Speeches

I have received, pursuant to Rule 136(2) of the Rules of Procedure, a motion for a resolution*. The debate is closed. The vote will take place today. _______________ * See Minutes.

There is only one request from Mr Nienaß, but he has also spoken as a speaker. My colleagues here tell me that the Rules of Procedure do not prohibit someone who has participated in the debate from being given the floor during 'catch the eye'. I therefore accept Mr Nienaß's request, because he was constantly, actively and enthusiastically involved in the debate. Mr Nienaß, you have the floor for a minute. Catch the eye procedure

The next item is the debate on the question for oral answer to the Commission entitled ‘An EU approach to space traffic management – An EU contribution to address a global challenge’, tabled by Cristian-Silviu Buşoi, on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (O-000035/2022 - B9-0022/22) (2022/2641(RSP)).

Madam President, Mrs von der Leyen, what you have told us about tackling the energy crisis is belated, general and insufficient, and at the same time very few are making incredible, sky-high profits while the many are suffering: households, businesses, but also workers who see inflation gnawing on their income. You need to tell us how, when and with what results the price of electricity will be released from natural gas. You have to tell us how, when and with what results the super-profits of the companies that produce and sell electricity will be taxed. And furthermore, you must tell us how it is possible for everything you have told us to be financed with a budget that is only 1% of European GDP. Also, I didn't see any account at all. From all the good things you told us a year ago, what did you do? You have governed the Commission for more than three years and your report is in deficit.

I have received 6 motions for resolutions to wind up this debate. The vote will take place on Thursday, 15 September 2022. The next item is the debate with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on "This is Europe" (2022/2756(RSP)). (The sitting adjourned at 10.33.)

I am sorry, I cannot give the floor to six other colleagues who have asked for it. Among them is Mrs Grapini, but time does not allow us to do so. I therefore ask you to understand that we must all move forward in the debate because we do not have time for the other six colleagues to speak, Mrs Grapini. Please, I always give you the floor and you have spoken too many times with "catch-the-eye". You were 12 colleagues and due to lack of time I gave the floor to one of each political group. The first – based on the data provided by my colleagues – and taking into account those who attended the debate. Because it is not right for someone to ask for the floor with the "catch-the-eye" process, to leave and come to the end just to talk. I'm sorry, Mrs Grapini, but we have to move on, we don't have time. Please move on. Commissioner Sinkevičius has the floor on behalf of the Commission.

The next item is the Council and Commission statements on the consequences of drought, fires and other extreme weather events: increasing EU efforts to fight climate change (2022/2829(RSP)).

Short Communication: IMCO submitted a corrigendum adopted by Parliament in accordance with Rule 241(4). This corrigendum shall be deemed to have been adopted unless, within a maximum of 24 hours of its announcement, a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold submit a request that it be put to the vote. The corrigendum is available on the Plenary webpage. Its title will be published in the Minutes of this meeting.

Mr President, the statements by the representative of the Commission and the representative of the Council are a strong slap in the face against the practices of the Mitsotakis government and the Prime Minister personally. But now you must move from proclamations to deeds. Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that the surveillance of Nikos Androulakis by the National Intelligence Service – and not just by the illegal Predator – was legal and documented. So you, as we in the European Parliament are asking, should demand that the Greek prime minister tell us publicly: Is Androulakis an agent of foreign interests? Is he a suspect in crimes? Is the investigative journalist Koukakis, who investigated banking and financial scandals, nationally dangerous? The empty benches of the extreme right, the ultra-conservatives and the European People's Party show that the practices of the Mitsotakis government are so alien to the rule of law and democracy that not even its political friends can defend them.

The next item is the debate on the report by Søren Gade, on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on ensuring a level playing field for sustainable air transport (COM(2021)0561 - C9-0332/2021 - 2021/0205(COD)) (A9-0199/2022).

Madam President, Mrs Jourová, Mr Hoyer, we welcome you again. I would like to say that we welcome the decision of the European Investment Bank to become the climate bank of the European Union. This orientation must be strengthened, completed and not distorted, with the argument of the new facts of the uncertainty created by the energy crisis. On the contrary, the European Investment Bank must do more to support the acceleration of investment in the European Union's energy security, the reduction of energy poverty and the promotion of the principle of energy efficiency. To leave no one behind, to support small and medium-sized enterprises but also public health and social policies and to do more internally, Mr Hoyer, to promote gender equality, transparency and improvement and working conditions within the European Investment Bank, where there are some grey areas that need to be improved.

Madam President, Mr Mitsotakis, welcome to the European Parliament, but I want to tell you from the outset that the failure of your government is impossible to hide with attacks and slanders from the first seconds of your speech against the previous Greek government. Mr Weber and Mr Mitsotakis – because you too, Mr Weber, started with attacks and personal slanders on the previous Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras – I want to tell you that such obsessions show that you may even see Tsipras in your sleep! In democracy, people decide. Yesterday Tsipras was prime minister, today he is Mitsotakis, tomorrow, if the Greek people want it, it could be Tsipras again. We must respect the truth; And the truth is that the New Democracy party has a huge responsibility for the bankruptcy of the country, because it left it in 2009 with a deficit of 15.4% and a huge public debt and a clientelist state and corruption and oligarchs and best friends. He put it in the memoranda, and the Samaras-Venizelos government – in which Mr Mitsotakis was a top minister – blew up the bank: 27% unemployment, huge social inequalities, huge backsliding. And, instead of the convergence that was the expectation of the Greeks when we joined the European Union, 40 years ago, based on what Konstantinos Karamanlis and Andreas Papandreou promised, we have divergence. And that's what you had to talk to us about, Mr. Mitsotakis. Greece has the highest inflation in all of Europe: 12% – 40% above the Eurozone average – the second most expensive gasoline price in the European Union. According to Eurostat, in terms of purchasing power of citizens it is 26th out of 27. And you have a big share of responsibility for that, because beyond the imported inflation we have parties of profiteering and speculation. Greece remains first in public debt and has plummeted, in the years of your own governance: 27th out of 27 in press freedom and in the World Index 43 places, in 3 years, in position 108. Do you insist, Mr. Mitsotakis, that Reporters Without Borders is an unreliable non-governmental organization? Because I want to give you a piece of news: We in the European Parliament consider it very reliable, it is our institutional partner, as it is the Commission and the Council of Europe and the UN, and in a few hours together with Mrs Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, we will meet with Reporters Without Borders, whom you are slandering, to strengthen our cooperation. So tell us, why does Greece remain first in 27 youth unemployment and 27th in 27 gender equality? Why in the three years of your administration do we have the highest number of deaths from the pandemic per million inhabitants across Western Europe? And one more thing: What Mr Azmani on behalf of the Renew Europe Group and Mrs Strik on behalf of the Green Group have told you about the need to control illegal pushbacks, says the European Parliament with its Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, says Commissioner Johansson, and needs to be checked because these things are not good for our country – as does the retreat of the rule of law. And because I hear that Mrs Vestager has asked you for modernisation and reforms to speed up the administration of justice in Greece – as the slow administration of justice is also an obstacle to investment and the use of the Recovery Fund funds – I would like, Mr Mitsotakis, one more thing from you in your second reading: In January, in Parliament, you called leading Greek journalists and researchers "underworld" and "gang". The Supreme Council of the Judiciary – judges chosen by the leadership of the judiciary, which you appointed – unanimously and solemnly acquitted these journalists of all charges. Do you intend to apologise for the heavy labels "underworld" and "gang"? And one last thing about the recovery fund: Portugal will make tens of thousands of beds and apartments for young couples, students and students with the money of the Recovery Fund. How do you make money from the Recovery Fund?

Madam President, the Recovery and Resilience Fund is an important positive step in the history of the European Union, Mr Gentiloni, and that is why it must succeed. And in order to succeed, all governments need to understand that this money belongs to the citizens and not to the parties that govern. And they have to go for the purposes that have been allocated, which means plan, controls, accountability, transparency, away from clientelist networks and corruption. This money should not go to oligarchs, but to go for the green and digital transitions, to strengthen the welfare state, public health, to reduce inequalities, to support employment and especially young people, for small and medium-sized enterprises, which must endure. And to know that this money is scarce in a period of inflation, war, risk of recession and stagflation. That is why the Recovery Fund must succeed in becoming a permanent tool, and the European Union and the Commission must also propose such new tools. As for the pandemic, we have the Recovery and Resilience Fund to address inflation and the negative consequences of the war. We need new tools, not to steal money from the Recovery Fund to fund REPower EU.

Before I give the floor to Mr Beaune on behalf of the Presidency and the Council, I would like to tell you that Mr Simon and Mrs Grapini have applied for a blue card, but since they have already obtained the right to the blue card, I will not give them again for a second blue card from the same colleague, much less that Mr Simon has already spoken, in order to move the debate forward and for other speakers to speak. Just a minute, I think it’s better to give the floor to the representative of the Council. Mr Beaune, you have the floor.

I would remind you that now that the list of registered speakers on behalf of the political groups has been completed, there is the possibility of the catch-the-eye request card and so on. Next speaker was Mr Durand for a minute and a half.

I gave the floor to Mr Weimers, although he was not present on time, because I believe it is right and fair for the Bureau to show flexibility in such important debates to represent the voice of all political groups. Ruiz Devesa now has the floor for a minute.

Excuse me, I would like to remind all my colleagues that when they ask the President to speak on a point of order, Mr Verhofstadt. And secondly, I would like to remind everyone that at the beginning of the meeting I noted that, according to the information I have from the services, Mr Clement Beaune has a delay by train and expects to arrive in 20 to 25 minutes. This information is for evaluation, but I gave it at the beginning of the meeting. Twenty-five minutes have passed. I hope that the representative of the Council will be present any minute now. Oh, thank you.

The first item on the agenda concerns the Council and Commission statements on the request to convene a Convention for the revision of the Treaties (2022/2705(RSP)).

I would now like to give the floor on behalf of the Council to my colleague until a few days ago, Mrs Zacharopoulou, and to congratulate her on speaking to us now as a member of the French Government and therefore also of the French Presidency.

The next item on the agenda is the joint debate on Fit for 55 (part 2). Report by Jessica Polfjärd on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2018/842 on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COM(2021)0555 - C9-0321/2021 - 2021/0200(COD)) (A9-0163/2022). - Report by Mr Ville Niinistö on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2018/841 as regards the scope, simplifying the compliance rules, setting out the targets of the Member States for 2030 and committing to the collective achievement of climate neutrality by 2035 in the land use, forestry and agriculture sector, and Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 as regards improved monitoring, reporting, tracking of progress and review, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety [COM(2021)0554 - C9-0320/2021 - 2021/0201(COD)] (A9-0161/2022) - Report by Mr Jan Huitema on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/631 as regards strengthening the CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles in line with the Union’s increased climate ambition, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety [COM(2021)0556 - C9-0322/2021 - 2021/0197(COD)] (A9-0150/2022)

Madam President, the message from the European Parliament is clear and strong. The undemocratic backsliding, the historical revisionism, the aggressiveness of Erdogan's leadership towards Greece and Cyprus, are increasingly moving it away from both democracy and international law and the European Union. They turn it into a destabilizing factor and an unreliable and dangerous partner. We also see it in how it behaves in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the demands of Finland and Sweden. Ladies and gentlemen, if we want peace and stability in the region and democracy in Turkey, we need a stricter attitude towards the Turkish leadership, more pressure, no equal-distance logic, no tea and sympathy. And the European Parliament is clear and unequivocal. But we expect the same attitude from you in the Commission. No "no comment" from the Commission representative after questioning the sovereignty of the Greek islands. And we are waiting, at last, for the Council and the governments to adopt the European Parliament's demand for an arms embargo on Erdogan's leadership.