Debate contributions by Brigitte VAN DEN BERG

Mr President, we saw it last May, the Georgian youth dancing around the European flag. This sent out such a strong message to us. This youth wants to be part of Europe, but unfortunately their government chooses something else. They applied for EU membership, but at the same time, they are drifting further and further away from EU values, and straight into the arms of Putin. Their last attack on the queer community is just another example of the slippery slope that Georgia is in. We, as liberals, really want to give Georgia that European perspective, but especially with the Georgian elections only three weeks away, I want to state abundantly clear that this Georgian Government is jeopardising the European future of Georgia. But whatever happens, the youth still deserves our support. So I want to ask the Commissioner: can we please commit to keep supporting that youth that longs for the European future?

Mr President, dear colleagues, Madam Commissioner, my hometown is an industrial city near Amsterdam. And there I have two neighbours. On one side, I have a family that must choose between paying for basic groceries and heating their home. And on the other side, I have a coal-fired steel plant that employs 9000 people. And I thank the Commissioner sincerely for all her work. A lot has been achieved. But I do think that this report lacks the sense of urgency that both of my neighbours feel. I urge the Commission and my colleagues to look ahead at the challenges that arise once the energy transition is in full swing. Across Europe, wherever we are picking up steam, the same issue comes up. We find it hard to deliver on our ambition. What do we need to change this? Is maybe the wrong question. It's rather who do we need? Many skilled professionals across Europe are working every day to upgrade our grid. They are the ones bringing clean and affordable electricity to our neighbour homes. They are the skilled professionals transforming my city's steel plant, and they are the European experts that fix and build our energy union. These are the people we need to focus on. And I want the Commission to make policy for them and with them. I would have liked to read more in this report about the need for skilled professionals. And therefore, I ask the Commissioner to tell me more about the skills dimension of this energy union. And I call upon the Commissioner to address this issue further in the next term.