Debate contributions by Georg MAYER

Mr Sieper, this has nothing to do with me defending Putin or defending Russia. I defend Europe and I defend the people of Europe. That makes the two of us very different. This is not about Putin, it is about European interests that are not represented here.

Madam President, This strategy, which you drive here, has not been successful so far, and it will remain so. What we have here is certainly not a contribution to energy security in Europe. That's what you can expect. What we see here is rather the exact opposite of that. This is short-sighted and self-destructive. The EPP nuclear lobby, together with the Commission, is doing us massive damage here in Europe, which will not be repairable. It also entails further disempowerment of the Member States. Thank goodness there is an American president who is more far-sighted and who is now making peace. More far-sighted than the entire European nomenclature, which in recent years has only practiced warmongering. Trump has now prepared a peace that will help us all. And the entire European and world press has made fun of Trump in recent months. He, on the other hand, goes and makes it easy. This is an embarrassment to anyone who wants to fuel the war.

Madam President, The Chinese and the Americans represent their interests, and of course they do so harshly. And I've been wondering for years and years in this house that we don't. We do not represent the interests of the European economy. And what will it look like in the end? We will become a Disneyland for those very Chinese and Americans who come and see how beautiful it is in Europe, but our economy will be destroyed at the same time. And of course this has to do with a Commission that implements its ideologically controlled industrial policy and then covers it up with keywords, as in this case. It is de facto a de-industrialisation that we are witnessing in Europe and a deliberate displacement of our economy. We prefer to take care of the plastic plugs on plastic bottles instead of creating basic conditions so that our economy can work. These excessive climate requirements – I call the ban on combustion engines here – and increasing bureaucracy, of course, make it difficult for our economy to stay upright in international competition and remain competitive. What we have to avoid in any case is to go into conflict with China now. That can only hurt us.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. This season’s forest fires – I think they show one thing very clearly: Civil protection is a national task, and it must remain so, I think. Member States and local people know the situation much better and therefore, of course, how to deal with the danger. Subsidiarity: This is once again the motto that we should write on our flags. Brussels likes to use crises for more power and expensive over-bureaucratized programs. Billions then disappear into dark channels, while the helpers on site lack the equipment. Solidarity: Yes, voluntarily, without EU coercion. Climate models vary in size; Local prevention requires different approaches. More funding to the Member States and not to Brussels, that is the motto.

Madam President, ‘Nightingale, I hear you trapsen’, says the Berliner in such a case, which means: I doubt that you can expect a lot of positive things for the industry here. Once again, it is just another chapter of the completely ideologically exaggerated Green Deals, which in Europe is affecting businesses by imposing more and more obligations and bans and more and more reporting obligations. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular are the backbone of our economy and are burdened with more and more obligations. This is not the first time we have seen this. Of course, we also drive them abroad. The Supply Chain Act is also a good example of this, completely exaggerated, unreasonable for companies and is nevertheless enforced in this way. We need chemicals in all kinds of sectors of the economy and agriculture. We endanger our own security of supply if we continue as before, and of course drive the companies abroad. Environmental protection is homeland protection, and that is very important. But this must then be done with common sense, without utopian goals that no one can meet, where at the same time we only harm our businesses and also drive us into dependence on China and the USA. Dear colleagues, we demand less bureaucracy, we demand personal responsibility, we demand a feasible framework, and we demand fair competition for our companies. The goal is clear: Production back to Europe, cutting excessive bureaucracy, securing jobs, and everything else is green deal madness.

Madam President, It's all no longer fun what we're experiencing here. And I believe that the last ideologically deluded person here in the house now sees, perhaps with the exception of a few greens, that this does not work as they have previously believed. And the Commission is now trying to exploit this crisis politically: More control is needed, more bureaucracy is needed. That is certainly not the means. Because what we are experiencing is years of failed energy policy, where now the results are slowly coming to light, because we prefer to maintain tables instead of securing networks. Now it is urgently necessary to find the causes. The Commission remains on the ideologically blinded course of energy policy. It is called: Green energy in the form of wind and sun will save us. But it's not efficient, I think it's arrived at everyone's house by now. I don't want to be the apologist for the apocalypse, but that won't be the last time we experience such a blackout. And several will follow. This is as certain as the Amen in prayer.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! Industry – and I believe we all agree – is an indispensable lifeline for Europe and for the economy. And now we are not acting as if external factors are responsible for making us look like we are in the energy sector – and this is not the case, for the most part, with the Commission. Essentially, the problems we have are homemade. Because everywhere else in the world, in the USA and in China, it works. That is to say, it is the completely wrong policy that is being made here by the European government and has been since von der Leyen took office, where everything that can only be done wrong has been done wrong. So it's not the external factors that they wanted to talk about that determine this, it's internal factors. Alternative energies – I think that has now spread all the way to the Commission – are not alternatives, because they are de facto not particularly effective. Industry is suffering from what is happening in Europe and is moving away, and this is already very clear. The result is, for example, the automotive industry, which suffers insanely and where millions of jobs in Europe ...

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! Let's not pretend that these high energy prices happened to fall from the sky. Everything in this world has its effects through cause and effect. Fourteen packages of sanctions were to bring Russia to its knees and bring it to peace. Pipelines have also been blown up. And what do we have to do? We need to compete on the world market for expensive US LNG gas. Prices in Europe have exploded. This is why energy prices in Europe are so expensive. In the meantime, we are even sourcing Russian gas from third countries. This crisis is absolutely and flawlessly homemade. That remains for you to write in the logbook. The Russians have long since found other customers for their energy and gas, earning far more than ever before, and the people of Europe continue to groan under the burden of high and immense energy prices.

Madam President, I refer to Rule 8 of our Rules of Procedure, which deals with the conduct and dignity of this House. It is now almost two years ago in December that this House and the European Union experienced the biggest corruption scandal in history, Qatargate. You called it an attack from the outside. It wasn't, it was an attack from within. The Socialist Group is not only involved in this corruption scandal with one MEP, but with numerous MEPs, ex-MEPs and staff. And what have we seen since then? Nothing has happened. There is no longer any investigation into the matter. Things are calm. In the meantime, all the accused can cover the tracks. Nothing is done. They have no interest in raising awareness. And I'll tell you again: Violence and corruption come from the left. And we also saw this in Austria after our elections, where there were attacks on FPÖ members from the left.

Madam President, I refer to Rule 10(2) of our Rules of Procedure. And we have identified a huge and violent problem here in the House in the form of an Italian GUE/NGL MEP named Salis, who likes to hit people with a hammer and who has taken a seat right out of the cell here in this House. Violence comes from the left, esteemed colleagues. We didn't see it last week in the US, we see it in Europe. Therefore, I would ask you, in the interest of our safety, to arrange a daily special performance of this lady and her staff, so that we do not illegally smuggle weapons into the house.