Speeches

Madam President, in my own country, Greece, the country where democracy was born, over the last four years we have been experiencing a rapid degradation of democracy, a great erosion of the rule of law, a blatant contraction of press freedom and pluralism. And the political responsibility for this great setback, which you have heard from Commissioner McGuinness and the Commission's report, and from what the Council said more diplomatically, and from what the rapporteur of the European Parliament and the committee responsible, Mrs Sophie in 't Veld, who is a centre-right MEP from the Netherlands and not any SYRIZA man, said. The political responsibility has the name: Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Brussels appears as a political centre-right with a European glaze and in Athens uses authoritarian practices not only through the Predator, but also through the EYP, which is under his control, reminiscent of the East German Stasi. I want to believe, not to say I am sure, that Nikos Androulakis, a victim of these manipulations, will contribute to making Greece a modern democratic European country that does not resemble Poland and Hungary, to have another government and another prime minister in the next elections. My country, dear colleagues of New Democracy, is not denigrated by those who defend truth, democracy and transparency, but by those who shrink democracy and the rule of law.

Madam President, the Recovery Fund is a positive step and REPower EU is taking a positive and insufficient step based on a compromise. The European Parliament's negotiating team has passed several of our positions on this compromise. But the big problem, the big disadvantage, is that we are trying to finance the response to the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis with the money we decided to use to deal with the pandemic. And that's not enough. That is why the solution is insufficient to address the accuracy, the energy crisis and the increase in social inequalities. New, fresh money, a common European response with additional joint borrowing is needed, as Mr Gentiloni, the Commissioner responsible, proposes, but the Commission does not adopt, to address its additional needs, and the position of the European Parliament is that new needs and new objectives must be financed with additional funds and not by recycling existing and insufficient funds.

The next item is the report by Mr Dennis Radtke, on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, on the revision of the European Works Councils Directive (2019/2183(INL)) (A9-0295/2022).

The ID political group informed the President of a decision on changes to committee appointments. This decision will be mentioned in the Minutes of today's meeting and will take effect from the date of this communication.

Mr Marc Tarabella is no longer a member of the political group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and has been among the non-attached Members since 19 January 2023.

Madam President, Mr Charles Michel, the embellishment of the situation, which you and Mrs von der Leyen have made, is not a good adviser. More diplomatic initiatives from the European Union, combined with solidarity in Ukraine, are needed to end the war. As the economy slows down, stronger solidarity and support measures are needed in favour of the weakest. Because democracy and the rule of law are also retreating within the European Union, there is a need for a stronger defence of the rule of law also by the Council, which often acts as a brake on what the European Parliament and the Commission are asking for as sanctions against governments, for example Hungary. We also need more transparency and zero tolerance for corruption to defend the European Union and parliamentary democracy. Finally, in the face of the protectionist measures of the United States, a strong and coordinated European response is needed, because protectionism is not a solution.

Mr President, the revelations are shocking: Panama Papers, Bahamas Leaks, Paradise Papers, Pandora Papers. A tax piracy that costs tens of billions of euros every year. Very wealthy people – few – and large companies use shell companies not to pay taxes, thus depriving European and state budgets of revenue, leading to overtaxation of wage earners, freelancers, small and medium-sized enterprises. This crime must stop. The Commission speaks, Mr Vestager, of a loss of between EUR 35 billion and EUR 70 billion every year. This assessment may also be modest. So we must proceed, in accordance with what the European Parliament is calling for united, to both a directive and a regulation. And because we know very well that within the Council there are the proponents of the continuation of tax evasion, the proponents of tax havens, we need Parliament and the Commission, as the Conference on the Future of Europe has called for, to strengthen European cooperation on these issues of the fight against tax evasion by moving from unanimity - which is becoming a body in the hands of tax evaders - to decisions with an increased majority. Otherwise, it won't work.

Mr President, the interinstitutional agreement on the creation of new own resources must go ahead. Firstly, because we need to find the money to repay the NextGenerationEU loan without burdening the Community budget by cutting programmes that citizens expect, but also to finance the new Social Climate Fund and tackle energy poverty. That is why we support the Commission's proposal as a Parliament and ask for clarifications and improvements and we strongly criticise the absent Council, which is slow and does not honour its signature on the interinstitutional agreement. The European Parliament, Mr Hahn, also calls for the next step on own resources to be even more ambitious, because in this way we can overcome the constant opposition between net contributors and net recipients that keeps the budget of the European Union at the extremely low rate of 1% of European GDP. And we expect you, at last, to bring a drastic proposal for the taxation of great wealth. It is not possible for the European Union, which has been at the forefront of tackling climate change, not to be at the forefront of this issue, at a time when social and tax inequalities are growing dangerously.

Mr President, the European Parliament has tried and achieved some improvements in the Commission's proposal. It was a difficult effort in which I actively participated on behalf of the Left Group in the European Parliament. And it was difficult because, as usual, the Council called for drastic cuts. But the improvements we have achieved in this difficult compromise are not enough and that is why I do not share the celebrations of some colleagues. Because the budget for 2023 is 1.14% of European GDP – less than last year’s budget of 1.18% of European GDP, gentlemen of the Council. And the elephant in the room is that we cannot achieve the goals that you, the Commission, and you, the Council, have set with a budget frozen at 1% of European GDP. And the second elephant in the room is that the margins of a multiannual financial framework, designed in other circumstances, have already been exhausted. Therefore, instead of congratulating ourselves and each other, the Commission should commit itself to presenting, Mr Hahn, an ambitious adjustment of the multiannual financial framework in early 2023. Because if you don't, you'll have a serious share of responsibility. I know you want to, but you have to dare. And the Council's frugals, who keep Europe tied to a 1% budget, need to change their minds.

The next item is the debate on the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on improving the gender balance among directors of listed companies and related measures (10521/1/2022 - C9-0354/2022 - 2012/0299(COD)) (Rapporteurs: Lara Wolters and Evelyn Regner) (A9-0275/2022).

The next item is the debate on the report by Michal Šimečka, on behalf of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the resilience of critical entities (COM(2020)0829 - C9-0421/2020 - 2020/0365(COD)) (A9-0289/2021).

Madam President, the common European loan of EUR 750 billion for the creation of the European Recovery Fund was one of the important positive moments for the European Union. That is why this project must succeed; And in order to succeed, Mr Hahn, the agreement we have reached, Parliament, the Commission and the Council, on new own resources, must proceed as agreed. This means that the Council must stop holding back and dragging its feet. Because as long as we do not have the new own resources, under the responsibility of the Council, it is paid by the European citizens who expect the Community budget to bear the burden of implementing the programmes we have agreed. And the second, since we all agree that it is a good tool and we are in a period of high inflation and at risk of recession, we need this tool not only to succeed, but to make such tools permanent. That's why the insistence of some that it's a good thing but we have to forget it right away is wrong.

Mr President, tackling the energy crisis requires drastic measures and RepowerEU is a positive step. But, Mr Dombrovskis and Mr Gentiloni, the European Parliament, united from the centre-right to the left, is calling for significant and drastic improvements to the Commission's proposal. And first of all, an increase in funding, because it does not reach the €20 billion that the Commission is recycling from the European Recovery Fund, the Farmers' Fund and social and regional cohesion policies. President von der Leyen promised additional funding. We ask the Commission to commit itself in this direction because the Council wants the objectives to be served without money, which is impossible. To have more energy autonomy, more renewable energy and tackling energy poverty, we need more money.

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on migration flows to the EU (2022/2870(RSP)).

I have received a motion for a resolution pursuant to Rule 136(5) of the Rules of Procedure. The debate is closed. The vote will take place on Thursday.

Mr President, the Commission's programme for 2023 is timid, procrastinating and inferior, Mr Šefčovič. Two responsible Commissioners, Mr Gentiloni and Mr Breton, proposed a Eurobond with joint borrowing, guaranteed by the Commission in response to the energy crisis, as we did with the European Recovery Fund in response to the pandemic. What does the Commission say about this proposal in its programme? Nothing at all. President von der Leyen told us that with the energy crisis the gas market is not working well and we have accuracy, poverty and the brink of a recession. What has the Commission proposed to address this problem? So far, nothing. Even Charles Michel, the President-in-Office of the Council, criticises the Commission for its inaction. We have a dangerous increase in social inequalities and inequalities between Member States. What has the Commission done about it? Nothing substantial. The social agenda has remained an empty label for years after the Gothenburg Summit. And what are you doing to revise – as the European Parliament and the Committee on Budgetary Control unanimously ask you to do – the Multiannual Financial Framework? Can we continue with a budget of 1% of European GDP when the challenges increase?

Madam President, the European Parliament, gentlemen of the Council and Mr Hahn from the Commission, considers the Council's proposal for the 2023 budget unacceptable and inferior to the circumstances. We are at war on our borders; we have inflation running in the European Union at 10% – a decades-old record; we have an upsurge in punctuality and poverty; reduction of employment; the risk of a recession in 2023 for the European economy is visible. And you come with a budget full of cuts, gentlemen of the Czech presidency. The European Parliament, from right to left, is united in demanding things that are absolutely basic and necessary. Is it possible to meet the needs of today and tomorrow with a budget full of cuts of 1% of European GDP? Do you not see that the Multiannual Financial Framework, which is manifestly inferior to the circumstances, must be revised immediately in 2023? We must overcome, Mr Hahn, the 1% taboo on the Community budget and we must run to create additional own resources without further delays in the interinstitutional agreement, because otherwise the European Recovery Fund will also be at risk. We also need, as we created the European Recovery Fund, to strengthen the Union's central fiscal capacity with new tools. A Eurobond or a new European fund to tackle the energy crisis. It is proposed by the Commission, requested by the European Central Bank. It is not possible for national selfishness and neoliberal obsessions in some Member States to hamper European integration. It is not possible for Germany to say "200 billion for my national programme". It is not possible to want to have a tight budget of 1% to deal with all these crises. We stand united and demand serious improvements in the budget.

The next item is the joint debate on: - the report by Jörgen Warborn, on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, on sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime initiative) (COM(2021)0562 - C9-0333/2021 - 2021/0210(COD)) (A9-0233/2022), and - the report by Ismail Ertug, on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (COM(2021)0559 - C9-0331/2021 - 2021/0223(COD)) (A9-0234/2022).

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on FRONTEX's liability for violations of fundamental rights at the EU's external borders in the light of the OLAF report (2022/2895(RSP)).

I have received two motions for resolutions pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure. The debate is closed. The vote will take place on Thursday. Written declarations (Rule 171)

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on the urgent need for an EU strategy on fertilisers to ensure food security in Europe (2022/2855(RSP)).