Debate contributions by Daniel CASPARY

Madam President, Mr. Sell, fortunately, every word you have said has made you feel that you would most like to submit immediately to Putin and Russia. Ladies and gentlemen, I am extremely grateful to our Commission President for feeling a massive change in European politics in the last twelve months in the European Union. We have the situation that we are now saying clearly, Mrs. von der Leyen, what matters. You have said it – and I am grateful – that we are in a fight to see whether we remain independent, whether we remain independent, whether we can live in peace, freedom and security. This is also reflected in the European Commission's policy: Unlike in the last legislature, we have not yet received proposals from the Commission in this legislature that reduce our defence or competitiveness. This is a huge change! On the contrary: We see that we are finally making progress in the field of defence. We see that we are finally making progress in the area of competitiveness with the ambitious so-called buses, i.e. the relief packages that your Commission has presented. But one thing is also part of it: If you want to address social issues, if you want more housing, if you want to pay for social services such as child guarantee, you need a competitive industry. If you want to finance defence spending, you need a competitive industry. That's why I can ask everyone in the house: Please help us to do this without lowering standards – that is not what this is all about now! – but with a massive reduction in bureaucracy and requirements and costs, quickly give the economy and thus the people new freedoms and the competitiveness of the European Union ...

Dear Mr Sieper, thank you very much for your question. We see, when we remember the picture in the Rose Garden, where the American President showed this giant panel with all the tariffs, that not only we are affected, but in principle he attacks everyone in the world and questions everything. And that is why, in conversations with representatives of other states, I experience a great willingness to move forward together with us, if we remain steadfast. And the second is then, but we have to go through the things. And I say quite frankly: If, for example, Mrs Werbrouck mentioned earlier, the impact on France, yes, why does she not say that, for example, French agriculture has a massive export surplus? So that, for example, the French farmers, the French economy in general, would have completely different and much bigger problems without exports? And that is why it is so important that we remain steadfast here, do not allow ourselves to be divided, do not go nationally alone, but trust the European Commission and have real courage in this difficult time and do not make ourselves small.

Mr President! I am proud of how the European Commission has dealt with this massive pressure from the United States in recent weeks. Namely, prudently, without reacting quickly, without falling into actionism, without taking any countermeasures that simply fuel the dispute. But the Commission has so far left the attacks ineffective, and it is in negotiations – and that is a good thing! What shocks me, however, is how the United States is massively destroying the global system they are building. A number of colleagues have already commented on this. This means that the first task is to try, Commissioner, to finally conclude our trade agreements with other countries – with India, with Indonesia, with Mercosur. That we show we have an interest in keeping the rest of the world stable. That we do not allow ourselves to Wild West à la America prevails, but that we become the new anchor of stability in the global trade world. And secondly: I just wish we were stable. I firmly believe that if we do not sell ourselves below value – and I do not understand what some colleagues have said here – but if we remain firm: We are at least as big economically as the United States. With the platform just described, we are significantly larger together with the partners. So if we have some courage, do not give in immediately, then we will get a good agreement in the next few days. It must be our interest to stand together, not to be dispersed. Then we will end up being the ones who wear the friendly smile of a winner on their face.

Dear Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, It has been said quite often today: We have not responded sufficiently to Russia's aggression in the last three years. And it has also become clear: Europe is always strong when we are under particular pressure. I would like to draw your attention once again to one thing that our Group Chairman Manfred Weber rightly described earlier: We are good in times of crisis. But in times of crisis, are we not only able, as the European Union, to help the Member States do their homework, but are we also able, together with the Member States, to finally take the next step in Europe? We saw it during the corona crisis: The Corona Reconstruction Fund was a huge step by the European Union to help the Member States. But we have not been able to build Europe-wide electricity networks, for example, to upgrade Europe-wide rail networks. We have not managed to bring Europe together as a continent with a common major project. And now too – ReArm Europe is urgently needed. But here again: Exactly the joint European projects are missing. It is not only a question of supporting the Member States alone now in making the necessary rearmament, of finally becoming able to defend themselves, but we must also enforce joint European projects. I can only call on the Council, Mr Costa, I can only call on the Member States: Please put pressure on the Council to do some projects together! The examples that Manfred Weber mentioned today: with the common surveillance satellite system, with a common air defence screen, with a possibly also common aircraft carrier, helicopter carrier, drone carrier or whatever. As Europeans, we must take a big project forward together in order to show it to the outside world: We are serious about European integration, especially in times of crisis.

Mr President! In 1989, the people of East Germany liberated themselves from the communist dictatorship. Already in 1994 the Magdeburg model, a SPD Prime Minister, elected by the SED-PDS. 1998 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the first coalition of Social Democrats and SPD, SED-PDS. And in 2014, Bodo Ramelow was elected Prime Minister by the SED-PDS Left Party, the SPD and the Greens. Or the red-red-green minority government in Thuringia, which until recently was in office. Mr Repasi, almost 50 cases of majorities of red-red-green with the AfD. Or last year in November: I was a guest at the French National Assembly when the French Social Democrats and Greens, together with Le Pen and the Left Mélenchon, voted out Prime Minister Barnier and brought France closer to political chaos. And when I look at you and your parties, I can only say: Stop teaching us how to deal with populists, extremists, communists or Nazis. Unlike you, it is: We will not work with them. We won't let ourselves be tolerated like you. We will not form coalitions, nor will we elect any of them as prime minister. But you confuse cause and effect. You're talking about the firewall. We'd like to put out the fire behind it. The AfD had 10% in the last federal election. In the surveys, it is double. And why? People are afraid of economic stagnation. They have fears of the future. You have the impression that the state is not working. You have the impression that this red-green slumping federal government no longer has any feeling or understanding of what is really important to the people in our cities and communities, and that was also made clear in your speech today. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, we already have a third of extremists and populists in this European Parliament. This Parliament may be the last in which democratic forces have a majority. So please stop insulting us. Stop setting the mood here, but let's quickly solve the problems that really drive people around. Our hand is outstretched. We want to fight populism and extremism through good politics and not through insults and division.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! Ursula von der Leyen pointed out today: The programme of the new Commission is a programme of the political centre for the breadth of society and for the citizens of Europe. Now the German SPD says that it will not support this commission together with the AfD, BSW and the Left. This shows the whole political insincerity, irresponsibility and also tornness of the SPD. It joins the procrastination and hesitation of the SPD chancellor, which is driving the European partners more and more to despair. You seem to feel more comfortable than others in the pro-Putin anti-Europe camp today, and it is good that the German FDP and the German Greens are on board together with us Christian Democrats, unlike you. Then justify your conduct with the Italian Commissioner. Even the Italian Social Democrats will vote in favour of the Commission today, while you know better and thus isolate yourself in your own group. I can only call everyone: We urgently need the capacity to act in Europe. We need the strong Commission presented by Ursula von der Leyen. Happiness, so that we can set Europe up well and successfully for the future.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! We talked a lot today about the person of the new US president and about the possible impact the election could have on us in Europe. But I really want us to think more. What are the homework we are facing? And the homework we face as Europeans is completely independent of who will become president in the United States. Because the core challenges – are we able to create our own, stronger contribution to greater security, to greater defence capability of the European Union and its Member States in the framework of NATO? – that is our homework, which we must tackle independently when we look at the situation in Europe and the world. Or even the economic issues: Will we finally be able to unleash our companies, our crafts, our small and medium-sized enterprises, not continue to build up European regulation, but also take it back in some places? Then that would also be another contribution we could make to increasing our ability in Europe. And then we would continue to be a pleasant, reliable and interesting partner for the United States.

Madam President, Dear High Representative! You have said that Europe is absent from this conflict. If you weren't leaving office soon, I'd ask you: How many times were you in Israel before October 7, during the four years of your tenure, to talk to those responsible about a possible solution to the conflict? Ladies and gentlemen, this weekend was, I think, a remarkable editorial in the German newspaper World on Sunday. Jacques Schuster writes, I quote: "Israel's third Prime Minister Levi Eshkol put it in a nutshell: There is only one thing in the world worse than the use of force, namely the capitulation to violence. Israel is resisting. It no longer allows Hamas to indulge in its bloodlust. It no longer tolerates Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel day after day under the eyes of the UN mission. It protects itself from the fact that Iran has threatened the Jewish state with annihilation since 1979. Is Israel's government making mistakes? Is it sometimes too brutal? Does it pay too little attention to the civilian population? Yeah, she does. However, anyone who has to be crushed by force as a violent person has to accept the consequences of his acts of violence – be it Germany between 1933 and 1945, Iran today or Lebanon, which lets Hezbollah murder in peace of mind.” And I add: Anyone who places command centres, weapons depots, combat stands in civilian settlements and facilities bears responsibility for the civilian victims. I would also like to draw attention to the many Arabs who, partly as citizens of Israel, live in freedom and democracy and are able to participate in Parliament. So what is the lesson for us? We have to be on the right side. If terror, unfreedom, violence prevail, then we too have lost. This is true in Israel, in the Middle East, in Ukraine and around the world. Ladies and gentlemen, it is therefore our responsibility to face up to this responsibility with all our strength.