What Brigitte spoke about.

6 Oct

2026

NL Speech

Affordable Housing Act (debate)

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Mr President, with this law on affordable housing we have laid the foundation stone. But I can't celebrate him, because it's all about commercial rent. Just about platforms like Airbnb. And even that is not dealt with decisively. The cities where the problems are really big, such as Amsterdam and Barcelona, have nothing to do with this approach. What are we supposed to do? We need to show real amb…

15 Sep

2026

EN Speech

Presentation of the Fair Labour Mobility Package (debate)

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Mr President, Madam Vice-President, congratulations on the skills portability initiative. I really think that digitalisation and making sure that we can travel with our skills across borders is a step in the right direction. But it doesn't address the real issue at stake here. And that is trust – simple trust that our European craftsmen are well trained and highly skilled across our borders. Isn't…

20 May

2026

EN Question

High time to deliver on the Single Market, providing certainty and predictability for EU businesses and quality jobs (continuation of debate)

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Ms Fita, I heard your beautiful words about the market, about the people. I also heard the beautiful words of Ms von der Leyen about the quality jobs. But when I look at the 'One Europe, One Market' roadmap that they are presenting to us, that we negotiate on together, I don't see quality jobs as a priority. Don't you think that it's a huge problem and that we should make sure that for Europe, qua…

18 May

2026

NL Speech

Negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity on the Union steel market (debate)

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Mr President, if this time teaches us anything, it is that we have to do it ourselves. We have to build on ourselves. Europe on its own feet: our own energy, our own defence and therefore also our own steel. The future of European steel is green steel. Our companies are working hard on this transition and that requires a lot: major investments for new installations, the development of new knowledg…

25 Mar

2026

EN Speech

Energy security, independence and supply in the geopolitical context - ensuring market stability and affordable energy for industry and citizens (debate)

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Mr President, 33 days ago, I quit smoking. And from an expert by experience, I can say that the first step in getting away from your dependence is admitting that you're dependent and admitting that this dependence is hurting you. But I can also say that what is far easier and what I see here a lot is denial – because we are denying that it is fossil fuel prices that are hurting our industries and …

11 Mar

2026

NL Speech

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

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10 Mar

2026

EN Question

Presentation of the Energy Package (debate)

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Mr Popescu, I want to compliment you on your contribution. I think we can easily agree that safe energy is made in Europe, is made local, and that is the way to make it affordable for our citizens. So how do you feel about Ms Montserrat making political games out of our energy debate at the expense of our citizens, instead of putting our best foot forward to make sure that we make renewable energy…

10 Mar

2026

EN Speech

Presentation of the Energy Package (debate)

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Mr President, seeing as Ms Montserrat is cool enough to rant on Ribera, but not cool enough to take a blue card, I will use my speaking time to respond on that. Because it was Ms Montserrat who was spreading ghost stories after the Spanish blackout, saying it was all the fault of the green agenda, but it's Ms Montserrat and her political games that cause Europe now to fear high energy prices, that…

10 Mar

2026

EN Speech

Housing crisis in the European Union with the aim of proposing solutions for decent, sustainable and affordable housing (debate)

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Madam President, Europe is in a major housing crisis, and when you cannot find your home, you cannot build a life. The European Parliament has finally assumed its responsibility on tackling this crisis, and that is essential. And I was happy to negotiate it, because while Europe may not build your home, it can make building easier and cheaper by creating an internal market for construction materia…

11 Feb

2026

EN Speech

Addressing subcontracting chains and the role of intermediaries in order to protect workers’ rights (debate)

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Mr President, people working excessive hours and unpaid overtime, people not being able to take a break, people working in unsafe working conditions – this is reality for millions of people working in Europe. And when it happens, and when we ask the question, 'who is actually responsible?', we see in the whole chain, 'it wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me.' This is what we need to…

11 Feb

2026

NL Speech

International Day of Education, fighting inequalities in access to education (debate)

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11 Feb

2026

EN Question

Urgent actions to revive EU competitiveness, deepen the EU Single Market and reduce the cost of living - from the Draghi report to reality (debate)

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When it comes to simplification, innovation, we strongly agree with each other that we need to work on that. But I want to talk about European preference, and I want to know – because I agree with our Commission President that it is a fine line to walk and that we should focus on our strategic sectors – but my question to you is: are you willing to walk with us that fine line for the strategic sec…

11 Feb

2026

EN Question

Urgent actions to revive EU competitiveness, deepen the EU Single Market and reduce the cost of living - from the Draghi report to reality (debate)

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Dear colleague, when we talk about the single market, of course, we can immediately agree. When we talk about the simplification agenda, we can agree. But can we also agree that the free market alone is not enough anymore to protect Europe? Can we agree that we need a European preference? If we look at China, with their 'made in China' policy, they made sure that our car industry moved to China. I…

16 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Presentation of the European Affordable Housing Plan (debate)

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Madam President, having your own place, a spot in the sunshine and someone in the neighbourhood that can always love you. This is the start of a nostalgic hit song in the 1980s in the Netherlands, because it was such a given that everybody had their own home. But how different are things now? Europeans pay more than 60 % more for housing than in 2015, and in Hungary that's even 200 %. The cost of …

16 Dec

2025

NL Speech

Grids package and tackling raising energy prices through robust infrastructure (debate)

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25 Nov

2025

EN Speech

Effective use of the EU trade and industrial policy to tackle China’s export restrictions (debate)

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Madam President, listening to this debate, I can conclude that we all agree that it's really not favourable that we are this dependent on China. So we do know what we need to do, but how do we do it? The Member States and the EU really have to get on their feet and, together with industry, build strong partnerships with trusted partners. We also need to set clear partners on when industry needs to…

25 Nov

2025

EN Question

Effective use of the EU trade and industrial policy to tackle China’s export restrictions (debate)

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It's insane that you say that we have to keep our relationships with China while we are way too dependent on China. If we do this, the EU is dumber than a cat. A cat knows not to drink from one source, because if they drink from one source and that source is poisoned, they will get poisoned. They diversify their sources, and we also need to diversify our sources of raw materials and not become too…

22 Oct

2025

NL Question

UN Climate Change Conference 2025 in Belém, Brazil (COP30) (debate)

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The claims you make are refuted by science time and time again. In addition, floods, heatwaves, droughts and wildfires cost €43 billion in economic damage last summer alone. What do you say to all the people who have lost their homes, who have seen their habitat destroyed? What do you say to those people when you deny that climate change is a problem that we must solve together?…

22 Oct

2025

NL Speech

UN Climate Change Conference 2025 in Belém, Brazil (COP30) (debate)

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Mr President, EUR 400 billion. This is how much Europe pays annually for fossil energy from countries outside our continent. EUR 400 billion flown to oil sheiks and often to undemocratic leaders. And who's gonna pay for that? The ordinary European, who pays a skyrocketing energy bill, and our industry, which suffers from these gigantic energy prices. We have long known that green energy is the che…

8 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Establishment and functioning of European Works Councils - effective enforcement (debate)

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Madam President, the European Union is not only a single market; it's also a social strength. And it is important to support the position of employees in these rapidly changing times. At the same time, we do not want to be standing in the way of competitiveness. This file shows that one does not have to counter the other, but that it actually can strengthen it when finding proportionate outcomes. …

7 Oct

2025

NL Question

Time to complete a fully integrated Single Market: Europe’s key to growth and future prosperity (debate)

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Mr. Gotink, you are the brake. You are very much in favour of the internal market here, but you are the brake. Because in your election program, I read: “We want tasks, powers and budgets that remain ours. This is how we preserve our sovereignty.” You are the brake. The government in which your party played the leading role prevented us from recognising vocational training diplomas across Europe. …

6 Oct

2025

NL Speech

Motions of censure (joint debate)

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Mr President, this month thousands of trainees are starting in our European institutions. Of course it's a happy day for them, but I'm sick of it. I am disappointed that these traineeships are not accessible to VET students or vocational education students. May I remind you that two thirds of Europeans do not have a university education, but vocational training? Why are our internships not accessi…

9 Sep

2025

EN Speech

European Social Fund (ESF+): specific measures to address strategic challenges (debate)

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Mr President, ESF+: let's talk about the successes we've gained, but also about the rule of law. During trilogues, this was discussed thoroughly and we have made steps. But some members of our group still have concerns, and I hope that Madam Executive Vice-President can respond to them. First, on the fund itself. It is important to renew the European Social Fund Plus because it is a fund that inve…

8 Jul

2025

NL Speech

Need for the EU to scale up clean technologies (debate)

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Mr President, in the region where I come from, very nice new companies have started. For example, a company that first made pipes for oil and gas. Or a company that first threw away normal waste and now makes new raw materials from it. And for example, a company that turns seaweed into green fertilizer and a company that turns pipes that used to be for oil and gas into pipes for hydrogen. All from…

2 Apr

2025

NL Speech

Energy-intensive industries (debate)

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Mr President, a few weeks ago I stood in the square next to the European Parliament with a large group of steel workers from all over Europe, including from my region. From my region there was a group of boys and girls of less than twenty years who are in training to become professionals at the Hoogovens in IJmuiden. They stood there for their future and I stand here for their future. They must be…