Speeches

Mr President! The solidarity corridors are, of course, right, they are important and necessary for Ukraine's survival. There is no question at all that we need them, and that was a real investment that we made there, or several investments that we make. However, we must also be careful not to overwhelm our domestic markets. We must be careful that our farmers do not suffer because the price pressure is so great, because the goods do not arrive where they belong. They belong where the need needs to be alleviated, to Africa, for example, in order to prevent famine accordingly. Instead, they end up in European markets for quick money. Of course, I understand the farmers who say here that we simply cannot keep up financially because, of course, we produce much more expensively. This means: Europe is called upon to create mechanisms here, to create control mechanisms that virtually exclude this abuse – also to create control mechanisms to control the goods more precisely what is coming. Many of the goods are also contaminated with mercury, scrap metal and, and, and. So we simply need to create more inspection corridors and controls here so that what comes to Europe is also appropriately safe for the people and so that what is destined for Africa also arrives there and protects our farmers.

Thank you for the question. Let me make it very clear again: I had also said it was being abused left and right. It's not like that in there. Surrogacy will remain a criminal offence in Germany. That's how it is when you do it, and in Italy too. It is up to the nations alone. So that's not what it says, it's now being reinterpreted from the left. Yes, just as you are reinterpreting, we want to dissolve the classic family – father, mother, child – which is the best family image, that remains. But that doesn't change anything: Wherever there is a child, there is family. Point. Children can't do anything about how they grow up. It is up to the nations to act accordingly and to pass appropriate laws, no more and no less.

Mr President! Yes, I am the Federal Chairman of the Family Party of Germany, and you do not believe how often I am asked: What do you mean by family? This is always the most frequently asked question I get in the media. And here we say – we have found a definition – the definition is: Everywhere we find a child. Everywhere we find a child, that's for us family. Point. I want to expand that even further. For example, if I bring my father, my mother or something like that to me, whether in care or for care, then we are family again. I am the child of my parents, no matter how old I am. And that is the definition I would like to see for Europe. Then there would be no such quarrels in this report. In the beginning I was against this report, because our party is clearly against surrogacy. This is a crime against humanity – I stick to it – where the woman is reduced to commercial goods and the child is also reduced. This is not possible at all, and this cannot be reconciled with the Christian values of Europe. That's why I was originally against the report until I found out, dear rights: This report has nothing to do with surrogacy, even if the left likes to bring it in and bring LGBT people in. This report focuses on the best interests of the child, and this report provides legal certainty in Europe – legal certainty that is long overdue. And that's why: Look at the report again. I have come to the conclusion, I have reconsidered my attitude: I can only agree with the report and consider it necessary for the benefit of the children of Europe and for the necessary legal certainty. And he has nothing to do with LGBT and nothing to do with surrogacy. It is still up to the nations to regulate it independently. (The speaker agreed to answer a question on the blue card procedure)

Mr President! Last week, a Ukrainian soldier had been with me in the office and had reported from the front – she came directly from the front – what she experienced there and what the state of affairs in Ukraine is in general. She asked that we in Europe should never forget what war crimes are being committed there. She also asked that we always focus on bringing back the children who have been abducted and compensating for the environmental damage. The environmental damage, in fact: 150 million tons of CO2 have now been registered for environmental damage. This represents a total volume of 9.8 billion. This must not be overlooked, and this must also be remedied. The correction will cost at least another 55 billion. These are things we say: Europe cannot tolerate this and Europe must act now. How can we act? We can act by freezing the funds. We need to generate global money that the oligarchs have somewhere to go. We must confiscate them and use them for these war crimes in order to make up for them. Because this is an attack on humanity, a global attack... (The President withdrew the floor from the speaker.)

Madam President, Commissioner! World Children’s Day, 20 November – today is World Children’s Day. Parliament is empty and we are embedding the discussion in a wonderful report. That was’s. This is World Children’s Day – how Europe deals with how we deal with our children. I have to be honest, you can only be ashamed of yourself here. Foreign embarrassment in this respect: Here belongs a full house, here belong people who honor the children. World Children's Day is designed to raise awareness of children's needs. World Children's Day is dedicated to strengthening children's rights around the world. He is there to denounce child poverty, child labour. He is not there for self-indulgence or for embedding this important discussion in a report. As I said, you can only be ashamed of yourself. The Family Party of Germany, of which I am the Federal Chairman – we have also re-incorporated many proposals into this report, with an additional European child allowance, with an upbringing salary for Europe, which parents urgently need so that they can raise children in a self-determined manner and enter into family planning financially consciously. So one more sign that we as a small party here are urgently, urgently needed in this European Parliament. And we hope that next year, after the European elections, the house will be full here on 20 November and that we will have our own agenda item on this World Children's Day. The children of the world and the children of Europe deserve it. They are our future, they are our – the evil word – human capital. They are the people we need to support, the people we need to care for, and we must not allow poverty to continue to increase. We must not allow child labour in Europe, which – as Mrs Pereira has pointed out – is rising rapidly as a result of the poverty and inflation and the wars we have in this world. Yes, let us not only remember the children, but be active for our children of Europe, and then let us learn from today's lessons in the future so that we can do better next year.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, guests and colleagues present! Yes, paid housing or adequate housing is a human right, we have established. That is so, and that is why it is European law, especially since nations are increasingly failing. As a German, of course, I look to Germany, although I cannot resist the impression that our small family party in Germany, the family, is the only remaining social party. If I look at what the traffic light coalition is currently fabricating in Germany: 400,000 homes were promised, knowing that there have been an average of 405,000 homes per year since 1950, and 290,000 or 295,000 last year, or 110,000 fewer than the average since 1950. This is no longer a promise made by the Chancellor under the motto ‘We will continue to do what we have been doing since 1950’. 500 million for a project to charge electric cars with a single-family house - wonderful. The 280 000 people without housing will be happy about this and, of course, will probably apply for this money in large numbers. So here is a need for action. We have to create affordable housing, and it seems that this can only be done at European level, because otherwise the right side laughs poorly. With the help of the media, the right will benefit because we are facing social unrest. Because the people and the families will no longer be able and allowed to enjoy this. They need housing, because that is a human right – I come back to it – and that is why we need to impose programmes here in Europe that do justice to this human right.

Madam President, Commissioner Schmit! That's how we see each other again. What you just said is not enough for me, I have to tell you quite honestly. They have relied on the ILO study – 2.2% of working hours will be lost globally by 2030. That makes 80 million full-time jobs in a total amount of €2.1 trillion – just to say the least. We cannot meet this with guidance. It is also not – if I look at Germany – for example, what the German government does in the small. We need to think about climate globally. We need to take action on health and safety for people. You are absolutely right when you say: Of course, people are now exposed to completely different substances: Solvents that are released from 35 degrees, which was not thought of before. There are things that are rolling towards us, which is an enormous cost. In terms of health policy alone, it is assumed that we – all allergies, for example, because pollen flight will increase by 40 to 60 % as a result of this warming and climate protection – will have much more illnesses and failures, including in working life. The heat, as you say: Work in road construction in this weather, it's almost impossible. That is, the whole life, the working conditions will have to change and will change. Europe must act accordingly, and Europe must issue very clear guidelines here, which the countries must also adhere to for the benefit of the people, that they can keep up with this climate and not get seriously ill. Because every sick leave in the companies costs cash and tax money. Yes, unfortunately the speaking time is over, there is still so much to say.

Mr President, good evening, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! Yes, About – About is the discussion here, About is the discussion here. Of course Dennis is right. What he said earlier can only be shared. I have very little to say about it. That's why I want to use this as well, because it's not just about platform work. It's not just about over. And I wonder, after hearing the speeches today: Where have you lived in recent years? Is this all new, the 124,000 pages? All you had to do was ask your taxi driver at home. Or the demonstrations that have taken place in different cities, including in France. Or ask Macron. Ask Macron or the French Ministry of Economic Affairs what is going on and what is going on. Or ask Obama and his co-workers. This is nothing new, but it has now been confirmed once again, and it has now been clearly explained once again. Of course we have to act. But I would also like to use this speech to trumpet a good news. Good news, as far as our mechanisms work. Our Qatargate – let me tell you: The actors sit behind the lock and bolt. You've been caught. Prosecutors are investigating with great success. It has been exposed and exposed – and not just new, but already for a long time – and has, of course, been lobbying, as has every major corporation. What always bothers me, however, is that you don't want to know anything about it. Suddenly you stand here and say: Oh, God, we didn't know about anything. About – that's very bad. Yeah, that's bad, and not just about. But I also find it bad that there are politicians like Daniel Freund, who abuses this position, who goes public, goes on public television, insults our whole Parliament in my eyes, insults me personally and other Members of Parliament, because he says: They are all corrupt, the MEPs, very bad, except him. He's not corrupt, everyone else is corrupt. He gets six bottles of beer sent, then shows on TV, I don't drink them, I throw them away, the others drink those bottles of beer. And I listen to such nonsense in Germany. And I would have expected that they would also step in, namely that there is no denigration of Parliament.

Mr President! One in four children in Europe is poor, and we have to let that melt on our tongues. One in four children! That is why, of course, we need the budget, that is at all, no question. That's far too little. And now, of course, it is clear that we often experience duplicity here in this House. I would like to remind you that I wrote a report where I fixed the child allowance, and over 300 Members abstained. In other words, we could have lifted 30 million children out of poverty. But no, 300 MEPs abstained, and they have to answer for that. I am the Federal Chairman of the Family Party of Germany, and I know what I am talking about. We need to rethink all our actions. We owe it to future generations. How do we want to survive if we deprive the next generation of the content of life, if we let them grow up in poverty, if we thereby promote the crime rate, if we do not get a reasonable compensation here? Here we are specifically challenged. I'm honestly tired of just debating and talking about it, and at the end of the day, nothing happened again. That's why I urge you to: Let's finally act! The budget is very, very low. However, let us finally act by reviewing all measures for child justice and really fighting child poverty here.

Dear Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear Mrs Homs Ginel! Thank you for the good cooperation. It was a real hard work on your part, and you have created a work there, which is now on the table, which we have to debate. I had told you during the negotiations that there are a lot of things in there that do not actually belong in such a report. It is a guide, a guide to employment policy. For example, you put things in there where, as a social politician and as the Federal Chairman of the Family Party of Germany, my heart naturally rises when I read this with the children, with the 20 million you mentioned – no question. However, let's be honest: Does that belong in this report? Isn't it too bad to deal with this important issue as a side aspect in such a guide for employment policy by the way? Let me tell you quite honestly: This is a matter of the heart on my part, and that certainly does not belong in there. There is a need for an explicit report of its own, which does justice to this, especially at the present time, as the Commissioner has mentioned, in the light of the pandemic and the war, where families and children are suffering so much throughout Europe. We must have clever ideas, and therefore we must not waste this in such reports. That's the problem we have in general. Nothing against you, Mrs Homs Ginel, but it is now common practice here in Parliament to write reports and try to put everything in there, everything that does not belong at all. It doesn't matter, climate change, climate protection, Green Deal – everything must be included in the reports. You want terms such as universal to be fixed – terms that are not at all judicial rather than effective. The reports are now being abused. I call on the Conference of Presidents to take action here and to clarify what reports are there for. The individual topics that are dealt with are important, they are good and far too bad to be mentioned as an accessory in a report or to find it in there. That is why we have a problem with the EPP, here to fight for approval. We make an effort, I appeal at least to reject 42 and 14/2, so that we... (The President withdrew the floor from the speaker.)

Mr President! One thing is clear: In this report – I must honestly confess that I come from nursing – there are two hearts knocking in my chest. On the one hand, I recognize, of course, the need for us to strengthen care throughout Europe. On the other hand, however, I also recognise that the deficits between the individual countries in the field of care are enormous and that the principle of subsidiarity must apply here. This report is not suitable for this purpose. I am concerned that this report cements care in a form that we cannot use. Care is subject to an ever-increasing adjustment process. Care is a development process that we need to constantly review and revise. Nursing is a science of its own, and this report simply does not do justice to it, that must be said so clearly. I want more innovation, more research in the field of care. I would finally like to see the recognition of care, and this report will not change much in care across Europe. I want to make changes. I want people to be able to choose this profession without accepting a social decline, without being consumed after ten, 20 years. Yes, we need to create framework conditions in the field of care, but not in the way that this report claims. I hope that we will almost certainly reject this report, but in order to open up the chances of breaking new ground, that is to say, a new report that will also do justice to care and people across Europe.

– I want to make it short. I just heard your speech, and I'm very surprised. We live in Europe. We have a certain set of values in Europe. Do you not believe that the right to life, that life must be the highest value in Europe at all, is higher than a person's right to self-determination? Where do we start when we rank a person's right to self-determination higher than the right to life? Where does it start, where does it end? What Pandora's box are we opening? I do not want to talk about America here, because, as you have rightly recognised, we in Europe have problems in resolving this in a reasonable way. It is up to us, politicians and politicians, to you, to create framework conditions here so that abortions are simply no longer necessary in 2022. Point. If they are still necessary, you can check that, and that's okay in that respect; However, I say and I claim that today we live in a Europe where we have the opportunity to save lives, to protect lives, and not to destroy lives. This is a crime: Destroying lives.

Mr President! I would have liked to have known from the Commissioner to what extent the Spitzenkandidaten model is legally binding. Because, to my knowledge, this is not legally binding, only to write it into considerations, and therefore you can pull this tooth. This is a pack of ten, which we have here, and it serves only one interest: It serves only the interests of the expansion of power of the major parties, especially the German parties. This is, of course, to the foreign embarrassment towards the CDU, of which I am massively disappointed. 3.5% exclusion clause, with the Constitutional Court ruling: A 3% blocking clause is already not allowed – twice. Now we want to bend the law here and use this Parliament for it. This is a scandal. This is an absolute diversion of the law, which is to take place in Germany in order to undermine the Federal Constitutional Court here. This cannot and must not be allowed, and therefore one can only vote against it altogether. On transnational lists, I tell you quite honestly: Citizens want to get to know their candidates locally in the region and send them to Parliament – so that they can agree here – and not elect any fictitious MEPs. Thank you very much, but here I await your reply, Commissioner.

Do you personally believe that this law is legally binding? I can't see the legality and the legal liability either. In terms of top candidates: in one recital – this is far from sufficient. Secondly, of course: The percentage clause was made specifically for Germany – you heard it earlier. Do you think it is democratic for the big parties to massively seize the seats of the small parties here in order to gain even more influence? The transnational lists will also include the big parties, not the small parties. This means that you are strengthening your position of power here in the European Parliament. Do you think this path is right? Or do you say with me, no to what is there?

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! Now it is on the table, this report, which has caused so much unrest in the sense that many have not been able to understand what has been written down in this report. It is a report on sustainable economic growth after COVID-19, and the report starts with the fact that the next crises are already on our doorstep. When we started writing the report in December, the Ukraine crisis was still a long way off. We have the next crisis: The Ukraine crisis. And one thing the crises all have in common: The victims of these crises are the families, the children, the most vulnerable in our society. They bathe in what these crises are causing. Europe is heading for disaster if we fail to make our markets more crisis-resistant and better able to survive such crises in the future. Yes, that is why we have created this report, which focuses on social affairs and employment. I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs for their excellent cooperation. I found this to be very positive. I think we were pretty compliant in most areas. The fact that there are always other Members coming from behind who did not know the report at all, but simply gave their knowledge for the best or believed that they had to give – which made the whole thing even more difficult – is due to the nature of the matter. As I said, this is about social affairs and employment, and these are the priorities. We want to get the children out of poverty with this report, and the key message of the report is: We need to put in place an economic program where we strengthen economic power, where we strengthen purchasing power in every single country. Who is better than poor people? Who is more suitable for this than children, some of whom even suffer from hunger in Europe? If we introduce child allowance – which does not violate the principle of subsidiarity, in any way – and give people the money directly into their hands, that money will be spent. Families need the money. They put it into the money cycle, which means, as an effect, higher tax revenues in each individual country, more productivity, fewer unemployed, more jobs, more job security. And these are the starting points in this report: Purchasing power and being with people. Make a policy for people. And that's why we all started here. We want to make a policy for people, and if I look at you across the ranks, no matter which faction and party you belong to: Here you have the opportunity today to give a very clear signal with your consent and to say: Yes, we are Europeans, and we are in favour of the European idea, we are in favour of coexistence. We can't tolerate it anymore. We want to get 30 million children out of poverty and out of poverty with this program. It is our duty, and therefore I would like you to agree with this report. In addition to the increase in purchasing power, this report contains quite, very many other things. But one thing is certain: This report does not undermine the principle of subsidiarity. This report does not attack a mutualisation of debt, as many always claim, but, on the contrary, this report shows solutions for how we can better cope with crises together in the future. And the next crises are just around the corner. Once the Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 crisis are over, another crisis is guaranteed to come. It's just a matter of time. That's why we need to start making markets more crisis-resistant today. This report is a contribution from a social and employment perspective to making Europe's markets more resilient to crises. And this report has people at its core. And that is what all of us, all of us here in Europe, have been up to to make our world a better place to live, to fill our Europe with prosperity, peace and freedom, and not just to work out any papers – social papers – that are in the drawers that can be read wonderfully, that you get out in campaign times – but you just haven't implemented anything. This report is the guarantee that we are willing to implement and that we will and can implement. And this report – addressed to the Commissioner – includes measures that pay for themselves in the shortest possible time. Child allowance – there are calculations – has also paid for itself after two to three years. The long-term consequences of bringing poverty and crime together are even so far in ten to twelve years that you could go into a plus. This means that we have an instrument in our hands where we can really get people out of precarious situations directly. And that is why there is nothing against it, no matter which political group you belong to, voting in favour of this report, and that is why I am advocating for it: Please vote in favour of this report! Please show the people of Europe that they are worth it to us and that we stand up for them and make our society more resilient. This report is a small contribution to this.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Yes, we have heard many beautiful words and many beautiful sentences today. And we hope that it will not only remain in Sunday speeches, but that we will finally present something here, including the Commission, to give the youth more and a better perspective across Europe, because it is urgently needed. I myself come from Germany. I am the Federal Chairman of the Family Party of Germany. And once a year, a survey of young people between the ages of 15 and 25 takes place in Germany: What do you wish for the future? And for years, between 85 and 95% of young people say first and foremost: We want a family and our own house for the future. This is what the people of Germany – and I think that is not so different in other countries – want young people to do: They want security, security, family and a home of their own. Now let's look at the realities. Now let's look at mass unemployment among young people in many countries. I am thinking of Spain and Greece. Now let's look at how many young people live below the poverty line. And now let's see what perspective many young people have in our Europe. And that's where we have to start, that's where we finally have to act. To this end, we are obliged to give people a perspective and to give perspectives to future generations who are to further expand and shape our Europe. And that's our commitment, and that's where we have to start. And that is why I call here once and for all for us to come up with right, forward-looking concepts that not only give young people perspective, but also aim at Europe's security and training.

Madam President, good morning to the House! I'm very surprised at what I've heard here today. First of all addressed to Mr Pineda in front: I don't know what you had for breakfast this morning, but I found your speech incredible, incredible! How can you be so inhuman? You are not on the side of the people of Cuba, if you speak up for the government, then you do not know what is going on in Cuba: Daily human rights violations, denial of access to the country to human rights organisations, torture, murder, manslaughter – this is the order of the day in Cuba. Lack, lack of food for the population, lack of health care for the population – this is the order of the day in Cuba. The Last Communist Remnant. Because the trading partners broke away in 1980, because this system failed in Europe. You say the government – we are to blame for the government now having to act accordingly? Yes, it is likely that well over 5,000 people have been imprisoned in Cuban prisons. Yes, and not one has died, people are dying every day in Cuba! And it's not necessarily the American embargo that's to blame. Of course, this has a complicity, I would not deny that, but not only alone. As I said, the trading partners have broken away because the world order has changed. And here in Parliament, we stand for peace, for freedom, for freedom of expression and for the rule of law. And we are not advocating for dictators to subjugate their people, Mr. Pineda. And that's probably why you're sitting here wrong. I was really so excited about it inside. What you give here does not stand for Europe, it does not stand for the freedom of Europe, it does not stand for our politics in the world. We make a peace policy, and we don't support dictators! That's why I'm so excited about you. Yes, we have to act. We need to talk to Cuba. We need to enter into dialogue. I say: Trade through change or change through trade. And we have to make sure that human rights organizations come to the country first, who examine the prisons there. And we must ensure that human rights are upheld. (The President withdrew the floor from the speaker.)

Madam President, First of all, I would like to thank Mr Kubilius for this report. The report expresses exactly what I said in the last motion for a resolution: We have to think outside the box, because there is also a Russia after Putin, and Putin is not equal to Russia. And this is reflected wonderfully in the report – for the first time, it reflects this. Thank you very much, Mr Kubilius, for taking this up! Yes, the report is very clear in its clarity and truth, and it speaks a clear language. But now it is up to us to follow up accordingly by saying: We must now give a signal that we will not only leave it at these speeches, but we must now give a signal by involving the countries of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova more and bringing them under the umbrella of Europe. Georgia is long gone, Georgia belongs to Europe – and Ukraine: I did not come back from Ukraine until Friday, the people who are so kind, who aspire to Europe and want to Europe, we must help them to achieve this as quickly as possible. We have to bring a certain dynamic into it so that we can set the tone here. However, we also need to make a statement – and I agree with that, by the way: We must not equate the EU with NATO. This means that these countries should refrain from becoming NATO members, but instead come under the umbrella of the EU, and as soon as possible. And if we take this into account, we will also find a way to democratize Russia. But I agree with you that this will only be the case after Putin.

Mr President! So much in advance: Of course, COVID-19 has left its mark and, of course, the aviation industry has been severely impacted by a 90 per cent decline. And, of course, there is mass unemployment in this sector, and it will also be increasing, not only in aviation, airlines, but also in production facilities, suppliers and airports. Do not think, Commissioner, that we are now at the time when we must finally act for a modern, innovative European mobility organisation, where we must put a mobility concept on the table, where we must get the planes out of the sky and say: Intra-European flights are superfluous because we will strengthen the rail network and connect metropolises in Europe? We have to invest the money, because we have – this is nothing new – this climate crisis, which we have to deal with. We can only be grateful that flights have fallen by 90 percent. At least the climate will thank us. So, and now the time has come when we have to go new ways and not just think about it. It is not the time of the watering can principle to save jobs, but it is the time to create new, innovative jobs in alternative ways. This means expanding the rail network – even the Transrapid would certainly be another thing to think about for Europe in order to connect metropolises. It is not an alternative to fly from Berlin to Madrid or Milan, but the alternative is to board a transrapid or express train and be there in two or three hours. That is the alternative. We need modern, new, innovative mobility. Only the worst thing about this crisis is that companies are being deprived of innovation and research opportunities because of the lack of funds – i.e. innovation and research opportunities for alternative powertrains, for alternative fuels, for what is urgently needed today. Here, too, we must make a point of making progress here, of not only modernising the types of propulsion, but also of making them environmentally sound, and of being able to convert aircraft and take aircraft that are more than 18 years old off the market. For this, we need a Europe-wide mobility concept that we can all stand behind. And we should use money for that.