Debate contributions by Marc BOTENGA

Mr President, the Commission comes up with its Clean Industrial Deal and then claims that the solution is for everything. Let's look at three crucial factors: Firstly, energy prices. Energy prices remain high and you do not come up with a mechanism that guarantees that there will be a stable, low price for all companies. You will not come up with a massive public investment package that we say "we will take back into our own hands and control over energy prices". Secondly, there is another problem of industrial policy. That is that in recent years we have given a lot of public money, tax money, to companies that have put it in their own pockets, to shareholders without guaranteeing jobs in Europe. The Commission is also failing in this respect. What guarantees are there for the workers, for the workers? Thirdly, you now also want to weaken the social and environmental responsibility of multinationals with regard to raw materials. This means that we will see more looting in eastern Congo, that we will encourage Rwanda even more to start the war there. That's not the solution. We need a public industrial policy.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear representatives of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, 800 billion is not to increase Europeans’ wages, nor to increase pensions, nor to guarantee quality healthcare for all Europeans without waiting lists, nor even to have one-off buses or trains in every city and village. No, you're in love with the madness of war. Congratulations! Let's say it, though: We are already spending two to three times as much as Russia today on war. According to the German press, we currently have four times as many warships as Russia, three times as many battle tanks and artillery and twice as many fighter jets, while fortunately Russia is unable to conquer even a quarter of Ukraine. Before the Russians land on the Grand Place in Brussels, it will take time! If you do not want to hear it, it does not matter. These are the facts, but you prefer ideology. Stop your cinema: all those who want more weapons and more soldiers, will you send your children there to you? Is that what you are going to do? No, it will still be the children of the working class who will have to die! Well, we will not accept it. We need to coordinate more, not spend more, and finally invest in diplomacy.

Madam President, listen, it is indeed mind-blowing to imagine that, on a continent as rich as ours, the most essential medicines, from paracetamol to amoxicillin, are lacking, and that last year, in my country, Belgium, 1 in 3 families faced such shortages and were unable to access certain medicines because they were unavailable. It is not so much the fault of the Indians or the Chinese, no: It is the fault of the Europeans. Why? Because we are dependent in the first place on the choices made by the big multinational pharmaceutical companies. They decide what to produce, where to produce, how much to produce and at what price to sell, even when they have received public subsidies for research or production. What needs to be broken today is the monopoly that these companies have, and to do so NGOs, associations and even trade unions have already given us the way forward: It is about creating a public infrastructure for research and development in Europe. This is possible. You find 800 billion for weapons; You will find a few billion for health. What are you waiting for?

Mr President, EUR 800 billion: not to increase salaries or pensions, not to remove waiting lists in health care, nor to finally guarantee punctual buses and trains in every village. No, for guns. Let me give you some figures. We already spend 2 to 3 times more on war than Russia. This week the German press stated that we have four times as many warships, three times as many battle tanks, three times as much artillery and twice as many fighter planes as Russia. Meanwhile, Russia fortunately does not even manage to occupy a quarter of Ukraine. The Russian tanks will therefore not immediately be on the Grand Place of Brussels. To all those who say today that we need more weapons and more soldiers, I would like to ask the question – and to Mrs Van der Leyen – who will soon send his sons and children to the front? Stop the war fever and bullshit. We need more investment in diplomacy. We need to coordinate more, not finance more weapons.

Madam President, Commissioner, I am a bit surprised no one mentions here that the United States have also withdrawn from the Human Rights Council of the United Nations. This makes the world a more dangerous place for all Europeans. I am not surprised, of course. I mean, we are speaking in the end of a country whose governments have illegally abducted people and tortured them in secret prisons throughout the Middle East, killed children, bombed weddings from Iraq to Afghanistan. A country responsible, according to its own universities, for millions of victims in the Middle East. We are speaking about a government that is actually today currently pushing, supporting genocide, supporting the deportation of millions of Palestinians. The country blocking the Cuban people from getting the medical equipment they need and deserve. A country imposing sanctions on working‑class families throughout the world just because they disagree with their government, and a country currently mass‑deporting working class families from the United States. Now the question is not why is the US withdrawing from human rights conventions, the question is why is Europe not reacting? Do we think this is a good thing? Are we afraid to stand up? Or is this the true face of this Union – not fighting for global human rights, but for corporate interests and profits of Musk?

Madam President, listen, I see that today the United States is behaving more and more like an international bully, first of all because they are coming to tell Europe that we should no longer invite Chinese researchers, that we should no longer do business with China. Then, at the moment when we have this technological backwardness, they tell us: "Listen, our semiconductors, the ones you'll need for your defense, for cars, etc., well you won't have them anymore." So, they make us completely dependent on them, obviously, and they undermine our industry, they undermine our economy. So what is it as an ally? He's not an ally, that's a big guy. So why can't Europe react? Yet DeepSeek, the equivalent of ChatGPT developed in China, gives us hope. Why? Because the Chinese did it with fewer means, but with a different vision. Rather than giving the masses of money to the big monopolies, to the big multinationals, they developed this collaboratively. In Europe too, we can do this: on the one hand, a rapid public, digital and digital infrastructure is needed, and on the other hand, an open source cooperative approach is needed. Commissioner, please change your point of view!

Mr President, Commissioner, something should be explained to me: Rwanda is invading the Congo and we, as the European Union, as European countries, are still sending arms to Rwanda? Rwanda is stealing Congolese resources and we are going to make an agreement with Rwanda to buy these raw materials from the Congolese who have been stolen? Because that's what's happening: The European Commission signed this agreement with Rwanda and what happened two months later? The M23, the Rwandan-backed rebel movement, has been conquering Congo's largest coltan mine to smuggle these resources and sell them on international markets. So, in fact, the European Commission has, in a way, given the Rwandans the green light to invade Congo. In other words, Europe is on the side of the aggressor. And all this for the profits of the multinationals, on the bodies and bodies of the Congolese. So looting, destruction, millions of deaths in the meantime, it must stop. Africans are fed up, because we saw it with gold in Mali. We saw it in Niger with uranium, we saw it in Libya with gas and oil. It's still the same looting song. And then you are surprised that the peoples of the South are revolting. Africans are fed up. It is seen in Mali, Niger, Burkina, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Senegal. Every time, there are Europeans who have been kicked out. So today is the time to say "basta!". The days of colonialism are over. Suspend this agreement to plunder Congolese natural resources and impose a military embargo on Rwanda. Commissioner, we don't need crocodile tears, we need action.

Mr President, Commissioner, I have tried to understand the European Union's strategy in the Middle East. First I was told: "Yes, but it's human rights." I thought to myself: Human rights, but wait, when Israel commits genocide against Palestinians, when Israelis go door to door, house to house, to steal, to evict Palestinians from their homes, the European Union delivers them arms. When Saudi Arabia executes a record number of prisoners last year, we let them pass quietly." So you told me: No, but there is international law that is important to us. But Israel is illegally occupying not only Palestine, but also part of Lebanon and part of Syria, and you want to strengthen ties with Israel? When Donald Trump threatens to deport 2 million Palestinians, you say nothing. Now I understand, it's the economy: You want gas and oil. As you said, India's economic corridor passes through the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Israel, even stealing gas from the Palestinians potentially. For that, you walk on the bodies of the Palestinians, on the bodies of the Arab peoples, who want only one thing, that is sovereignty, and to be able to decide for themselves their fate. Respect that, Commissioner.

Madam President, Commission, Council, 'we must increase our military spending'. You repeat it obstinately, ‘increase your military spending’, while trying to convince people that there is no more money for salaries, for pensions, for energy bills. There will be no doctor in the hospital or room available in the emergency room. At school, children will be crammed into small, cold classrooms without a teacher. But we need to increase military spending! Let us unmask this deception, because it would be a matter of defending ourselves against Russia. I agree, but NATO’s spending is already almost ten times higher than Russia’s. I am not saying that we should therefore be ten times more powerful than Russia, but not being able to defend ourselves with this budget is still a bit crazy. Where's that money going? What do you do with that money? And, most importantly, how much more money are you going to spend on healthcare to put him in the military? Before emptying the pockets of the workers to fill those of the shareholders of the US multinationals, explain to me a little bit what is being done, at the moment, with the money spent on the military and on weapons. And let's see where we can rationalize.

Mr President, can you imagine Russia saying: "We want a piece of Denmark," or for China to say: "Listen guys, we're going to annex Canada!" You'd all stand up, rebel, call for weapons because you'd have to defend yourself. Yet today, the United States is doing this, and even more! They want Panama, they threaten us with an economic war against our industry, against our energy. And what does Mrs. von der Leyen say? We need to intensify our relations with the United States. We will buy more energy and more weapons from the Americans.” What is this complex? A Stockholm syndrome, like a hostage to his hostage-taker? This is an incredible submission! What do you think? That our NATO military alliance will save us from an attack... by a NATO member, the US, who is the leader? We are in an absurdity that sees us submit to the United States rather than look a little further. Let’s invest publicly in European autonomy on the one hand, and look at other countries! Look at all these new alliances, BRICS and others, that are emerging, and that give economic and commercial openings! Let’s build the Europe of the future instead of staying in Washington’s trailer!

Madam President, the Commission, the Council, today, it must be said, the fundamental problem is that a handful of billionaires hold most of our information. This was already largely the case for traditional media, now it is also the case for social media. And the consequences are there, we see them: For each publication from a friend of mine, I now receive three advertisements. Suggestions to influence us a little, to manipulate our minds a little, like the truncated information that Elon Musk actually imposes on me through his network. Let’s not talk about freedom of expression, because when I publish a message about peace, about Palestine, which the bosses of the networks do not like, I suffer a form of censorship, a shadow ban. Yes, these ultra-rich are manipulating. They don’t want us to see, among other things, how they feed themselves, how they avoid taxes while workers sort out for wages of crap...uh... misery. In order to divert our attention while they are stealing from us, they are watering us with videos that push us to knock down, to those who are experiencing even more difficulties. Through manipulative algorithms, these billionaires seek to influence elections, or even buy them when and where they can. But it is the consequence of a liberal model that you have imposed on us, because it is not a few fines or even censorship that will solve the problem: The question of democracy is a question of power. This is a question of ownership. The internet used to offer a breath of fresh air when these big monopolies did not yet have their hands on the network. Think of Wikipedia: democratic, cooperative, collaborative. Let us now take back control of our information. Let us launch this transparent, democratic European public initiative. Let's free ourselves from billionaires!

Mr President, this ceasefire agreement has revealed something surprising, perhaps, but fundamental about the nature of the Israeli state. In exchange for the hostages released by Hamas, Israel was forced to release Palestinian prisoners. Speaking of Palestinian prisoners, some said they were dangerous terrorists. I was looking at who the Palestinian prisoners were who were released. There were 69 women and 21 children, the youngest of whom was 12 years old, locked up and imprisoned, without trial, without even a charge or conviction by Israel; in other words, hostages of the State of Israel. Israel is now a state that holds innocent Palestinians hostage. How is it possible for this House to be silent about this? How is it possible that we still support Israel, that we continue to fund that state? A state that practices hostage-taking is not a democracy, it is a rogue state. Today we need to humanise these Palestinian prisoners and press for their release.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am Belgian, but I do not come from the MR. I say this because, first of all, they sent you Charles Michel, President of Europe – to what? 30,000 euros per month? – and, for five years, her only achievement was to refuse a chair to the President of the European Commission. Now we find ourselves with Didier Reynders, former Belgian Commissioner MR, who is suspected, according to the press, of having laundered EUR 1 million, in part by buying National Lottery tickets in a petrol pump. So I try to imagine that. Reynders, who is responsible for monitoring the rule of law across Europe, reportedly showed up at a petrol station. "Yeah, so I'm paying full, a pack of cigarettes and for €200,000 of lottery tickets, please." So, while he was lecturing the whole of Europe, he himself was under judicial or police investigation! What a blow to the image of the European Commission, anyway! Didn't you know anything? There is a problem of transparency. You have always told me that your luxury salaries are used to immunise you against this kind of scandal, but clearly this is not the case. It is time to take away these huge salaries and get out of the money bubble you live in today, to get your feet back on the ground.

Mr President, listening to workers tell you that they do not receive the wages due to them, hearing them talk about fatal accidents at work or social dumping shows that today, everywhere in Europe, subcontracting chains have become chains of exploitation and underpayment. In Belgium, a university study identified no less than 188 subcontractors on a construction site – 188 subcontractors! This is still not possible! And all this is encouraged by Europe through the deepening of its internal market. We have to stop it. We need, in the first place, a directive restricting subcontracting, and secondly – and this is important – for the contracting authority to be responsible for the full payment of all workers employed by subcontractors. This is the only way to ensure that they receive their dues. So, let's impose that! We have that power. Take the initiative now, Commissioner.

Madam President, sexual violence is used as a weapon of war in both eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The victims are countless, and the stories, the testimonies of women and girls are horrifying. Today, these crimes are being denounced here – all that would be missing! – but the words of some of you leave me with a bitter taste. Because, while we are blabbing here, while we are talking, there are very concrete European policies that maintain, that are actually fuelling these wars in Africa. Let us be frank, what did we do when the UN accused Rwanda of supporting armed groups in Congo? The European Union went to sign a privileged agreement with Rwanda and gave public money to Rwanda and its army. So why are there armoured vehicles and European weapons today – even in Sudan! – despite the UN embargo? Because in Africa, raw materials matter more to Europe than human rights. It is time to put an end to this interference, to this destabilisation in Africa, and to respect the sovereignty of the African peoples, so that peace can return.

Mr President, in mode full boomers, some of you come to criticise TikTok without ever having used it. So you find out today that there is a problem with weird algorithms? And this is panic. MEP Loiseau has just called all the young people who use TikTok fools. In Romania, they outright canceled a presidential election because TikTok would have played a role. It is possible! But imagine for a moment if this had happened, for example in China, Venezuela, or whatever. We would all have shouted at the democratic scandal! Finally, perhaps more now, because apparently even the European Commission is trying to illegally influence voters in the Netherlands through the networks. But hey, welcome to the world of social networks, ladies and gentlemen! Yeah, there's manipulation. On X, Elon Musk the billionaire imposes his Tweets on me, even if I am not. On Instagram, it is the other billionaire Zuckerberg who makes the law. And on both Instagram and TikTok, publications in support of Palestine, faced with the Israeli genocide, are subject to discreet, but very real, censorship. The real problem is not the apps per se, it is the control these few billionaires have over these communication networks. So, dear comrades, let us liberate the networks of billionaires!

Mr President, Mrs Kallas, you who, after the fall of the Assad regime and as the new Foreign Minister of the European Union, rightly condemn the Russian presence in Syria, you do not condemn the American presence or the Israeli presence - strangely. You talk about free Syria, but you accept that your Israeli, American, etc. allies are illegally occupying part of the country. How to build a free country under occupation? You talk about independent Syria, but you accept that the Americans control the oil and the Israelis destroy the army. How to build an independent country without an army or oil? You say you want to help Syrians, but for a decade the EU has been destroying Syria’s economy with sanctions. So, Mrs Kallas, today deeds speak louder than words. It must be said: Europe, at the moment, is not working for a strong and independent Syria, but for a weak, divided country ready to be mercilessly exploited by our multinationals – like so many other countries in the region, for that matter. Oil, gas, geopolitics: Europe today only defends the interests of its multinationals, and everything else – the discourse on international law, etc. – is clearly for the gallery.

Madam President, Mrs von der Leyen, we will never support you. Never, because in your Europe, working is no longer enough to live: More than a third of Europeans today say their income is no longer enough to pay the bills. More than a third of Europeans have had to give up healthcare, almost a third have had to give up even meals, and more than two in three parents today give up family outings. In this context, you advocate austerity for workers, who earn 30,000 euros a month. It's easy, of course! While you refuse to tax millionaires, you refuse to tackle the superprofits of the big multinationals. But what a shame! And let's talk about the international, where no one has forgotten your trip to Tel Aviv, to go cheer on war criminal Netanyahu. I wonder if, one day, this support, perhaps your trip, will also earn you a ticket to The Hague. Mrs von der Leyen, in order to save your place, you have pacted with the extreme right, you have bought the ecologists, humiliated the socialists, but we will not give up anything. We will be the social opposition for the next five years. Count on us to oppose you.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, whenever I hear that with the defence budgets we have today, we are not able to defend ourselves, I wonder what we are doing with this money. Because we spend more on defense than Russia, than India, than South Africa, than Brazil. Apparently, with that, we're not able to defend ourselves. It's still pretty mind-blowing. One point on which we agree is that today public authorities in Europe are not able to protect their citizens. And we see it every time there is a problem, whether there is a climate or environmental disaster. We see it in summer when there are forest fires all over southern Europe and we do not have water bombers to put out this fire. But this is apparently not a priority. We prefer to produce new fighter jets. In Valencia, we saw the damage of austerity. In Belgium, when there was flooding, what did the previous government do? It had abolished four of the six civil defence barracks. Of course, we cannot protect our citizens if we do not invest in our emergency preparedness, in our hospitals. That's the priority. No militarization again.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, there is a tale by La Fontaine entitled 'The cuckold, beaten and content'. And sometimes I have the impression that Jean de La Fontaine was talking about Europe against the United States today. Even before Trump, they used their secret services to spy on us and push us into war, especially in the Middle East, which destroyed a region close to our continent. And in the midst of the energy crisis, they would sell us their expensive shale gas and then use lower energy prices at home to attract our industries to their homes. Well, today, Trump says that there will be tariffs against our industry, we will have algorithms that will define our information. And Musk, Trump's new minister, even wants to tell us which judges we should have, which European commissioners, and which laws to pass or abolish. But how do we get this accepted? What other countries would you accept it from? From no other country! Yet I hear people here saying that we need to intensify relations with the United States. No, let's look for alternatives. Rather than allowing US multinationals to take over our economy, let's develop public European alternatives and look at the rest of the world because the US is no longer the only country in the world.

Madam President, you know that, on the basis of Article 188, MEPs easily earn EUR 14 000 per month. However, every year our group calls for these salaries to be lowered so that MEPs are a little more in tune with the reality of workers, who are struggling to make ends meet. Every year, this vote unmasks MEPs who, on the one hand, preach austerity and misery for workers, but, on the other hand, give themselves a generous salary of €14,000 per month. But today, behind the scenes, you are telling us that this is no longer acceptable and you want to prevent this vote – I know very well, ladies and gentlemen, that you do not want us to touch your privileges. You tell us that this income is guaranteed by other legislation. But precisely by refusing today to vote on the necessary budget, we can open this door to take the first step and review all this. Last year, you allowed these amendments. What has changed, which would no longer be true today? Could it be because the election campaign is over? Madam President, please review this decision. Politics serves to serve, not to serve.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, what a marvel! After years of mobilization, you are forced to admit that indeed, it may be time for the rich to pay some taxes. Frankly, it is not too late – well, not too soon rather. You still have to explain to me: You're all for it, but in the governments you're a part of, there's almost no one among you who actually enforces it. However, the question arises in Europe. Oxfam has calculated that Europe's five richest billionaires have seen their fortunes grow by just over €5 million per hour in recent years. Basically, these people sit on their couch, watch a football game and, chi-ching, 10 million more on their account. Unsurprisingly, at the same time, more or less 99% of Europeans have seen their fortunes diminish and become impoverished. The rich have taken our money. This is thanks to the system you have installed in Europe. That's why today we have to tax multimillionaires and billionaires. We don't have to wait until tomorrow, let's do it today. What are you waiting for?