Speeches

Mr President, this week the World Economic Forum started and one of the main speakers there – who was also allowed to open it – was the Chinese leader, Mr Xi. I have to tell you honestly, I found it incomprehensible that this dictator was brought in as the main speaker at that World Economic Forum. Because, Mr Xi's China is a rogue state, and I hope, in particular, that Mr Pineda and Mr Wallace are well aware of that. Mr Xi is fully active in strangling democracy in Hong Kong. Uighurs, Tibetans, Falun Gong supporters, Christians: They no longer have a life in China. And the Chinese government is also doing organ harvesting on a large scale. Have you read the China Tribunal's report? Above all, you have to do it! Organ robbery. On a large scale. Under the leadership of Mr. Xi. And then, of course, Taiwan. Taiwan is threatened every day. Do you notice that, too? By air, by sea... I hope you will also think about it, Mr Pineda, when it comes to China as a rogue state. So: Do not give a podium, Mr Xi, certainly not at the World Economic Forum. But one measure is needed: A diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics. That's what's hitting them. They lose their prestige. So please support the resolution, because it makes this clear. And that's not just about companies. I hope that you, as a consumer, also think about what you buy, because if it says ‘made in China’, I try not to buy it. And think about it as a consumer. Don't buy stuff from China. Think about that for a moment!

Mr President, religious freedom is increasing worldwide. It was therefore also a wise decision by the Juncker Commission to appoint Ján Figel’ as Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion worldwide in 2016. Figel’ has done his work with great passion and excellence. It was therefore also obvious that a new envoy would be appointed when the von der Leyen Commission took office in December 2019, but – unfortunately – nothing happened. Among other things, the European Parliament's intergroup on freedom of religion or belief called for a new appointment, but it did not come in the person of Mr Stylianides until a year and a half later. To the astonishment of many, however, he left after a few months and now we are again waiting for a special envoy. It is a disgrace that it is not there yet, because the need is great worldwide. Let Mrs von der Leyen therefore make this appointment chiefsache, so that a new envoy is appointed on 1 January.

Mr President, thank you very much to Mr Weimers for his historic report. And I fully agree with him that the European Union and Taiwan share the common values of freedom, democracy and human rights. So let us not underestimate the intentions of communist China. China wants to become a world leader and the incorporation of Taiwan seems to be one of the first goals. Remember that Chinese President Xi is a dictator, and dictators are usually unfriendly and often show a hard hand. We have seen this in recent months with the enormous aggression both in the air and by sea. Whether President Xi will eventually persevere and take Taiwan by force, we do not know. Of course we hope not. But for us, let us as the European Union do everything we can to keep our ties with Taiwan optimal and maximum, including with a trade agreement. We must always and everywhere show our solidarity with Taiwan.

Mr President, Mr Morawiecki, four years before you were born, it has already been established that European law takes precedence over national law. That was in the 1964 Costa versus E.N.E.L. judgment. The fact that the Polish Constitutional Court, with the support of your government, is now putting national law above European law is therefore a hard kick against the shining leg of European law. Your setup is actually what we call eating two wallets. On the one hand, of course, you would like to benefit from the European subsidies. On the other hand, you apply European law as you see fit. That is unacceptable. We're in one club together. We agreed on the same rules, and if you want to stay in that club, you follow those rules.

Mr President, the cornerstone of American policy is still the speech that Abraham Lincoln gave at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. And in it he said: “In America, all people are equal” and “The government must be there for the people, for the people and through the people.” And we share that cornerstone with the United States. That is why they are one of our most important allies, despite the differences we also have. We share with the United States not only these fundamental freedoms, but also NATO. The United States pays 70% of the NATO budget, i.e. about 4% of its gross domestic product. Almost all European countries do not achieve this. They don't even pay the 2% standard. I therefore find it rather strange to advocate for a European defence, while now, with the United States, many countries do not meet their financial obligations. I am therefore in favour of a strong European pillar in NATO, especially now that we are seeing the aggression of China and Russia.

Mr President, they are lying, we know that they are lying and they know that we know that they are lying. These historical words from the Gulag Archipelago still apply to the reign of terror in Moscow. Russia, where lawlessness and arbitrariness prevail and where plays are staged in the courtroom with a prosecutor in uniform and a judge in an official garb. "When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" - Psalm 11. Fortunately, there are people who stood up and stood up for a better and different Russia: Solzhenitsyn, Politkovskaya, Nemtsov and Navalny. Navalny recently received the Forum for Human Rights and Democracy's Prize for Moral Courage from Geneva. Let us stand behind him and the Russian opposition by awarding him the Sakharov Prize of this Parliament.

Mr President, now that the Taliban are back, there is great fear among all the Afghans who have worked with and for Western troops in recent years. Think, for example, of interpreters, drivers and cooks. We must not abandon these people. The European Member States must evacuate and decently accommodate those who are not yet here. Moreover, the European Union should not allow itself to be packed by neighbouring Pakistan because the country is currently hosting Afghan refugees. The requirements of the GSP+ scheme continue to apply to Pakistan. The resolution adopted by Parliament on 21 April remains valid, Mr Borrell. I am also concerned about freedom of religion in Afghanistan. For Christians and other believers, Afghanistan is in a deep black age. We must not lose sight of them from the European Union. All the more reason to appoint a special envoy for religious freedom as a matter of urgency.

Mr President, the energy transition is necessary, so we must, among other things, switch to the clean energy of wind turbines. However, more and more people on the European mainland do not want windmills in their living environment. "Not in my backyard!" he said. And then the sea is quickly looked at. Put the windmills there. Parliament's Committee on Fisheries is almost unanimous in its view that the construction of offshore wind farms should be discussed with fishermen. After all, they are the oldest users of the sea, and that is why the core of my report is ‘windmills in the sea, fishermen decide’. Not some vague participation, no, but real, full participation of fishermen on the question of where these windmills should be placed in the sea. Effective and continuous consultation with fishermen and aquaculture producers reduces, or possibly even prevents, conflicts in the construction of offshore wind turbines. And in this way, fishermen stand in a level playing field against the powerful multinationals that build windmills in the sea. I think this choice by the Committee on Fisheries is extremely sensible. After all, fishermen know better than anyone where the fishing grounds are best and want to preserve them and also fish sustainably. That is why I also propose in my report to examine the possibility of placing windmills in marine protected areas. After all, not much fishing ground will be taken away from the fishermen. In my report, Mr President, I also draw attention to the risks involved in the construction of offshore wind farms. For example, when piling the piles, a very loud noise of more than 130 decibels is released. This can be compared to the sound of a starting aircraft that you are very close to. The question is, what does this do to the fish? Are they temporarily or permanently deaf? And what influence does electromagnetic radiation from the cables have on electrically sensitive fish such as rays and sharks? To what extent does the construction, operation and demolition of wind turbines affect maritime biodiversity? More research is needed, because these questions have not yet been answered sufficiently. The report stresses that offshore wind farms should only be built if negative environmental, environmental, economic, socio-economic and socio-cultural impacts on fishers and aquaculture producers are excluded. That is what we summarize under the precautionary principle. This must be applied, and this is reflected in Article 191(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The European Commission is assessing the maritime spatial plans of the Member States that are now being submitted in these months. In doing so, the Commission should pay attention to the interests of fisheries and their impact on fish. That is my message to the Commission today and I would like to hear the Commission's response.