Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! If we want to secure the prosperity of the citizens of our continent, we must decouple it from our consumption of resources. If we are honest and take a look at what our market looks like at the moment, many companies are not doing well at the moment. There are products, there are screws glued, there are printers that do not print after a certain number of paper, there are washing machines, there are small plastic wheels that just break like that – and that is a huge crime, not only on our consumers, but also on the environment. And when we look at what the world looks like right now, we can't afford it anymore. That's why it's so important that we send this clear message: We're banning planned obsolescence! We are making sure that this is no longer possible in the future, and we are making sure that ecolabels and greenwashing, which have no basis, are no longer allowed in the future, and this is a beautiful, good sign within the framework of the European Green Deal. Have a good vote!

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, and especially dear colleagues, Members of Parliament outside of Europe: if you criminalise homosexuality, people are going to kill themselves. Children are going to commit suicide for what they are. Be aware of this. Who brought these laws to so many countries in the world? It was the colonisers. Do you really want to follow this path? I doubt it. Two thousand four hundred years before Christ, they found statues in Egypt of men loving each other. Do you really think this is something new? I don’t think so.

Madam President, Mr Šefčovič, Mr Michel and also Ms Dalli! Of course, I am pleased when it is now said that the Inflation Reduction Act also takes European-processed raw materials into account. But I'm really worried that we're losing our partnerships in the Global South like this. We are faced with the huge task of diversifying supply chains. This means that we must first and foremost become independent of China. The partner countries in East Africa – whether it is the Congo, whether it is Uganda, whether it is Tanzania – want the manufacturing industry themselves. Let's invest there. Let us give these countries the chance to grow, the chance to really contribute to the prosperity of their own people! This is my big request to you. Keep this in mind with all the legislative projects that are currently on the table, so that we do not make a naïve policy on raw materials.

Madam President, Commissioner! We are heading into a climate crisis. We notice it more and more every year, right now at the Po in Italy. We're heading for it. We must act now! 40% of our greenhouse gases only from the building sector are a huge field that we can tackle. And with this building energy efficiency directive, we are steering in exactly the same direction. But now I wonder: What has happened in the last few months? Where did all the fake news come from? I am firmly convinced that this is controlled by a right-wing power that has no hope that my generation, all the students, all the young people, will have a perspective, firstly, of being able to live well on this planet and secondly, of somehow being able to bear their energy costs. What happens to all the students who are currently sitting in some poorly insulated buildings? They suffer because they are so poorly insulated. So pull yourself together and support this law project tomorrow!

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! It is precisely such debates that show me again and again how insanely happy I am to be a European citizen – because here we can be an opposition without fear of death. Obama Mefuman did not have this privilege: He was abducted from Equatorial Guinea, kidnapped from South Sudan, arrested, presumably tortured and then murdered. We call on you, Commissioner, to work to sanction the Obiang regime for sending a clear signal that we do not accept such a thing. And to all the other oppositionists in the world, to all the other oppositionists in all the dictatorships of the world, whether it's in Uganda, whether it's in China, whether it's in Chad, whether it's Belarus or Cameroon: We stand by your side when it comes to defending your rights. We will fight for you to fight with us for a free, for a liberal world. In general, we here in the European Parliament stand for precisely these values, that we say: No, we don't want opposition activists to go to jail for their political work. We don't want them to fear for their lives. We don't accept that! And we send a very clear signal: We see you, we hear you, and we will make sure that you do not perish and that you are heard.

Mr President, Commissioner! Where do all our raw materials come from, which are stuck in our phones, which are stuck in our cars, which are stuck in our trains, which are stuck in our laptops? We answer this far too seldom, and far too often the answer is: from a war zone. And the east of the Congo is just such a war zone. 70% of the cobalt comes from there. We need it all – for the energy transition, for example. These are all raw materials we need to drive our green transformation. And yet there is war, there are rebel groups like M23, FDLR, etc. 6 million internally displaced people in the Congo – this is the highest rate in the world. And that means we can't talk about Congo without talking about raw materials. And when we talk about raw materials, of course we need to talk about the Commission's upcoming Raw Materials Regulation. And this is a huge opportunity, because with this regulation we can help to really promote industrialisation on the ground. And this has huge advantages, because only in this way can we ensure that these countries want our partnership and do not turn to China or Russia. This is essential for our strategic positioning on this planet in our fight against dictatorships, against autocrats, for a more open society – because we offer the people on the ground the better alternatives, with strong environmental protection, with strong human rights requirements, so that the people on the ground can really partly build up battery production themselves, for example. Only in this way can we contribute to ensuring long-term peace in these regions.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! We are rushing straight into a climate crisis, which, on the one hand, causes a very large part of us and, on the other hand, is already really noticeable – and noticeable, especially in the Global South. It is precisely for this reason that it is our duty to provide support, especially in the Global South, so that they do not maneuver into the same fossil dependence as we have done. That's exactly where the 300 billion euros planned with Global Gateway are, of course, a huge opportunity to achieve this. But we must also guarantee that this money does not lead to human rights violations in the Global South, because infrastructure projects, unfortunately, very often tend to do just that. Are there complaint mechanisms, are there compensation mechanisms in exactly these projects? There isn't really an answer to that at the moment. Above all, however, we must ensure that we advance industrialization in the countries and not always degrade them only to suppliers of raw materials. We need to achieve this together with local civil society, for example by investing in battery production in Uganda.

What is of course first and foremost the most important thing is that the livelihood for young people to continue to exist on this planet is created at all, that is, the containment of the climate crisis must of course have the absolute, highest priority, because this is of course also the greatest threat to young people. If we think that we will continue with our CO2 emissions as before, then in 100 years this planet will no longer be insanely habitable. Of course, that's above everything. Then there are many other projects that really create perspectives for young people and open up perspectives. These are offers to travel, these are offers to get to know the continent. Of course, just as it has already been mentioned, this is a ban on unpaid internships, so that we really offer the same opportunities to young people who do not have the financial resources, so that they do not fall into these same patterns and are eaten up by a system that ultimately only abuses them as cheap workers.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! They always say: There is a magic in every beginning. And I think that's the same with life. Indeed, if I look back, I would say that the first ten years felt so much longer than the last ten years I have been on the planet. That's why I think the focus on youth is extremely important – that is, there was the European Year of Youth, which was a super good idea, even if no one knew about it, there was no money for it and no laws for the youth came on the way. The European Year of Youth threatens to just fizzle out like the Bird of the Year – that is the hoopoe. And that is exactly what we need to prevent. The European Year of Youth must now simply be the starting signal for a very clear focus on youth, and I believe that the Commission is already on a reasonably good path and has really understood that, in order to create happy people on this continent, it is of course important to create the happiness of youth. But, as I said, there is still a lot to do. We need a ban on unpaid traineeships – this has been mentioned so many times. We must finally do something for the mental health of our young people, because this is a huge problem across the continent. We must, of course, prolong the European Year of Youth so that people on this continent can really hear about it. And I would also like to ask you to create digital formats for youth participation in our democratic processes, so that the hurdles are lowered. (The speaker agreed to reply to a statement using the blue card procedure.)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Where do our raw materials come from? We ask ourselves the question far too rarely, and far too often the answer is: from a war zone. We source more than 70% of the cobalt from eastern DR Congo, where more than 60% of the coltan is stored. These are all fabrics that are stuck in every single cell phone. And that is exactly where almost 200,000 people have had to flee armed rebel groups such as M23, FDLR, etc. in recent days. In Congo, almost 6 million people are now internally displaced. This is the highest rate in the world, but here with us it is just one of many forgotten conflicts. This must not go on like this! We bear damn responsibility for these people, alone, because we get so many raw materials from there. This means that we must immediately provide humanitarian aid. Neighbouring countries must stop and stop the illegal import of conflict raw materials. But we must also stop the financing of these rebel groups in the long term and ensure that the Conflict Raw Materials Ordinance really works. But above all, all regional parties to the conflict must come together and finally clarify their geoeconomic interests once and for all, otherwise the war and the expulsion of people will never end.

Mr President, just some days ago, I asked on my social media whether people knew about what is going on in Tigray in northern Ethiopia. I think like 83% answered that they had no clue at all what is going on there. I think this is really important that we talk about this today again. What is going on there? I think it’s one of the biggest humanitarian crisis on this planet at the moment. There are some experts who talk about 500 000 deaths in the last two years already due to the war, but also because of famine and stuff like this. The Tigray region is completely isolated, like there’s no way to get humanitarian aid there. There are reports of rape, of torture, of children being recruited for the army, and I think we cannot watch this. But the conflict parties had already declared a ceasefire. So a ceasefire is possible, and I think this is something we really have to push for also as the European Union – push for a ceasefire for all the parties and also offer all the support to the African Union for the peace talks.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, When the idea of a uniform charging cable first came about over ten years ago, many laughed. Today we decide exactly that, and this is a huge success, because we show: The one who laughs last is the one who makes the law. The EU enforces citizens' interests against the market power of tech giants with laws that protect the wallet and the environment. That's a step forward because we're saving millions of charging cables. But not only that: We make sure that every working mobile phone, every camera is still usable in 15 or 20 years and not only because of a lost cable to garbage. With this law, we save equipment from death at the dump and come a huge step closer to a circular economy that uses resources responsibly and eventually no longer produces waste and that puts people before profits.

Madam President, dear colleagues and of course, dear people with an interest on the further existence of us on this beautiful planet, end of July I was in Uganda, and on the very first day I read the headline on the front page of a newspaper stating that 900 people had just died from hunger due to the severe droughts there. And only one week later I read the exact opposite: heavy rains had caused landslides and destroyed dozens of houses. All around the world, we experience the pure brutality of the ongoing climate crisis. Droughts, fires, floods – they hit the most vulnerable the hardest, like destroying their livelihoods and leaving them with the questions whether their land will still be home to their children. And we all know this is because of our destruction of the world’s climates and environment. And yet in Uganda and Tanzania, big companies like to say that they plan to construct the longest heated pipeline in the world that would additionally emit 34 million tons of carbon to our atmosphere every year, affecting more than 100 000 people and put severe risks on one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. I call on the governments of Uganda and Tanzania to stop the East African crude oil pipeline and invest in future-proof technologies. Oil export will not solve energy poverty. Solar panels and wind turbines, they do. You have all the potential to go for 100% renewables in all sectors, please use it! And to all the companies that prefer to be part of the problem, you can do better, be a part of the solution and work for the benefit of the local communities.

Mr President, dear Vice-President, dear guests! I would like to say first of all, I am really extremely happy to see how well and quickly the reception of refugees from Ukraine is going with us, especially thanks to all the volunteers. Millions of people have direct access to the labour market from day one and freedom of movement across the EU. Let's take a look at Germany, for example. There is a shortage of over 1 million workers. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of refugees are stuck in asylum procedures, perhaps have toleration status with which they cannot even work properly, or their qualifications are simply not recognised. And then they end up in non-specialist jobs or stuck in places where there isn't even work yet. That is why, Commissioner, please make sure that all the people who want to work here can do the same, that we put the people who are already here into work, and that the Member States and universities recognise the qualifications and other qualifications. Last but not least, my personal request: Give my pilot project a European Language Learning app Instead, it is the most important skill, namely, the understanding, already stands from the outset.

Madam President, dear Commissioner! How old do you think this jacket I'm wearing right now is? Looks like new, I'd say you saw it yesterday. But the jacket is actually older than me. And it is precisely this quality in the lifetime that I no longer know of new products in the fashion sector. Fast fashion It is a crime against the environment, against the people who produce for us and against all consumers. That is why quality, rather than quantity, is the policy we must pursue. Commissioner, you have it in your hands. The EU textile strategy must legally reduce the absolute consumption of resources in the textile sector and race to the top promote the longevity of clothing, because only that is sustainable. So make sure that every piece of clothing can also become an heirloom. We owe this to the people in our supply chains and the environment.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear Simona! I think it is clear to all of us, it has never been so clear and never so urgent as in these days and hours: We need to do everything we can to get away from fossil fuels, and batteries are an absolute key technology for that. Climate crisis, species extinction, pollution – all these crises must be tackled with full force. This requires laws that do just that. Commissioner, I would like to thank you very much for an excellent legislative proposal. For the first time in product policy, we think in a truly sustainable and holistic way, from the extraction of raw materials to low-carbon production and long lifetimes to real recycling. This battery regulation can become a real blueprint for future legislation, for sustainable products. But in some places, of course, we had to sharpen the proposal once again. First, we need a strong right to repair. All batteries in mobile phones, laptops and similar devices must be able to be replaced by consumers themselves. Here, in the past, companies have really disregarded the interests of people and the environment for long enough. Second, real recycling for all batteries. The important raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel not only have to be recycled, but of course also reused. This is the only way to move towards a truly circular economy. And thirdly: Exploitation – in a cobalt mine, for example – does not suddenly matter, simply because the raw material is then used in a small battery. Therefore, due diligence rules must of course apply to all batteries and not just electric cars. All in all: Together, we were able to put together a truly revolutionary package that civil society around the world looks forward to with great expectation, especially indigenous communities. Dear colleagues, today let's lay the foundation for clean batteries Made in Europe, for future-proof jobs in Europe, clean technology for the necessary energy transition, effective consumer protection and global justice.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, Mr Secretary of State, ladies and gentlemen! Imagine the following: You just turned 18, but your party was cancelled. The first festival you've been looking forward to for so long: canceled. Exchange, Year Abroad, Exploring the World: canceled everything. And then you start studying now, and you only see the others in zoom calls. Pretty dystopian, huh? Youth showed such solidarity during the pandemic. And that's why we have to promise that they will be able to catch up on all that they have now had to do without. We need to recreate the spaces and spaces that were a matter of course for all of you in your youth. And that's why my request to all of you is: Engage actively and at all levels for exchange, for festivals, for social spaces, for meeting rooms and for a European Year of Youth that deserves this name. And of course for climate protection, because the youth have the most of it.