Speeches

Mr President, dear people of Europe! What always amuses me the most in this House is the mental flexibility of some of our colleagues. The same people who say that we should open up to Putin again, that we should drop the sanctions against Russia, now want us to take a hard line against Donald Trump. The same people who stand up and declare themselves the defenders of the little man, and who are chauffeuring themselves over fuel prices, now want us to break this trade deal – risking renewed price increases. Is that a good deal? No. Is this a deal we want? No. Can you trust Donald Trump in any way? No. Is the man completely insane? Yes, yes. I think the best thing we can do now is sign this deal and then implement it in a way that's good for us. Nothing else will Donald Trump do.

Dear colleague, if you would have the chance to talk to one of these kids that's going through this horrible process, that indeed is not worthy of the name 'therapy', what would you tell them?

Madam President, dear people of Europe, put me into a camp and tell me that being with a woman is a sin, and I will still be heterosexual at the end of the day. Put me into a camp and parade the most attractive man in the world in front of me, I will still be heterosexual at the end of the day. Put me into a camp and beat me up until I say differently, I will still be heterosexual at the end of the day. No matter what you do to me, I will still be myself at the end of the day. Dear colleagues, every human being has one fundamental right: to be who they are. You cannot torture identity out of a person. You cannot legislate it away, and you cannot correct it. This initiative is exactly about that. There is only one choice: let the people be who they are.

Madam President, I refer, as so often in such debates, to Rule 10(4) of the Rules of Procedure, which prohibits hate speech. And it is about Mrs Boßdorf's speech right now. I am aware that what we know as hate speech is usually strong, defamatory, unambiguous statements. But I think it is precisely you, Madam President, as well as Germans, who know that hate speech in our society today is also the constant shift in what can be said, the constant subliminal attempt to make such disgusting, anti-democracy ideas a legitimate part of our democratic discourse. The claim that the finding of one's own homosexuality, transsexuality, intersexuality or any other non-heteronormative sexuality is a mere juvenile confusion, which, when it is lived out and grown up, is supported by some lobby groups, is precisely this shift of the limit of what can be said into the realm of hate speech. And that is the point where we as Democrats have to stand up and where I ask the Bureau to intervene.

Madam President, in this House we often honour great statesmen. And sometimes it's only fair to prepare an eulogy for their career, maybe just a little early. We praised the man who calmed the press with grace by gently putting questions in their place. Who cherished votes, the ritual, the show, as long as all results were safe to know. Who built the rule of law so firm, so tight, that law would always bend to power's might. Who spoke of freedom proudly, loud and clear, while making sure dissent would disappear. Who guarded tradition as a sacred art by redrafting history to play his part. Who promised strength, stability, control, and slowly centralised the state, the soul. Who called it patriotism, bold and grand, when fewer voices shaped the public land. And so, dear colleagues, let us not complain, but wish Viktor Orbán a well earned rest from strain. Europe, I am sure, will gladly entertain the thought he'll soon have time for himself again.

Mr. Colleague, we have already heard today about the ideas and mental turmoil of US President Donald Trump. In your speech, I recognized a lot of what he usually says. And that's why I wanted to ask: what you just did here is either a preparation for the fact that when Orbán loses the election, you can tell something about this big lie of the stolen election? Or is it reverse psychology, because the Orbán government itself has manipulated the elections for years and decades and you now want to put the whole thing in the shoes of the pro-democracy forces in Trump's manner?

Mr President, thank you, it's a whole different feeling up front here. Japan takes 60 % of its energy from imports. And they use ships for this. And these ships, they travel through a very narrow strait. And recently, the so-called maritime militia of China gathered thousands of boats there. And they did concentrated manoeuvres showing how vulnerable Japan is when a geopolitical opponent decides to block a maritime straight for their fossil fuel imports, and how bad this is for Japan's geopolitical situation. Fortunately, we are not in that situation.

Mr President, dear people of Europe, I supported this resolution because a rules‑based multilateral trading system is essential for global economic stability and prosperity. The WTO remains a key framework that provides predictability and legal certainty for international trade. However, global trade is under increasing pressure from protectionism and outdated rules. That is why the WTO must be modernised to address new realities such as digital trade, sustainability and fair competition. For me and for the Party of Progress, international cooperation – based on clear rules, transparency and fairness – is essential. Trade should create opportunities while supporting sustainable and fair development. My vote therefore supports strengthening multilateral cooperation and ensuring that global trade remains open, fair and predictable. I wish everyone in this room a very nice weekend.

Mr President, dear people of Europe! It is with a heavy heart that I voted against this report. Not because I do not appreciate the work of the European Ombudsman. I believe that the European Ombudsman is the most important tool for us, as an institution, as politicians, to show responsibility towards the population. I voted against this report because, instead of an objective presentation and a clear commitment to the values laid down in the Treaties of the European Union, it was ideologically hijacked, especially by those who repeatedly claim to oppose ideology. It is precisely these people who have adopted this report and have transformed it in a way where it is in fact nothing more than a statement that the Commission should move away from supporting the values and the development of the European Union. I very much hope that we will be able to vote on this report again in a better way, and then it will also find my approval.

Mr President, dear people of Europe, I supported the report on package travel and linked travel arrangements, because travellers in Europe deserve clear and reliable protection when booking package holidays. The experience during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that parts of the current Directive were unclear, especially regarding cancellation, refunds and travellers' rights. This report improves consumer protection and simplifies the rules for travellers, to get them clear and safe information about their rights, and better protection in case of problems or insolvency. For me, and for the Party of Progress, strong consumer rights and transparent markets are key priorities. My vote therefore supports clearer rules, stronger protection for travellers and a fair framework for the European travel market.

Mr President, before I do my speech in German, a note to the translators, as I will use German youth terminology: 'Haftbefehl' is an artist's name; 'Achi' is 'brother'; 'Chaya' is sister'; 'The crazy' is 'it's intense'; 'Ballon ballern' is to consume laughing gas; GTA is a video game. Dear people of Europe! The European Parliament has also seen the arrest warrant documentary, and as always: We react a bit late. And I would like to turn to all my Akhis and all my Tryers at this point: What you're doing with your head, with these GTA ‑-branded nitrous oxide canisters, that's crazy, you can't imagine. This may be more fun than going out for a drink or doing something else, but you're suppressing the oxygen connection to your brain. And that's not worth a party in the world. It's not worth the fun in the world. And that is why it is right and important for the European Union to ban the free sale of nitrous oxide. And this report has my full support.

Thank you, colleague. I lived in a neighbourhood before I came to the European Parliament, where there was a lot of use of this drug and it was a very poor neighbourhood, while I myself come from a quite rich family. I have never seen the remains, as our colleague described, of laughing gas in the richer areas, but they stack up in the streets of the poorer areas. Why do you think that this drug is more used by those in society who do not have much in comparison to those who are wealthy?

Madam President, dear people of Europe, honourable Torselli said something very important: obesity is not a question of guilt. He also said something that I would debate from my personal experience, he said: obesity is not a question of lifestyle. After I got elected to the European Parliament, I gained 15 kg of personal weight and, for the first time in my life, my doctor said to me: 'Lukas, you are close to obesity. Watch out.' And now, after a very long year, I lost half of it again. So, I think if you live a life where you are very stressed, where you have long hours, where you do not have time to cook healthily, you rely on big food chains. You rely on big restaurants. You rely on pre‑prepared meals, on fast food. I think that, especially for those people, we should take example by a policy that maybe the most fit politician in history, Arnold Schwarzenegger, introduced in California back when he was governor, where big restaurant chains need to give the calories to the food that they actually sell to people. I think this is very healthy food for thought for the Commission.

Madam President, dear people of Europe, dear Ombudsman, this position is of the utmost importance for confidence in our democracy. Democracy is not free from mistakes. It is not free from lack of transparency. It is not free from the Commission. The real question is how we respond to it. And it is precisely here that its Office comes into play, which allows citizens to participate in the answer to this question. At the same time, one Member said something very right: hardly anyone knows this institution. That is why I have a question for you which, of course, was not answered either in the report or in your speech, but which still interests me. How many people work full-time on your social media team?

Mr President, dear people of Europe, one of the most cynical things about the crimes of the National Socialists in the Holocaust was that it all, under German law, was perfectly legal. All the deportation, all the gas chambers, all the mass killings were not spontaneous acts of violence, but were based on laws, on regulation, on orders. So when the Nazi regime fell, international lawyers and the international community faced a severe challenge: how to prosecute people for something that was legal; how to prosecute those in power for something that is perfectly fine under their national law at the time. This is when international criminal law was founded – to keep people accountable, no matter how big their power to shape their own legal system. And this is to this day why the ICC is so important, and why we must draw a line in the sand now to protect it.

Madam President, dear people of Europe, the international trading system stands at a crossroads. For decades, the rules‑based order under the World Trade Organization helped reduce tariffs, expand opportunity and create prosperity across continents. Yet today, that system faces unprecedented pressure. When rules are ignored or undermined, it is not institutions that ultimately suffer, it is our citizens, our workers and our businesses. That is why the ministerial conference in Yaoundé is so important. The WTO must adapt to a changing world: modern rules for digital trade; stronger frameworks for investment facilitation; and procedures that allow cooperation among those willing to move forward while preserving the integrity of the multilateral system. But reform will not happen by itself. Europe must help drive it. Together with partners who believe in openness, fairness and international law, the European Union should act as a stabilising and constructive force for a modern and effective multilateral trading system.

Madam President, Mr Tynkkynen , you surprise me over and over again, and I do not mean this in a good fashion. Dear people of Europe! Welcome back to our popular show “We teach the fascists how the EU works”. Today we had Mr Bausemer. Mr Bausemer, he is annoyed because there are many vague legal concepts in this new directive. There must be indefinite legal concepts in a directive, which must be transposed into 27 national legal systems, which should be particularly important to our colleagues from the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group. So next time you ask yourself: why are there words such as ‘extraordinary circumstances’, ‘unavoidable events’, it is simply because we want to give our Member States the opportunity to implement this into their national legal systems in the way that makes sense, so that all our common European interests are balanced. Turn it on again next week. Thank you very much!

So, colleague, as you're in your first legislative period, once again I will ask: do you think it is possible to craft any law while guaranteeing that there will not be bad consequences of that law? And do you think asking that question to the Commission and Parliament is the right approach?

Thank you, colleague, for accepting the blue card. You asked the Commission and, I think, the broader Chamber if they can guarantee that the bad things about the savings that you describe won't happen. So my question to you is: have you, as a legislator, ever in your life, in your political career, drafted a law where you could guarantee that there would not be any bad consequences? And is this really the right question to ask when it comes to one of the most important financial political files that we have this year?

Mr President, since the very first day of this conflict, people want me to pick sides. People want me to pick sides as a politician between an Islamist terror regime and war criminals that are corrupt and transform their state into authoritarianism. I refuse to pick sides, because the only people that I care about in this are the civilians that suffer. And you can choose which side kills more or kills worse these civilians. What I can tell you from all of this is that we need to transform Europe to play a real role in the future. We need a European army. We need a common foreign policy. We need to be able to get our own citizens out of such a situation. Only if we make ourselves ready can we really weather the storms of geopolitics.

Mr President, in accordance with Rule 10, the Members of this House have to respect the dignity of Parliament. Mr Droese just called this Parliament a 'sham' Parliament, which is an insult to the dignity of this House. The same insult was already perpetrated last plenary session by a member of his very own party, by a member of his very own group. We can no longer tolerate that Members of this House denouncing this as a 'sham' Parliament.