Debate contributions by François KALFON

Mr President, Commissioner, Europe is missing the mark of its energy independence. Europe still imports 90% of its oil, including from Russia with its ghost fleet. It's no longer tolerable. There is an urgent need to regain our sovereignty. Biofuels and e-fuels can cleanly get us out of fossil fuels. Biofuel is 65% CO2 less, e-fuel 90 % CO2 less, and we can produce them in Europe. But, if we do not change course, this project will remain a chimera without effect. While in the United States and Asia, factories already produce 50 kilotonnes of e-fuels per year, in our country, no large production plants. So, how do we get out of this dead end? It will be necessary to confirm the mandates of ReFuelEU to reassure investors. The European Union must invest heavily in the sector and create thousands of jobs in Europe. But let's not be mistaken: Oil tankers – BP, Shell or Total – have made a lot of money from fossil fuels. Tomorrow, if they do not invest, we will have to force them to do so, as we have already done for the automobile.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the car industry has turned on its emergency lights and we will not look elsewhere. If we do nothing, Europe will remain carbon-free and factories will be shut down. In Poissy, 2,000 Stellantis employees are partially unemployed. In Sochaux, 2 500 employees are affected and the Eisenach site in Germany is also affected. In five years, automotive production in Europe fell by 20% and increased by the same amount in China. To relaunch our production, let's maintain tariffs and produce small cars that are popular and accessible to all. A kei because European, for example, which would be sold for EUR 9 000, as in Japan, where tariffs now start at EUR 20 000. To save our industry and protect our jobs, we urgently need to mobilise public procurement and business fleets Made in Europe, massively develop social leasing and open a debate on the motorisation of vans, as electricity accounts for only 6% of registrations. Ladies and gentlemen, without a courageous industrial policy, we will have a social breakdown without the Green Deal.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, last night 19 drones hit the territory of the European Union in Poland. In late August, Ursula von der Leyen's plane was the target of GPS jamming over Bulgaria, forcing him to land urgently. These attacks are part of Russia's war against Europe. In this war, infantrymen are hackers, tanks are drones and bombs are computerized. In 2024, global interference in the GNSS satellite navigation system increased by 500%. 46,000 commercial flights were affected, putting 4 million passengers at risk. But Europe is capable of defending itself. First, with the digital shield around Galileo, which guarantees the reliability of GPS signals. Then, with the EGNOS goalkeeper, who alerts the targets, in a few seconds, of an attack. Finally, thanks to the European constellation IRIS2, we will have signals that are encrypted and genuinely protected in a sovereign way. So I say, Vladimir Putin must know that Europe is already able to provide the right answers in the face of these aggressions that have become incessant.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in 2019, the Thomas Cook agency went bankrupt and 140 000 Europeans were stranded abroad and had to be repatriated in a disaster. Cancellations, unforeseen events too often rhyme with mandatory voucher or endless refund. Parliament will vote tomorrow on the law governing package travel, these packages that bring together the hotel, the plane ticket and why not car rental. Thanks to the mobilization of the socialists, we have achieved major progress for you. Tomorrow, in the event of bankruptcy, the advance payments will be refunded and the travelers repatriated free of charge. In the event of a new pandemic or natural disaster, guests will be able to cancel their trip free of charge. Refund or voucher? Despite the efforts of the European right linked to lobbies to prevent it, tomorrow it is the consumer who will choose and the refund in cash will have to arrive within fourteen days. My determination is total to advance your rights for a serene journey. So I say this to my colleagues in the various political groups: be on the side of consumers and vote with us on these advances.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Europe has always been built by conquering new rights for consumers, particularly in air transport. However, under pressure from lobbyists and on the eve of the holiday, the Council of the European Union is imposing a clear regression on air passenger rights. We will not let these setbacks happen. First setback, the passenger who suffers a delay of 3 hours on his flight, for example Paris-Rome, is now entitled to compensation of 250 €. However, tomorrow, to be compensated, this passenger will have to suffer a delay of more than 4 hours. In concrete terms, this means that 60% of the delays noted will no longer be compensated. Second setback, hand luggage will be charged extra to passengers, which is not the case today. However, this invoicing is contrary to European case law that protects consumers. It is therefore urgent to oppose this pressure from lobbyists and to resume the offensive to support European passengers by restoring their rights. As early as next week, in Parliament, we will be voting to make carry-on baggage free again without paying extra. You can count on our determination.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Europe has reduced its CO emissions.2 37% between 90 and 2023. However, transport pollution continues to increase. That's 25% more since 90. By 2030, transport will account for 44% of emissions. In question, the ultra-dominant place of the car, still weakly electrified, which represents 86% of the land distances traveled. That is why Europe is focusing on greening the road. But it is slow to produce its effects. The encouragement of railways, with the development of cross-border links and high speed, largely leaves out everyday travel, by far the most polluting. These trips account for 99% of journeys. The solution? Enabling decarbonised mobility in large cities. Indeed, 75% of Europeans live in metropolises, and tomorrow it will be 84%. To meet this challenge, our country offers 26 metropolitan RER projects such as in Lyon, Toulouse or Paris, and this requires fifteen to 20 billion euros. This requires an increase in the European transport budget from EUR 25 billion to EUR 100 billion. Colleagues, if we do not change, it is written that carbon neutrality in 2050 will never be achieved.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the state of the world dictates that we strengthen our defence. However, our infrastructure is not up to standard. In 2022, it took 45 days for Leclerc tanks to reach their base in Romania from France. At issue: bridges too fragile, rail gauge different, bureaucracy. Forty-five days! It would take less for Russia to invade a country in the European Union. There is an urgent need to adapt our infrastructure to the context of this new Cold War. The European Commission announces €70 billion in investment. But where can this money come from? Without security of funding, there will be a chasm between announcements at the height and the wall of reality. To be up to standard, we need 100 billion euros over six years. This means sanctuarizing a fraction of the 800 billion "ReArm Europe" or part of the cohesion funds and the CEF in the context of a mixed civil and military use. Without it, it is impossible to move to an economy that is preparing for war to, of course, preserve peace and really protect us from Russian aggression.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, rail freight is the main tool for decarbonising freight transport. However, it is experiencing a deep crisis. In France, more than half a century ago, 60% of goods were transported by rail, compared to only 10% today. This result is also the responsibility of the European Commission. Faced with the difficulties encountered by Fret SNCF, France planned to pay off the company’s debts. The European Commission prevented it from doing so. It launched an investigation against it for allegedly unlawful aid, which led to the dismantling of Fret SNCF into two separate entities, the loss of 500 jobs and the obligation for the company to divest 20% of its activities to private companies. Meanwhile, what is the Commission doing? It introduces mega-trucks on our roads and lowers the age required to drive them, increasing the risk of accidents. To achieve the Green Deal, we have financially supported the purchase of electric vehicles. That is a good thing. Why, therefore, is the Commission not doing the same for rail freight? More European funding is needed. Let the Member States support these companies that carry out a public service mission. Road transport, which is polluting and accident-prone, must now pay its share to enable the development of rail freight, which will not be able to achieve economic equilibrium without public support.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, European industry directly employs 3 million people and generates 14 million jobs. It has 180 factories in Europe, but in the short term we risk an industrial shipwreck. In Germany, Volkswagen plans to close two factories, 30,000 jobs are at risk. In Brussels, 3,000 workers at the Audi factory will lose their jobs. In 20 years, the market share of Chinese vehicles has increased from 4% to 32%, while at the same time the European market share has increased from 31% to 15%. If we do nothing, our automotive industry will suffer the same fate as the manufacturers of solar panels or the telephony sector. That is why we must do everything we can to ensure that the future of electric vehicles is "made in Europe". Our challenge is to achieve the Green Deal for the environment, while transforming the automotive industry to strengthen it through greening. We support the European Commission's decision to tax Chinese cars more. This is a first step and requires an investment plan of 800 billion euros, provided for in the Draghi report. Faced with this great transformation, Europe must support workers who are threatened and train them more, because there is no real progress if it is not shared by all.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the belly of the filthy beast is still fertile. It is up to us not only to keep alive the memory of yesterday's tragedies, but above all to mobilize against the resurgence of these deadly ideologies. Racism, anti-Semitism, that's the enemy. In my country, France, since the pogrom of October 7, anti-Semitic acts have surged by more than 1,000 percent. The last attack took place less than a month ago: A terrorist set fire to the synagogue in La Grande-Motte. The latest study by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights is dramatic: 90% of Jewish people in Europe surveyed experienced anti-Semitism online, 56% on the street. So let us refuse to import the conflict into the Middle East for electoral reasons, let us concentrate our diplomatic efforts to resolve this conflict and appease public opinion terrified by the pogrom and the obviously disproportionate and unsustainable reaction of the Israeli government. "Never again" is not just a slogan to recall our past, it is a compelling duty to which we must respond by supporting educational actions for young people, by supporting civil society to reverse this gangrene. It starts by symbolically awarding the Sakharov Prize to peace activists, like a light in the fog.