Debate contributions by Christophe GRUDLER

Madam President, I am not here to arbitrate the Spanish national debate, which seems very vehement, but 54 million Europeans who find themselves in the dark for almost 10 hours, it interests the whole of Europe, so that it never happens again. This unprecedented blackout reminds us of a simple truth: electricity is not stored. The supply must always be equal to the demand. To ensure this balance, we need a varied energy mix, with renewable energy, but also with hydropower, as well as with nuclear energy. You can't stop the sun from shining, or the wind from blowing, but you can modulate a nuclear reactor or a hydraulic dam. In France, the network protection system has prevented the spread to the rest of Europe. I would like to welcome the responsiveness of the French and Spanish network operators. As for the causes of this cut, we need all the light to be done as quickly as possible. What is certain, however, is that with more interconnections and more robust networks, such a break could not happen again.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is losing the global race for strategic technologies: Artificial intelligence, batteries, biotech, semiconductors, small modular reactors. We innovate in Grenoble, we file patents in Eindhoven, but we produce in Taiwan, we assemble in Texas. It is not a talent problem, it is a problem of funding, orders and political will. A European venture capital initiative is needed to ensure that Europeans' savings finally serve our European technologies. We need states and communities that buy from Europe. Finally, we need a common technology strategy, not 27 competing national policies. Otherwise, we will train generations of engineers, but for others. Rest assured that our Renew Europe Group will continue to mobilise to make Europe the technological heart of the free world.

Madam President, Commissioner, I welcome the European Commission's awareness of the urgency of our steel and metals sectors. These materials are strategic, they are at the heart of our modes of transport, our clean technologies and our defence industry. Our sites in Dunkirk, Taranto, Liege or Ostrava are in difficulty, and thousands of employees are waiting for strong support from Europe. The problem is known: massive global overcapacity, fuelled by Chinese practices, is flooding our market and threatening our factories. If this industrial dumping is not stopped, it will lead to irreversible deindustrialisation. The measures announced on quotas and safeguards are a step in the right direction. However, Commissioner, be prepared to go further. Europe will have to take more drastic measures to defend our steel mills, it is a question of economic and industrial sovereignty. Our industry will not be able to defend itself or prosper without access to affordable and competitive energy. We need solutions that are accessible and stable in the short term. I propose three things, Commissioner. First of all, low-carbon hydrogen from nuclear power. I am glad to see that it is mentioned in your action plan, but we need to go further and faster. We need the delegated act, with nuclear power purchase agreements starting well in 2026 – this is a very strong demand from Parliament. Next, let’s open the low-carbon hydrogen bank auctions to ensure an attractive and competitive price. Finally, I have high expectations for future legislation to accelerate the decarbonisation of industry. If we rely on European green steel, then it must be a priority in our public procurement and investment. There is no question of importing cheap, dirty steel from the other side of the world! We must choose, endure or defend. Together with you, I choose to defend European steel, its jobs and its future!

Madam President, Commissioner, together with Mr Trump, American researchers are living a nightmare: budgets cut, scholarships cut, unfair dismissals ... Many plan to leave their country. These attacks are not only financial, they are ideological. It is a censorship of climate research, health research, cutting-edge technology, sacrificed on the altar of populism. We are back in the days of Galilee, when science must bend to the dogma of one man. Europe must collect these talents and become the global bastion of scientific excellence and academic freedom. Let's offer these researchers a future with funding and perspectives. The €22 million announced for the pilot project is a good thing, but it will not be enough. We need to go further and look for other funding, both public and private. Dear American researchers, European research needs you now.

Mr President, Commissioner, the affordable energy plan must respond to an emergency: reducing the energy bills of our industries and our citizens, because without stable and competitive energy, there is neither industry nor prosperity. Today, energy costs account for up to 40% of the production costs of the most energy-intensive industries. Our companies pay two to three times more for their electricity than their Chinese or American competitors. How to be competitive in these conditions? We must act in three directions. First of all, electrification, as you pointed out. The target of 32% electrification by 2030 is a good step; but without a modernised network, accelerated procedures, storage and flexibility, this figure will not be achievable. Then the funding. €584 billion will be needed by 2030 just to strengthen power grids. All public and private levers must be mobilised, without burdening businesses and citizens. Finally, stability. It is clear that long-term contracts will offer more stable prices and visibility to manufacturers. They must concern all clean energy, whether renewable or nuclear. Affordable energy is energy that we no longer import. I shall therefore end with a question: Where did the roadmap for exiting Russian energy go?

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Clean Industry Pact is a major step forward for our industrial sovereignty. Thank you, Commissioner, for your commitment to defending our industry and jobs here in Europe, because a principle must now be clearly and firmly established: Buy European. Ladies and gentlemen, in recent days we have seen our citizens and businesses mobilise to buy more from Europe, especially for our clean technologies. This is an opportunity for our industrial bases, and we need to meet that expectation. We have a market of 450 million consumers; it is a gigantic economic lever. Let's not be modest. This pact introduces the first elements of European preference. This is a good start, but more needs to be done in the face of an unstable world. Commissioner, I am counting on you to continue in this direction. Europe must choose: Defend your industry or fade away.

Madam President, Commissioner, nuclear fusion has enormous potential. It is a clean, abundant, waste-free energy capable of ensuring energy security for future generations. Thanks to ITER, Europe is at the heart of this global breakthrough with recognised expertise and know-how. But this project is not enough. As we move forward timidly, the United States and the United Kingdom are deploying ambitious strategies, with massive funding and clear regulatory frameworks. They attract billions of dollars in private investment and want to be leaders in innovation. Europe cannot remain a spectator. We need a European strategy for nuclear fusion. It must set clear objectives, fund research, encourage private investment and finally ensure an appropriate regulatory framework with merger-specific safety standards. Let's take a long-term vision, well beyond 2050!

Mr President, Madam Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, opposing competitiveness and sustainability is not only irresponsible, but also dangerous for our common future. The Green Deal is a major step forward, and many regions around the world are following suit. No turning back will be tolerated. Our industries, businesses and SMEs need long-term stability and visibility, and their future success depends on their ability to adapt in a changing world. In my region, now companies are building the TGV of the future, electric cars, electrolysers, fuel cells, hydrogen storage, steam turbines for nuclear power... In short, we have been able to adapt, and with this adaptation, we have global competitive advantages. Those who call for the destruction of the Green Deal are playing with fire. There will be no thriving economy on a +2°C planet, but implementing the Green Deal requires concrete action. First, ambitious public-private financing, then adapted support without losing direction, and finally pragmatic solutions adapted to each sector. Yes to simplification to simplify procedures, but no to arbitrary deregulation, which would be totally counterproductive!

Madam President, 4,166: This is the number of hours during which electricity prices have been negative on the European market this year. A market that works, no displeasure to the extreme right. Negative prices for more than three months this year. Yet household and business bills remain shockingly high. Why this inconsistency? Because our energy grid is not resilient enough to fluctuations in demand; it is not up to citizens or SMEs to pay the price. We need to act on three points: firstly, to accelerate the deployment of transport, distribution and storage infrastructure to balance supply and demand across Europe; secondly, to put in place fair pricing for all clean energy, ensuring fair access to the grid for nuclear and renewables; and to prioritise energy produced in Europe to ensure stable, affordable and accessible energy for all.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is fully suffering from steel produced at very low cost, due to global overproduction, caused in large part by China, which is crushing our European production. It is shrinking, while our imports remain at the same level. One hundred thousand jobs have been lost in the sector in Europe in fifteen years. This is not acceptable. We have had safeguards since 2018, but they are no longer adequate and will even expire. I therefore call for strong action by the European Commission. First, emergency measures to prevent the break-up of our steel industry. Secondly, new safeguard measures that are more reactive and dissuasive, to avoid dumping. Thirdly, and finally, the rapid introduction of the carbon tax at the borders, avoiding any circumvention.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the European car industry is a few months away from the collision: Influenza supply chains, plant closures... We have to react. The urgency today is to support the entire sector, from manufacturers to the smallest subcontractors. That is why we need a renewed strategy for the automotive sector in the first 100 days of the new Commission, with, firstly, a clear long-term direction, because the industry needs visibility to invest without having rules that change every four mornings; secondly, a Just Automotive Transition Fund, to support the most affected territories in their transformation; thirdly, financial incentives, robust infrastructure and electricity-friendly taxation; fourthly, and finally, a firm response to international competitors who infuse their industry with subsidies and who come here to unfairly compete with us. Under these four conditions, the automotive industry will still have a future in Europe.

Madam President, High Representative, ladies and gentlemen, we have just marked the sad anniversary of the unprecedented mass terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel: 1,200 dead and 250 hostages, 63 of whom are still detained or missing. Since that attack, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and almost 100,000 injured. In Lebanon, the death toll is close to 2,000, including many civilians, with 10,000 wounded and 400,000 displaced, and the ground violation by four armed divisions of the borders of a sovereign State, in defiance of international law. How many dead and maimed must we have for this war to finally end? We can no longer make the policy of the ostrich by being afraid to offend some or to offend others. We must react and firmly urge each side to end this war with all the democratic means of pressure at our disposal. Let us act for the people, stop this carnage and commit ourselves to an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages, without any other condition than the cessation of bombing. Force alone will not keep anyone safe. Only peace, diplomacy and responsible politics will allow this.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in a few moments we will be voting for an EU-US security agreement on the Galileo satellites, our European GPS. But surprise, we vote to allow launches that have already taken place: the first on 28 April 2024 and the last yesterday morning. It is unacceptable that the Council and the Commission did not seek our consent before the launch. It would have been possible if these institutions had had a little more goodwill. I invite you, of course, to vote for this agreement, which is necessary for exceptional circumstances, because we are not going to bring down our satellites. However, we must send a strong message to the Council and the Commission: The agreement of the European Parliament is not just an administrative formality. It is imperative that we be consulted in a timely manner.

Mr President, Commissioner, the report on the state of the Energy Union is welcome at the beginning of this term of office. He highlighted the significant progress made in our European energy policy, but also its shortcomings. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the European Union has gradually turned away from Russian gas and orchestrated a renewable revolution. In concrete terms, renewable energy produced 50% of our electricity at the beginning of 2024, which is a record. With nuclear power, two-thirds of our electricity is decarbonized. It is therefore this that must guide our future political choices to operate urgently the electrification of our uses. But producing more clean electricity is not enough. We also need infrastructure, electricity interconnection in particular, and storage facilities, otherwise our progress will be compromised. We don't have the luxury or the budget to waste energy, especially if we invest heavily to make it carbon-free. Finally, we can no longer dedicate billions of euros to fossil fuel imports. It is time to put an end to expensive and polluting energy. The next five years will be decisive for our security of supply, our competitiveness and our purchasing power, then at work. And if you allow me, Mr President, I would like to pay tribute to the work of Mrs Kadri Simson. For five years she has worked very hard for the benefit of energy and at a time when she is going to return her apron, I think it is also important that this assembly can pay tribute to her work.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the report by Mario Draghi must wake us up. It highlights our delays in crucial sectors such as clean technologies, microchips and artificial intelligence. While China and the United States are investing heavily in these areas, Europe is still too hesitant. This report proposes concrete and ambitious solutions to close this gap. Yes, let's mobilize public and private investment in the transition, because without money, nothing is possible. Yes, let us produce more of our energy in Europe. Yes, let us reform our European space policy. You can count on Renew Europe to bring these ideas and turn these proposals into concrete actions so that Europe regains its leading position.