leaders of Europe: war and foreign policy, economy, migration, climate and biodiversity. Important topics, big-boy topics that give a chance for empowering political speeches, juicy press shots and lovely dinner receptions. You might think differently now, but I actually support those line of topics. But those are all topics related to recent political crises in Europe. What about a vision for the average people that we represent? What about education? What about internal security? What about the development of the welfare state or the upholding of the rule of law? Honourable House, praised leaders of Europe, widen your scope. Try to look at this upcoming European Council from the eyes of the average people that you represent. Ask yourself: what line of topics would they put forward?

7

Oct

2024

Speeches DE

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One year after the 7 October terrorist attacks by Hamas (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. War is the scourge of humanity. A year ago, Hamas carried out the largest mass murder of people of Jewish faith since the Holocaust. On that day, she again plunged the people of Israel into darkness. It has not only plunged the people of Israel into darkness, but it has also plunged the people of Palestine into darkness. It has provoked Israel to a military response, which has since been carried out in blatant violation of international law. All this leads only to hatred, suffering and a spiral of mutual vengeance and violence. In the face of these incidents, in the face of this war, there is only one place where this conflict can be resolved, and that is the headquarters of the United Nations. There is only one place for the leaders of these warring parties to belong, and that is the courtroom of the International Criminal Court.

19

Sep

2024

Questions DE

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Droughts and extreme weather events as a threat to local communities and EU agriculture in times of climate change (debate)

Dear colleague, I would like to ask you how you and perhaps your immediate colleagues would feel about the idea of a common European disaster relief service, since you spoke at the beginning about the clean-up work, which is starting intensively not only in your region, but everywhere. I imagine something like THW in Germany, if that tells you anything, directly from the European Union, so that it can then immediately go to the appropriate regions to help.

18

Sep

2024

Speeches ES

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The case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba

Mr. President, dear human beings, if a person is imprisoned anywhere in the world for their commitment to democracy, that is an attack on every democracy in the world. If we want to defend our democracy here in Europe, then we have to defend José Daniel Ferrer. I would therefore ask you, ladies and gentlemen, to vote in favour of a resolution that makes it very clear what Europe stands for: to speak for freedom, for freedom of thought, to defend the freedom of one's ideas for a better future.

18

Sep

2024

Speeches EN

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The severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

Madam President, dear colleagues, I want to thank you all for the unity in this House regarding this question. I also want to say thank you to the two people in the visitor area for still being with us at this late time. I would like to stress one last time what we are talking about here. You can see the evil of every regime when it comes to the most evil things it does – when it's killing people. So I just want to tell you this story. What happens when you are sentenced to death in Belarus? When you are sentenced to death in Belarus by Lukashenka's regime, you will be put in front of a shooting squad and then they will bury your body without telling anyone, even your relatives, where they will bury you. So the last thing that you see are a bunch of guns and then you are never seen again. So let's stand together. Let's fight together and bring this dictatorship down!

18

Sep

2024

Speeches DE

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The deteriorating situation of women in Afghanistan due to the recent adoption of the law on the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”

Mr President, honourable House! I dedicate my speech to Mr Froelich, who had the Bravado, in a debate on the rights of Afghan women and their oppression, to call for the deportation of these women to Afghanistan. I myself have been going to the same hairdresser in Cologne-Kalk for eight years, to an Afghan family business. The mother of this family, the boss of this shop, did her master's degree in Kabul in the 1990s and had to flee shortly thereafter, so she was forced to come to us in Germany, to build a new life there, to give birth to children, to pay taxes, and recently asked me if she had to flee again from Germany – but only on the sidelines to you. I would like to tell you: Let us all work together to ensure that an Afghan woman who wants to build an existence for herself never has to flee again!

18

Sep

2024

Speeches EN

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The Hungarian “National Card” scheme and its consequences for Schengen and the area of freedom, security and justice (debate)

Mr President, a German tells Europe something about Schengen – maybe not the best timing, but I am not Nancy Faeser. So, dear people of Europe, dear Prime Minister Orbán, we are in fact in a state of hybrid warfare, and it hurts me to say this here, as I am a pacifist, but I am a militant pacifist. So in that state of hybrid warfare, I call out to our misled Hungarian allies and fellow Europeans, and I ask them: do you really want to open the door for the spies and the saboteurs of the enemy? Now the people on my left – and for the people watching from the outside, I am referring to people from the right political spectrum – will say, 'Migrants! Double standards!' So I have a question for you too: who shall we fear more? The single digit percent of migrants who commit crimes? Or a nation that already wages a war to our neighbours?

17

Sep

2024

Speeches EN

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Global measures towards social media platforms - Strengthening the role of DSA and protecting democracy and freedom in the online sphere (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe, you might not know me. My name is Lukas Sieper. I'm 27 years old. Therefore, I'm one of the very, very few digital natives in this room. I grew up in both worlds, in the digital and the analogue one. I illegally downloaded movies and music when I was a child. I was scammed by online shops. I am watching democracy and the rights of all of us being targeted by fake news and hate speech. I understand all of this, but I have no idea about the technical details. With all due respect, dear colleagues, I think most of the people in this room have even less of an idea regarding the digital realm, regarding the technical details. So here's my plea: listen to the people who know. Listen to the experts and don't play political games while shaping this digital world of ours.

16

Sep

2024

Speeches DE

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Persistent problems of anti-Semitism in Europe and of other forms of hate speech and hate crimes (debate)

Mr President, dear people of Europe, dear Members of Parliament, given the special responsibility of my people regarding this topic, I will speak in German. For just a moment: Imagine that you belong to a faith whose followers have been persecuted since time immemorial and who are now again subjected to increased hatred and hatred. Imagine that you have a sexual orientation that is still defamed as sin or perversion. Imagine that you have a physical or mental limitation and have to fight for the respect of society to this day. Imagine that I am the one who sees every day how people like himself are the originators of hatred and incitement, whereas one actually only desires progress for oneself. And now, dear fellow human beings, imagine a world without hatred and incitement, in which every human being can be as he is, can do what he wants, as long as he only leaves the other. Imagine that. Be kind to each other!

16

Sep

2024

Questions EN

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Outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture (debate)

You said the people of Europe reject the Green Deal. I would like to ask you which statistics or which polls you lean that claim on?