Speeches

Mr President, the last EU-Western Balkans Summit was a missed opportunity for the EU to show that it is really committed to enlargement. Albania and North Macedonia do not have a date for the opening of negotiations, while Kosovo has still not been granted a visa-free regime. While EU Member States continue to quarrel, countries like China, Russia and Turkey are getting more influence over key countries in the Western Balkans. There is a crisis in the making in the Western Balkans, and the EU is doing nothing. The EU needs to offer an integration roadmap with clear expectations and benchmarks. Enlargement is an opportunity that will contribute to prosperity and will protect peace and democracy in the continent.

Madam President, let’s be practical: pushbacks are a result of failing immigration policies. There are more people trying to get in than we want to let in. There is a gap between rules and reality. If we prohibit pushbacks, because we want to comply with international law, Member States will look for other options to contain and restrain immigration. This is the situation now in Greece. Greece gives asylum seekers a status, so they can travel to Germany and the Netherlands, and there they can ask for asylum again because they are not in the system. That’s the practice now. It will not help to punish Frontex, and it won’t help to punish Greece. They are doing the best they can. We simply have to change the way we work. If refugees are able to ask for asylum online outside of Europe and go through the immigration process online outside Europe, we will be able to separate refugees from the people who are just looking for a better life. We have to change the law or we have to change reality.

Madam President, here we are together debating on the general budget of 2022. The average comment of my dear colleagues is that we need more money for closing gaps, green policies, digital agendas or tourism. Most of these could easily be funded if we didn’t waste so much money on rules and regulations. Yes, dear colleagues, a lot of money is wasted on too many bad regulations created by the EU institutions, probably with the best intentions but lacking experience and knowledge of the horrible side effects of EU law. Take, for instance, public procurement law, a labour-intensive piece of legislation that doesn’t solve any problem but leads to endless, complex, costly processes. Since its introduction, it has caused billions spent on implementation, enforcement, control and litigation. And this is only one example. If the EU decides to spend money, we must be aware of the fact that costs of regulations multiply in real life. If we are to spend money, it should be spent wisely.

Mr President, this rule of law crisis is a sad story. The EU was founded to keep the peace. It now seems that the EU is a source of discontent and tension. A threat to peaceful cooperation. The EU and Poland have the obligation to think about ways how to solve this current crisis. We are not important – the voters are. Instead of blaming each other, we must look into the future and think about all the parties involved. This requires wisdom and courage. We have to look at the direction we want to go in. To create trust between all Member States it is important that we can come together behind a common goal. Through the use of soft power like with the Erasmus+ programme. This goal should not be an abstract apple of discord like the rule of law mechanism. Focus on something concrete, something useful, something that will unite us, and you all know what that is: we have to connect Europe and we have to make a start with high speed rail.

Mr President, the migration problems in Europe are getting out of hand. Lithuania and Poland are facing an influx of asylum seekers, who have been dropped there by Lukashenko. The Netherlands also has a large shortage of affordable housing, but there too an average of 2,500 applicants per week knock at the door. The situation in Greece remains unresolved after so many years. It is our responsibility to solve this problem in Europe, and that means we have to do things differently, because the way we do it now, it just doesn't work. We need to counter the influx of new asylum flows by cracking down on regimes such as those in Belarus that cause asylum flows. We must work to safeguard our common borders. We need to organise reception in the region and finally the EU needs to organise the processing of asylum applications outside the EU. Access to Europe without valid papers can then be effectively blocked. It's time for action! (The President interrupted the speaker)

Mr President, the US is without any doubt one of the closest allies of the EU, and we don’t want to jeopardise this relationship. France tried to sell submarines to Australia, but it didn’t work out. I feel sorry for the French, but that doesn’t mean that we should all get upset. Australia needs allies to cope with the Chinese. That is understandable and completely acceptable. There is no need for an EU defence force. We still depend on NATO, and that’s a good thing. The EU should not be used for political appetites and power play. The EU was created on the premise of bringing about peace in the continent. History shows that militarisation of Europe on its own leads to conflict and bloodshed. We don’t want to go that way.

Mr President, in the EU, an average of seven women are murdered by their partner or ex-partner every day. That is the tip of the iceberg, because under this number are hidden the thousands of women who are regularly beaten by their partner or ex-partner and therefore live in constant fear. It is time for these women to stand up for themselves. In such a situation, women must immediately choose for themselves and leave. Member States have a duty to receive and protect these women. The aim of this proposal seems to be to extend the competences of the EU. This makes the victims part of a political jousting. Because I do not believe in the need for an EU-wide approach and because this form of crime is not transnational in nature, I will vote against the proposal. Even if gender-based violence is not included in Article 83, improvements are possible, such as sharing best practices and more transparency per Member State on progress in this area. It should be clear to everyone that safe living, working and living is the norm.

Madam President, today the President of the European Commission set out the agenda for the coming year. The agenda is hyper-ambitious. The President speaks of the team EU, but we have never been more divided. Action is reaction. If the Commission tries to force Member States with legal actions, it will only create more opposition. You may not like or trust Orbán or Morawiecki, but the majority of voters do, and we have to respect democracy. Second, transparency is key. Every EU citizen should be able to see what’s going on. The technique is available. We can start tomorrow. Finally, to create a real working union, we must connect in real life: free movement of persons by high speed rail. That creates a world of opportunity for all. It’s green, it’s accessible, and it’s safe. Respect, transparency and tangible results. This will bring Europe closer together.

Mr President, Mr Borrell, for years Afghan corruption has been supported in the hope of democratic development. People thought they could solve the lack of democracy with a lot of money, but it degenerated into a kleptocracy. This was an expensive lesson. Democracy is a special plant and it doesn't grow everywhere. Now we face a problem that the EU has partly created itself: a refugee problem similar to that of 2015. The urgent question is whether and how many refugees we want to take in. However, that is not what the EU is about; it is up to each Member State to decide for itself. The surveillance of the EU's external borders is a common problem that the EU should now focus on. The time and resources that the EU can deploy are limited. So let's use it wisely and sparingly. The EU cannot and should not want to interfere in everything. It is time for a practical and professional approach.

Madam President, after the shock of Brexit five years ago, EU leaders reflected on what went wrong and what to improve. They even spoke of a more loose EU framework in which countries could choose their integration speed. It seems long ago and far away. Ever-closer Union apostles are back, big time, adding to problems through polarised emotional debates. They condone leaders who act pro-EU. But if you do not commit to the EU superstate ideal, you are in for a battle. Big time! We live in emotional times. Things go out of control easily. Western European democratic ideals may be different from Eastern Europe’s democratic practices, but we have much more in common than we probably think right now. Stop the political nonsense. It’s not the EU that determines EU values, it’s up to the European people. Focus on what is really important. We can overcome every kind of challenge if we respect each other in a united Europe.

Mr President, the financial crisis more than a decade ago caused a tsunami of regulations – 15% more regulations in the banking sector every year. It wrecked the banking system. The recent crisis, the COVID crisis, led to panic within the EU. Governments feared bankruptcies and recession. In reaction to COVID, the EU decided to introduce a huge stimulus programme, the Next Generation EU. Billions of euros are flooding directly towards EU Member States. The extra billions of euros create political tension in and between Member States. The stakes are high. What would you do if suddenly you got your hands on a couple of billion euros? While politicians in Member States fight, the EU is drowning in euros. The European Investment Bank will have to cope with this situation. My question is, will it lower its standards, which will lead to more risk, or give up its market share?