Speeches

Water scarcity, drought and drought, floods and floods have been a frequent feature of global reporting lately. In fact, 90% of all natural disasters are related to water. At the same time, water is a foundation of life. Access to water could therefore not be more essential. Three out of ten people in the world do not have access to drinking water. 40% of the world's population lives in regions with regular water shortages. As the European Parliament, we have now made it clear once again that access to this livelihood is a human right. The focus is also on women and children, who experience great inequalities due to the unfair distribution of water resources. In addition, refugees must also be guaranteed access to water and sanitation facilities. Overall, water must be protected as a public good, as the scarce - and not endless - resource is already overused. This also means that companies in their entire supply chain handle water with care and that consumers are transparently informed about the consumption of water for a product using a water footprint. So let's do everything we can to ensure that access to water is not just a human right on paper, and conserve this valuable resource. Water, a livelihood - for all alike!

Madam President, esteemed representatives of the Commission and the Council, ladies and gentlemen! I would really like to be able to give this speech differently today. But unfortunately nothing has changed. Therefore, for the second time: For years, the Hungarian government under Viktor Orbán has been demonstrably systematically and consciously dismantling democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in its own country. This applies to almost all areas such as the independent judiciary, freedom of expression and assembly, free teaching at universities, women's and minority rights. Last but not least, Orbán's racist speech in Romania and his dangerous actions in the Council with the blocking of sanctions against Russia make it clear how much Orbán now disregards European values and how much he rejects joint European action. As early as 2018, the EU Parliament initiated the Article 7 procedure against Hungary in the hope that it will also be conducted with the necessary seriousness. Since then, four years have passed, the procedure has stagnated and we have to watch the situation in Hungary continue to deteriorate. With this report, we show this in detail and factually and once again find the systematic violation of the European values enshrined in Article 2 of the EU Treaty. We call on the Council to finally present and adopt binding recommendations and timetables. Moreover, our hopes are based on the consultation mechanism which the Commission has now set in motion. Both the Council and the Commission can be sure of Parliament's support. I hope for broad support for the vote tomorrow, and I thank my group for trusting me to lead the work on the report for the S&D Group. Many thanks also to the rapporteur Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield for her really high quality work. A high on the rule of law in Europe!

Mr President! It is the end of a long debate, and I think we are all aware of how much the protection of our data in the virtual world has come under pressure. But how far have we come when governments from EU Member States use spyware such as Pegasus to monitor opposition and civil society, not real threats based on laws? It is high time that we finally defend the fundamental right of European citizens to privacy on the World Wide Web again with passion and vehemence. Because this abusive use of Pegasus is a massive attack against our democracies. That is why we – the Commission, the Council and Parliament – are now in great demand as legislators. We have a responsibility to act effectively together. encryption; Privacy by Design and Security by Design must be taken into account at all levels of the technical value chain. We also need significant investments in prevention measures and information campaigns on spyware, and last but not least, serious consequences for all those who have misused and are using it as a tool.

Mr President! Many thanks to all, the text has become really good. The COVID pandemic is bad, but particularly fatal for children and adolescents. Many did not have sufficient access to education even before COVID. However, the long school closures further hampered the right to education. 1.8 billion students had limited access. This means an immense lack of education, but also a lack of care and meals, little social contact with peers, an increased risk of violence, including domestic violence, abuse and exploitation. Digital learning and teaching methods have been helpful, but one-third of children worldwide do not have access to the Internet at all. It is important that all children return to school, otherwise many of them will be left behind. In addition to education, schools also stand for indispensable encounters and psychosocial support. The European Union must therefore offer comprehensive programmes, measures and support to meet the needs of all children.

Madam President, Commissioner! Today we are discussing our position on the new Schengen evaluation mechanism, which has already been presented by the rapporteur - thank you for that. Although the European Parliament has only been given a consultative role here and no formal trilogue negotiations will take place, we nevertheless expect the Council and the Commission to take our demands into account. It is high time to replace the 2013 mechanism with a stronger and more independent one, because agreements need control. This is the only way to enforce them, and therefore a stronger monitoring mechanism will also strengthen Schengen as a whole. Control needs to be better and more regular. And in order for this to succeed, five points are particularly important to me, which we have therefore enshrined even more strongly in the report than in the Commission's draft: respect for fundamental rights as the subject of the Regulation, an explicit article on cooperation with the Fundamental Rights Agency, the obligation for the Commission to carry out unannounced visits when border controls at the internal borders of a Member State last longer than six months, physical evaluation meetings as a standard, i.e. the remote method only in exceptional cases, and participation of Union observers, including representation from the European Parliament during the evaluation visits. I recommend that we do not support any amendments because this is a really good compromise. I very much hope that the regulation can be concluded before the summer, and I would also like to thank the rapporteur for the initiative that we as Parliament have developed a clear position here. The good report shows how important and useful this was.

Madam President, Commissioner! While we acknowledge with appreciation in recent weeks that the European Union is accepting millions of refugees from Ukraine in a long-awaited solidarity, people at other borders are still partly forcibly prevented from exercising their legal right to apply for asylum. The sad fact is that violations of rights at European borders are not the exception, but the norm. And this is also the responsibility of Frontex, whose boss Leggeri repeatedly exercises himself in new excuses, although the reports of pushbacks continue to increase. State authorities must under no circumstances be involved in human rights violations. And Article 46 of the Frontex Regulation logically provides that joint operations are to be terminated where there are violations of fundamental rights. The principle of non-refoulement is essential in our asylum policy. So let's finally end these pushbacks and get the people out of the misery camps at our external borders!

The freedom of one ends where the freedom of the other begins. And to protect the health of the entire population, a vaccination obligation can also be constitutionally legitimized. It is precisely this case that we have in the course of a pandemic. It was not invented in Austria, it prevails worldwide. We still haven't defeated them. I think this also gives rise to a vaccination obligation. In Austria, it is handled very, very carefully and will be applied when it is essential.

Madam President, Commissioner, Secretary of State! The most important first: It is necessary to take action against authoritarian developments before it is too late. We have therefore been calling for the rule of law mechanism to be applied since it came into existence – not just because of the election result in Hungary, but because of the systematic dismantling of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights for 12 years. Please apply the mechanism now without any delay with all seriousness! We are constantly calling for serious steps to be taken under the Article 7 procedure, which has been going on for four years – not just because of the election result in Hungary, but because of the systematic dismantling of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights for 12 years. The Article 7 procedure is a Council procedure. Please take your responsibility towards Europe seriously! We demand the consistent imposition of fines for every single unimplemented judgment from infringement proceedings – not only because of the election result in Hungary, but because of the systematic dismantling of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights for over 12 years. It is therefore high time to act, Madam President of the Commission, and, yes, I deliberately address my words to you as the supreme guardian of the Treaties. Finally, show that the Union is well able not only to preach but also to defend our common principles of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights! (The speaker agreed to reply to a question on the blue card procedure)

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister! Polish women put their strollers on the border for exhausted Ukrainian mothers. Throughout Europe: Volunteer initiatives that show those fleeing the war zones that they are not alone. Finally solidarity with refugees – thank you! Europe shows that it is there for them, and we are finally showing that we can act in solidarity, socially and politically. The Temporary Protection Directive was an important first step. However, we must not rest on this now, but we must actually implement the promised access to work and education and to medical care. No one should be left behind. We must now fill this much strained sentence with deeds! All people fleeing the war in Ukraine must be protected, regardless of their passport, their skin color. And under the impression of this crisis, let us not forget those people who have endured for so long under devastating conditions in misery camps or completely unprotected on other European borders. Solidarity with refugees at last. Please!

Madam President, esteemed representatives of the Council and the Commission, ladies and gentlemen! Let me start with a reminder: Hungary was the country where the fall of the Iron Curtain began. At that time, Hungary led Europe's freedom movement. And today? The freedom fighters of old succumbed to authoritarian temptations and turned Hungary into a facade democracy. What is important to me: Hungary is part of Europe, but being part of something entails rights and obligations. And to be a member of the EU is obligatory to comply with the EU Treaty, and a cornerstone of this is and hopefully remains that democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights are not negotiable. The European Court of Justice has made this clear again with today's ruling. It is good to see you, Commissioner, but it is very regrettable that the President is not here personally and is taking part in the debate. In any case, there are no more excuses for not applying the mechanism. The expected verdict is here. Please use the next two and a half years to finally apply the rule of law mechanism, bring the Article 7 procedure to life, bring the corruption prosecutor's office into the country, end the harassment of NGOs, journalists and opposition figures, and restore an independent judiciary. And I do not insist on all this out of legitimacy, but because I firmly believe in a Hungary in Europe.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! If we consider what is currently happening in the EU in terms of the rule of law and fundamental rights violations, then one thing is clear: We urgently need vigilant democracies in Europe and therefore a strong civil society. We currently have to see where it leads when these are increasingly intimidated in individual Member States or when their work is made more difficult or obstructed. It has a massive impact on a society when helping hands fail or critical voices are silenced. The European Association Statute can initiate a paradigm shift here. NGOs, as key drivers of civil society, would have unrestricted access to the single market. The new statute can create space for a genuine pan-European civil society and thus the basis for cross-border cooperation, which is made possible by clear, uniform definitions and minimum standards. A high on a vigilant civil society for the protection of living democracies!

Madam President, While the military regime in Sudan and its militias have nonviolently murdered demonstrators week after week, the democracy movement remains peaceful in its demands for a military resignation and the establishment of a civilian and inclusive transitional government. This democratic movement actually represents Sudan, not the military that took power. Regimes like this Sudanese military regime are chasing those people into flight who then try to reach Europe in often life-threatening ways. We must therefore also make it clear in all our statements that we will not allow our commitment to democracy for Sudan to be bought off with any deals to combat refugees. Europe must remain firmly on the side of the Sudanese people and strengthen their backs by acting clearly and without compromise against the military and militias of those in power.

Madam President, Commissioner! Dear colleagues! Thank you for this important report. The aim of SLAPPs is not to question a legal opinion in a fair trial, but simply to intimidate and silence critical voices. Whether multi-groups against environmental organisations, governments against critical journalism or brand companies against animal welfare organisations - all cases have in common: It is about exploiting power and choking off critical voices that play such an important role in the health of our democracies. SLAPPs not only incriminate the defendants themselves, but also have an intimidating effect on all other critical voices. So they have the power to change our democratic societies negatively in the long term. We must therefore show a clear boundary to those who think they can abuse our legal systems for their own purposes. And this requires an EU legal framework, which – this request now goes to the Commission – allows, firstly, that SLAPPs can be rejected as early as possible in the future in order to protect accused persons and organisations and also our courts from unnecessary litigation; secondly, that actions that have already been exposed as intimidation actions in one Member State cannot be brought back to justice in another Member State; and thirdly, to raise awareness among court staff and allow defendants to receive legal, psychological and financial support and compensation.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe has made itself blackmailed because we do not live up to our own moral values as soon as it matters. We provide the necessary breeding ground for the attacks of the Belarusian regime – or Turkey itself a few months ago – through the voluntary self-assembly of our European rule of law model. The EU should now act directly, the illegal Push-backs must be terminated. Nor do we need barbed wire fences, but legal opportunities for asylum applications to prove that we remain true to our values, including – and especially – when it becomes difficult. Many people have already died on the Belarusian border. No one knows the exact number, because no one gets access to the border regions for a control of the processes. We are well on our way to allowing rights-free spaces at the EU's external borders where human rights no longer apply. But if we give up the fight for democracy at our external borders, we ourselves have undermined one of the most important cornerstones of our EU – the rule of law. Is it really what we want?

Mr President, Commissioner, esteemed representatives of the Council, ladies and gentlemen! How long can you watch if something is going in the wrong direction? A university was expelled from the country, the freedom of the press was massively reduced, hate campaigns against independent journalists were stoked, hard-won women's rights were massively curtailed, attacks against the independence of the judiciary, people are simply loudly equated with pedophiles because of their sexual orientation. So people are discriminated against from the top, and at the same time the space for critical voices is massively restricted. Thinking should be brought into line with that of the Orbán government. Is that democracy? Is this still our Union? No, certainly not. Therefore, the Article 7 procedure against Poland was launched three and a half years ago, and a few months later against Hungary, both of which have not yet been successful. Both the Commission’s Rule of Law Report and the many convictions by the CJEU speak clearly. The rule of law and the dismantling of democracy in Hungary is systematic and very advanced. How long do you want to watch in the Council? When will you finally use the instruments we have in the Commission? My urgent appeal today: Please put an end to this downsizing of the European idea. Defend our open, liberal society with all your strength. Civil society in these countries needs our watchful eyes, but above all it needs our actions.

Madam President, Commissioner! July 28 marks the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Convention on Refugees. They have given refugees clear, human rights-based rights around the world for good reason. However, a look at the situation at our external borders shows that we do not live up to this claim in the least. European asylum policy has resulted in the most serious human rights violations: systematic pushbacksMass deaths in the Mediterranean and completely inhumane conditions in first reception centres, as I only had to see again two weeks ago on Lesvos itself. Violations of law such as pushbacks However, there is also within the Union, as recently shown by a judgment of the Landesverwaltungsgericht Steiermark (Regional Administrative Court, Styria), my home country. This shows that people in illegal chainspushbacks were pushed back from Austrian soil via Slovenia and Croatia to Bosnia. Asylum and migration is one of the major issues for the future of the European Union. The call for a common solidarity solution is therefore not unrealistic, but indispensable for a good future in Europe. And to stand up for it has nothing to do with blue-eyedness, but it is blue-eyed and even dangerous to believe that peace in Europe can be maintained in the long run through division and exclusion.