Speeches

Mr President! Dear colleagues, I do not know how you are doing, but as the father of five children, every day I only have tears in my eyes when I see the images of the terrible war, the war that Vladimir Putin was responsible for and which he personally ordered and ordered. These are the pictures of fallen soldiers of Ukraine, these are the pictures of grieving parents, these are the pictures of destroyed tanks and planes, but they are also the pictures of destroyed houses, hospitals, cultural institutions, monuments. These are the images – and many colleagues have already addressed them – of innocent and suffering people, to whom everything is destroyed and taken away. We all – and I personally – lack the words to express my concern, my grief and my despair. And the pictures we just had to see in the last few days from Butscha – I think we all feared it would look like this, but we are horrified that it really is. As a father of five, I also know: It is our task to finally take action despite or precisely because of this suffering and to bear even more responsibility than before. We really need to help Ukrainians effectively to defend themselves against this war of aggression and to protect people from attacks. We must not only impose sanctions, but also really implement them in our Member States and in cities and municipalities. If, for example, I have to read in our German newspaper BILD am Sonntag that this still does not work sufficiently in many cities and municipalities in Germany, then I lack the words. We need to help refugees – many colleagues have responded. But I also want us to think beyond the day. My grandmother was expelled from the Sudetenland after the Second World War. She always talked about her homeland. And that is why it is important that we help Ukraine win this war, and that we take responsibility together to help Ukraine rebuild, so that as soon as possible as many people as possible can return to their homes and try to rebuild as much as possible of what is being destroyed in these days.

Mr President! As rapporteur for the international procurement instrument, I would like to request that, after the vote on the amendments from the committee, we can refer the file back to the committee and start the trilogue discussions. It was very important to me that we not only give the trilogue mandate in committee, but also give all Members here in plenary the opportunity to vote on the file. This will happen now, and I would be grateful if we could then start the trilogue negotiations.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave an impressive presentation: We kept our promises. In the summer, all Europeans received a vaccination offer. With the European short-time work allowance, we have secured the jobs of millions of workers and thus guaranteed many families their livelihoods. We have set a unique example of solidarity with the Corona Reconstruction Fund. With 750 billion euros, we support the Member States in the fight against the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. You said it: This year, at the latest next year, all Member States of the European Union will once again be at least as strong economically as before the start of the pandemic. This also has something to do with the fact that all Member States know: The Corona Reconstruction Fund is a unique opportunity that every country must seize. Now, however, we are seeing that the left side here in Parliament wants to preserve all these instruments in the long term. The left wants to introduce new transfers from one country to another through a banking union. They want a banking union in which, in case of doubt, our German savers should also be liable without sufficient protection for sloppiness in other Member States. They want a permanent instrument for joint borrowing. And this obviously also has the support of the German SPD finance minister and candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz. They want to turn this European stability union into a debt union. They want to take away, redistribute and patronize. We, on the other hand, want a Union of solidarity, freedom and personal responsibility. A European Union that protects and offers opportunities to people. A European Union which, if necessary, is always in solidarity. A European Union where performance is worthwhile and everyone is responsible for their actions. And that is exactly the difference between our Stability Union and its Debt Union. And we will be holding this dispute here in Parliament in the coming weeks and months. But this question is also at stake for us in Germany in the upcoming federal election. And that is exactly what we should say to the citizens.