What Bas spoke about.

29 Apr

2026

EN Speech

EU strategy in response to the ongoing Middle East crisis, its implications on energy prices and the availability of fertilizers (joint debate)

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Madam President, the US and Israeli illegal attacks on Iran have sparked a global energy crisis. Because of these attacks, the six largest oil companies – half of which are American – are raking in profits of nearly USD 3 000 per second, while people can barely afford the fuel. Let me be clear: this is not our war and we shouldn't pay for it. Europe should stand up for peace, stability and justice…

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, again we are having an energy debate. Barely four years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are once again being hit by this same shock, this time in the Middle East. Different aggressors, same consequences. European citizens are paying the price for our fossil fuel dependence. After 2022, Europe chose the easy path and avoided real change. Rather than breaking free from fossil…

11 Feb

2026

EN Speech

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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Madam President, it's timely that the EU leaders come together tomorrow. In the current unstable geopolitical environment, we need a strong Europe more than ever. And in that, let us not be naive on Donald Trump, on his agenda. He wants to destabilise Europe economically, he wants to divide us and he wants to help the far right into power. So we need strong, united leadership from Europe and a pow…

9 Feb

2026

EN Speech

European Central Bank – annual report 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, good evening President Lagarde, good evening Commissioner, first of all, I would really like to thank the rapporteur for his good cooperation on this report, which is really putting all the elements around the ECB in place. And I really want to thank you as well, Madam President, for the cooperation and the exchange we are having, not only orally, but also quite often in the form …

20 Jan

2026

EN Speech

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Cyprus Presidency (debate)

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Madam President, first of all, a warm welcome, Mr President, good to see you again. Also, on behalf of the Greens, we are looking very much forward to working together with the Cypriot Presidency because it's going to be an interesting half year, let's put it this way. First of all, I really want to thank you for your immediate actions also towards Mr Zelensky and showing support for Ukraine, also…

17 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 18-19 December 2025, in particular the need to support Ukraine, transatlantic relations and the EU’s strategic autonomy (debate)

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Madam President, a divided Europe is the biggest gift you can give Putin and Trump. And this Council is a moment of truth. After the US national security strategy, people are saying that this is a wake-up call for Europe. The wake-up call was on 14 February, when JD Vance was exactly laying out what is now in the national security strategy. So this is not a wake-up call, not for the first time, we…

27 Nov

2025

EN Speech

Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference - Belém (COP30) (debate)

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Mr President, let us be honest, the COP30 result is disappointing. I understand why the Commissioner needs to be a bit more diplomatic, but we can say what it is: it was a disappointing result for the world and for Europe. Ten years on from Paris, where we are at now, has brought us, in the first five years, down from a 4 °C warming to around 2.5 °C. But in the last five years, we have not made a …

13 Nov

2025

EN Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 23 October 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, Commission President, the two main topics that you also addressed in your speech at the Council were, of course, Ukraine, and climate and the Green Deal. First, on Ukraine: I am happy that you're saying that negotiations are ongoing, because yes, the conclusions were that Europe will stand by Ukraine. But then, if we look at the concrete measures, the Council is not delivering eno…

22 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 23 October 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, thank you to the Commission President and also the Council for being here at your own discussion. First of all, of course, there are many topics on the agenda that need to be addressed and we're very happy with all that, especially, of course, the attention to housing, as has already been mentioned. Just saying that if I then read the Council conclusions on housing, it's quite mar…

9 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Request for waiver of immunity

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I hope this is on record, please, how people are reacting here. So what I would like to make very clear, we are concerned about a colleague, about her safety, about her health, about her position, and we should all be. Therefore, I ask you, Madam President, in all kindness, because that is sometimes very complicated on the right, to do your utmost to make sure that she is released and gets all the…

9 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Request for waiver of immunity

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Thank you, Madam President. What we hear now, and we do not know for sure, but what we hear now is that she may have been taken to a maximum security prison. We are very much ... (Cheering and clapping from certain quarters)…

9 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Request for waiver of immunity

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Madam President, (in response to an off-mic comment from another Member) ... No, this is another topic, colleague. So hold your horses. This is another topic. It has to do with Gaza, though. This is about our very highly esteemed colleague, Mélissa Camara. She was on the Freedom Flotilla and she was detained by the Israeli authorities. She is a Member of the European Parliament, who was part of a …

7 Oct

2025

EN Speech

This is Europe - Debate with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden (debate)

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Madam President, thank you also dear Prime Minister of Luxembourg, as a co‑Benelux member, I warmly welcome your words on the leadership of Europe. That is, of course, something we always expect from Luxembourg. It's very great to hear also your words on Ukraine, the accession and also, of course, on today, 7 October. When you are talking about leadership, I think what we also need in Europe is to…

10 Sep

2025

EN Speech

State of the Union (debate)

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Madam President, President von der Leyen, let's just go back one year. The political guidelines that you published in July last year, they were very balanced. But we have to say, over the last year, we have been disappointed in what was implemented of those political guidelines because the focus was very much on defence, Ukraine and deregulation. Especially on the latter one, it was deregulation –…

10 Sep

2025

EN Speech

State of the Union (debate)

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Madam President, Commission President, your call for unity has not really landed with your own group leader, I have to say. But we will work on that. And maybe that is also true because the summer was very painful, let's be honest. The EU has to back Trump to be at the peace table and is forced to swallow US tariffs. Putin's drones are flying over Poland and children are bombed and starved in Gaza…

9 Jul

2025

EN Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 26 June 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, the themes were competitiveness, security and defence, and the EU in the world. Well, that's a good coincidence, because those are the topics I'm addressing as well, but maybe in a bit more of a challenging way. It seems that we're all very happy with how the Council went, but to be very honest, I don't think there's a good reason to be so happy about what happened in the Council,…

7 Jul

2025

EN Speech

Motion of censure on the Commission (debate)

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Madam President, this motion should be about transparency, fighting corruption, etc. Corruption by the far right – most corruption cases are within your ranks and I find it quite condemning that Mr Leggeri is talking about all kinds of scandals without mentioning all the scandals under your leadership in Frontex. Or on transparency: you've been blocking any initiative that we took to get transpare…

18 Jun

2025

EN Speech

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, High Representative, it's very clear that the big topic in the NATO summit will be about the investment percentages in defence. And yes, Europe needs to invest much more in its own defence, and as Greens we see this necessity as well. But the real question will also be: who is going to pay? As the far right is trying to divide us, it's more important than ever that we invest toget…

6 May

2025

EN Speech

A unified EU response to unjustified US trade measures and global trade opportunities for the EU (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, let's be very clear. The illegal tariffs that are imposed and announced by the Trump administration will not only hurt Europeans, they will also hurt US consumers and businesses. Trump is playing a stupid but dangerous game. If the current negotiations do not work – and the Commissioner already said it – the EU has to show its strength and retaliate firmly. We…

5 May

2025

EN Speech

Order of business

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Madam President, earlier this year, the Chair of Parliament's Delegation to Iran was a victim of a hacking attack, very probably done by Iran. This is a clear attempt to silence our criticism of the Iranian regime and to intimidate. Our only reply can be speaking out, as I am doing now, and also showing solidarity with the Chair of the Delegation to Iran. But this also requires an institutional re…

2 Apr

2025

EN Speech

European Steel and Metals Action Plan (debate)

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Madam President, first of all, we really would like to thank the Commission for coming forward with the European Steel and Metals Action Plan, because this is a very important sector for the European economy. And probably today when tariffs are being announced by Trump, we will even have more issues with the industry. And from our perspective, it's really very clear, the steel and metals industry …

11 Mar

2025

EN Speech

European Council meetings and European security (joint debate)

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Madam President, first of all, Mr Costa, I would like to thank you for the Council conclusions, and certainly on Ukraine, where you opted for a conclusion by 26 Member States and not 27. And I think that was a very good decision to do, and not every time try to weaken our conclusions in order to get all 27 on board. However, this also means that the Council should act on this asset of Putin within…

12 Feb

2025

EN Speech

Commission Work Programme 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, 'Bolder, simpler, faster' – that's what's below the Commission work programme. So I was enthusiastic and I start reading. Let's start with 'bolder'. Probably the Clean Industrial Deal must be the boldest proposal, that is a non-legislative proposal that will come in the end of February. Let's see what will be in it. Probably then the Commission of Investments is going to be very b…

22 Jan

2025

EN Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 19 December 2024 (debate)

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Madam President, good morning also to the President of the Commission, but especially, of course, very much welcome to you, Mr Costa, as President of the Council. We're very happy you're here. Indeed, as my colleague already said, it didn't happen that often that the Council President was present in Parliament, and I do think it's good that you are showing that you are willing to open up this deba…

27 Nov

2024

EN Speech

Election of the Commission (vote)

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Madam President, it was a very difficult decision for our group, and you know very well we are still of the opinion making Fitto Executive Vice-President of this Commission is a mistake. People that say, 'He is not far right,' tell that to the mothers in Italy whose rights to have children together have been taken away just because they want to live together. Tell that to the judges who are critic…