Marc Angel
Member of the European Parliament · S&D · LU
“Mr President, dear all, what do digital tools in our public services, algorithms shaping public debates and the chatbots we use every day to guide our decisions have in common? All too often they are controlled by non-European actors, and that leaves Europeans as consumers of technology rather than masters of their own digital futures.”
“We need to invest in European innovation and skills and bring key digital infrastructure under European control. Digital sovereignty must go hand in hand with democratic accountability, sustainability and quality jobs.”
“Madam President, Commission Vice-President, colleagues, yes, we want a stronger single market, and we want European businesses that innovate and that compete globally. But how do businesses want to be competitive without a healthy, skilled and motivated workforce?”
“Such cherry-picking by the Commission will not lead to greater competitiveness, but to greater inequalities and the loss of trust. Colleagues, companies are at their strongest when they invest in human capital.”
“Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, one quick, anonymous click for the aggressor has long-lasting consequences for the victim. Online spaces have become a fertile ground for harassment and cyberbullying, affecting children especially.”
“The Digital Services Act and the AI Act give us means to act against harmful content and unsafe systems, but implementation remains patchy. Why does Europe still hesitate to hold platforms accountable, even when the well-being of our children is at stake?”
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“Mr President, dear Commissioner and dear colleagues, freedom of assembly is the heartbeat of democracy. And in Hungary, that heartbeat is faltering under the weight of repression. When people cannot gather peacefully to voice their concerns, when their right to protest is crushed by heavy handed tactics, it is a clear signal of a collapse of the very freedoms we claim to protect. It is extremely sad that we, the pro-democratic groups, must keep repeating the obvious. What is currently happening in Hungary is not only a national or LGBTI matter, it is about the fundamental rights of every European citizen. If we allow the Hungarian government's crackdown to go unanswered, we are sending a message that democracy is negotiable. We keep repeating these messages to highlight the urgency of the situation.”
“The systematic attacks on women's rights and on the rights of minorities, particularly LGBTI+ citizens whose dignity and freedoms are increasingly undermined by hostile rhetoric and discriminatory laws. Let us not forget that hate speech too often ends in hate crime. When the Union tolerates the transgressions of some governments, it betrays its founding values. It is time to act – the Commission must move from observation and monitoring to enforcement. 2-0314-0000”
“Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear rapporteur Ana Catarina Mendes, dear colleagues, the Commission's rule of law reports have become a vital tool for democratic oversight. And year after year, they highlight persistent structural deficiencies, attacks on judicial independence, pressure on media and the weakening of civil society. These warning signs are systematically repeated in each edition, yet real sanctions remain elusive. Some governments in Member States continue to test how far they can go, crossing red lines without facing meaningful consequences. What begins as an isolated breach spreads from one Member State to another, to two, then three or more. Among the most alarming trends are the attempts to silence civil society.”
“Precarious jobs, unfair wages, little or no right to disconnect and a lack of social protection creates immense mental stress. Mental health is, as you said Commissioner, an economic issue and therefore preventing mental health issues caused by work is an investment which benefits workers and companies. Together, we need to strive for a European Union that protects and promotes mental health through very strong and fair social policies. 1-0335-0000”
“Mr President, Commission Vice‑President, colleagues, more than 84 million Europeans struggle with mental health issues. To overcome this silent pandemic, we must embed mental health in all our social and equality policies, with concrete actions that go beyond the health sector. The European Pillar of Social Rights is the perfect framework to achieve these goals. Policies on employment, housing, education, child and social protection have a positive impact on preventing and mitigating mental health problems. As policymakers, we must not shy away from regulating the transformations in the labour market. While digitalisation, telework, algorithmic management and platform work may offer flexibility. The lines between the private and the professional are increasingly disappearing.”
“Hungarians deserve the same rights as everyone else in our Union. We believe in your strength and in your rich cultural heritage. Our goal is simple: to protect the rights of all Hungarians, ensuring freedom and equality for every person in this great nation. 3-0291-0000”
“Madam President, dear all, today I choose to speak directly to the dear citizens of proud Hungary. For too long, you have been told that Brussels forces you to accept 'foreign values' and that the West seeks to undermine your culture. But let me be clear: our message is not an attack against you. We only ask that every person in Hungary be treated without discrimination and no one be forced to hide who they are. Banning pride and permitting AI surveillance sends a dangerous signal that some among you are less worthy of freedom and respect. The European Union stands for Hungary, where every citizen can live openly, with dignity and without fear. Dear Hungarians, the Fidesz Government has restricted your right to speak freely and your right to peaceful assembly. It is our duty to stand against this.”
“We also need targeted investments in education and retraining programmes to prepare our workforce for the jobs of the future. Moreover, we must tackle the concentration of power in the tech sector. We must ensure the full implementation of the Digital Services Act and further legislate to kerb monopolistic practices that distort our economy and aggravate inequalities. We must act and we must legislate to strengthen social Europe. 3-0209-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, our social model is totally under pressure, because digitalisation, algorithm management and AI have exposed the weaknesses of our regulatory framework, which is totally out of date. Millions of Europeans are impacted. Young people are increasingly caught in the cycles of precarious jobs and minimal social protection, while corporate profits are rising at their expense. We must confront this reality and take concrete action. We currently observe an excessive fetishisation of innovation, and therefore we must ensure that the technological progress benefits the society as a whole. This means establishing binding digital labour standards to protect workers and instituting strict oversight of algorithmic decision-making to ensure it does not undermine fair labour practices.”
“This fragmentation holds us back, and instead of lowering standards, we must remove obstacles to talent mobility by automatically recognising diplomas and qualifications so that professionals can work anywhere in Europe without bureaucratic hurdles for SMEs. We have to invest in cross-border training because our economies are interconnected and our education system must also better cooperate, and we must ensure social rights portability and guarantee real social security coordination. The Union of Skills, the Union of Talents will give Europe a real competitive advantage. Let's make it a reality together, European Parliament, European Commission, Member States, regions, social partners, academia and civil society. 3-0260-0000”
“Mr President, Commission Vice-President, colleagues, the belief that deregulation disguised as simplification will solve labour market problems in Europe and make Europe more competitive is misleading. Weakening our values and backtracking on achievements will not strengthen our economy. Real competitiveness comes from unlocking the full potential of our workforce, of human capital. This is why we must build a true Union of Skills, an integrated European labour market where talent moves freely. I welcome the Union of Skills Roadmap, Commission Vice-President, as it goes in the right direction. Today, businesses struggle to find skilled workers while too many Europeans face barriers to mobility.”
“Make no mistake: promising in the roadmap quality and inclusive education to all girls and women and then tiptoeing around the essence of it, such as the promotion of comprehensive sexual education, is playing in the hands of the far right and patriarchy. There is a desperate need for progress and real equality, as the people marching on the streets all over Europe on 8 March showed it very clearly, so we have to listen to those voices. As our feminist and democratic values are under attack, there is no middle ground or room for hesitation. It's either mainstreaming gender equality or mainstreaming misogyny and sexism. You have our fullest support, Commissioner, on this roadmap, and the S&D Group is with you. 2-0223-0000 Spontane Wortmeldungen 2-0224-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, Vice-President, Minister, dear colleagues, when talking about women's rights, the European Union has to be clear and precise, otherwise it creates potential for regress. The Commission must unquestionably support the right of women to have authority over their own body. If not, the far right, sponsored by the anti-gender movement, will do its absolute worse to backtrack on sexual and reproductive health and rights. The European Union either truly defends a union of equality or open its gates to the far-right extremists within and outside of Europe to dilute women's rights in all walks of life.”
“Finance ministers will also consider how private investment can be mobilised, and how public funding can be used in a more focused and targeted way to meet massive financing needs in order to deliver on the agreed objectives. The elements of the Competitiveness Compass agenda relating to industry and its clean transition will be addressed extensively at the meeting of the Competitiveness Council in March. Further sectoral debates are planned in other council formations in the coming months, including on concrete initiatives such as the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal, the action plan on affordable energy prices, and measures addressing the specific situation of the automotive sector and energy intensive industries in Europe.”
“Therefore, during our presidency, we are going to have in-depth discussions on the key horizontal enablers of competitiveness and simplification across all sectors. We need to focus not only on the deepening of the single market to ensure that EU industries remain globally relevant, but also on ambitious simplification as one of the enablers already mentioned by Prime Minister Tusk just three weeks ago in the European Parliament. A horizontal discussion on the Compass is scheduled at the ECOFIN Council meeting next week. It will focus on the need for simplification, decluttering and regulatory burden reduction. Furthermore, the difficulties of EU enterprises in having access to finance is another very worrying issue that needs to be addressed quickly.”
“It is also clear that rather than just taking emergency measures to deal with the current situation, we need to look at the structural reforms needed to secure the EU's competitiveness. Last week, only a few days after the Commission's presentation of the Competitiveness Compass, Ministers for Internal Market and Industry and Ministers for Trade met in Warsaw to jointly discuss the EU's competitiveness. The ministers agreed that innovation and the decarbonisation of our economy may bolster economic growth if they were well integrated with social, industrial, competition, economic and trade policies. They must go hand-in-hand with the strengthening and diversification of supply chains.”
“These pillars will reflect the challenges identified in the Letta and Draghi reports, as well as the direction set up by the European Council in April 2024. Mario Draghi urged the EU to catch up with rivals or risk slow agony. The time has come to act decisively, working hand-in-hand to restore EU competitiveness in the face of global challenges. Last year, with the Budapest Declaration, our leaders set out the direction to follow to boost EU competitiveness by identifying 12 competitiveness drivers, which we are pleased to see now reflected in the Compass. The Council, therefore, welcomes the Competitiveness Compass and the various initiatives announced by the Commission, which respond to the calls made by Member States.”
“– Ďalším bodom programu je vyhlásenie Rady Komisie o kompase konkurencieschopnosti. Znova poprosím na otvorenie diskusie pána ministra Szlapku za Radu (2025/2531(RSP)). 3-0213-0000 Adam Szłapka, President-in-Office of the Council. – Mr President, honourable Members, Mr Commissioner, this for sure will be a little bit longer intervention. I am delighted to address the European Parliament today on the important initiatives of the Competitiveness Compass for the EU, which the Commission published a fortnight ago. Competitiveness is the cornerstone of economic growth, social progress and sustainable long-term prosperity. The Competitiveness Compass, presented by President von der Leyen defines a roadmap for decarbonisation and competitiveness and increased economic security by reducing dependencies.”
“TC "10 - Компас за конкурентоспособността (разискване)" \f "1"TC "10 - Brújula de la Competitividad (debate)" \f "2"TC "10 - Kompas konkurenceschopnosti (rozprava)" \f "3"TC "10 - Konkurrenceevnekompas (forhandling)" \f "4"TC "10 - Kompass für Wettbewerbsfähigkeit (Aussprache)" \f "5"TC "10 - Konkurentsivõime kompass (arutelu)" \f "6"TC "10 - Πυξίδα ανταγωνιστικότητας (συζήτηση)" \f "7"TC "10 - Competitiveness Compass (debate)" \f "8"TC "10 - Boussole pour la compétitivité (débat)" \f "9"TC "10 - Compás Iomaíochais (díospóireacht)" \f "A"TC "10 - Kompas konkurentnosti (rasprava)" \f "B"TC "10 - Bussola per la competitività (discussione)" \f "C"TC "10 - Konkurētspējas kompass (debates)" \f "D"TC "10 - Konkurencingumo kelrodis (diskusijos)" \f "E"TC "10 - Versenyképességi iránytű (vita)" \f "F"TC "10 - Boxxla għall-Kompetittività (dibattitu)" \f "G"TC "10 - Kompas voor het concurrentievermogen (debat)" \f "H"TC "10 - Kompas konkurencyjności (debata)" \f "I"TC "10 - Bússola para a Competitividade (debate)" \f "J"TC "10 - Busola pentru competitivitate (dezbatere)" \f "K"TC "10 - Kompas konkurencieschopnosti (rozprava)" \f "L"TC "10 - Kompas za konkurenčnost (razprava)" \f "M"TC "10 - Kilpailukykykompassi (keskustelu)" \f "N"TC "10 - En konkurrenskraftskompass (debatt)" \f "O"Kompas konkurencieschopnosti (rozprava) 3-0212-0000 Predsedajúci .”
“Wreszcie: Czy to nie prawica - a konkretnie: polska prawica - protestowała przeciwko uzależnieniu energetycznemu od Rosji? Walczyliśmy i walczymy o przywrócenie zdrowego rozsądku w tej izbie - a lewica przypisuje prawicy swoje własne dotychczasowe działania!”
“Omnibusa Komisja zapowiada pakiet wprowadzający "daleko idące uproszczenia" w obszarach „zielonej” sprawozdawczości przedsiębiorstw. Ma to doprowadzić do zmniejszenia obowiązków sprawozdawczych o 25% dla wszystkich przedsiębiorstw, zaś o 35% dla MŚP. Czy to nie prawica właśnie protestowała przeciwko nadmiernym i kosztownym obowiązkom sprawozdawczym? Czy to nie prawica ostrzegała przed konsekwencjami zielonych „ambicji” dla gospodarki? Kwestia cen energii: Komisja podkreśla kluczowe znaczenie tego problemu dla gospodarki i obiecuje - dość mgliste na razie - działania w tym obszarze. Czy to nie prawica ostrzegała przed katastrofalnymi konsekwencjami „radosnej i beztroskiej” zielonej polityki energetycznej? Czy to nie prawica protestowała przeciwko rezygnacji z atomu?”
“By working together, we can ensure that Europe remains an attractive and competitive destination for investments, fostering growth and prosperity for all, and we, as a Presidency, for sure will work on that. 3-0210-0000 Predsedajúci . – Ďakujem. Týmto uzatváram túto rozpravy. Písomné vyhlásenia (článok 178) 3-0210-5000 Joachim Stanisław Brudziński (ECR), na piśmie. – Już tytuł tej debaty to osobliwe kuriozum: na jakiej podstawie stawiana jest teza, że prawica jest zagrożeniem dla europejskiej konkurencyjności? Czy tak jest rzeczywiście? To jest pełne obłudny oskarżenie, użyte ewidentnie po to, by odwrócić uwagę od faktu, że teraz KE zamierza realizować propozycje i rozwiązania, o które od lat postuluje właśnie prawica! Proszę spojrzeć na choćby na te dwa przykłady. W ramach tzw.”
“C'est ce que nous demandent également nos entreprises et, évidemment, en coopération – et ce sera mon dernier mot – avec toutes les forces démocratiques qui sont prêtes à travailler à ce modèle particulier et qui, je crois, fait également de l'Europe un continent à part dans la structure politique, tant dans ses institutions que dans les valeurs qu'elle peut promouvoir un peu partout dans le monde. 3-0209-0000 Adam Szłapka, President-in-Office of the Council. – Mr President, honourable Members, Commissioner, thank you very much for this very interesting debate that definitely shows how important competitiveness is for the European Parliament. Just a few remarks: the future of European competitiveness is in our hands.”
“Certes, l'Europe n'est pas le modèle américain, n'est pas le modèle chinois, elle a son propre modèle, mais il faut également qu'elle travaille sur sa compétitivité, sa compétitivité coût, sa compétitivité valeur. Il faut que nous travaillions également à la définition de notre modèle européen tel que nous pouvons en parler en dehors des frontières européennes, tel que nous pouvons le promouvoir également dans notre Union européenne, et il faut que nous construisions aussi les leviers de notre compétitivité à partir de nos particularismes, de manière cohérente, de manière, j'ai envie de dire durable, prévisible, sur le temps long.”
“La Commission en restera donc à un certain nombre d'enseignements que nous pouvons tirer collectivement, dans ce débat qui est fondamental, qui est un débat sur la compétitivité et que nous aurons d'ailleurs dans la prochaine discussion et dans la prochaine heure avec l'ensemble des parlementaires européens autour du combat de compétitivité, qui est l'instrument, aujourd'hui, qui devrait être décliné par la Commission dans les prochains mois et répondre aux enjeux que vous évoquiez. Je me lancerai quand même sur un ou deux points d'enseignements, en tout cas de réalités, qui nous rassemblent, au-delà des différences et des divergences qui sont réelles entre les groupes politiques. Nous voulons tous que l'Europe reste un continent avec une industrie, de l'innovation, des emplois de qualité.”
“Should we not open more avenues for legal migration to address our labour shortages, rather than aggressively clamp down on migration and threaten to close internal borders, thereby undermining our single market? And do we not need more European solutions considering that 27 national rules create more bureaucracy and administrative burden for our companies, the very opposite of what you want to achieve by pushing for an unrestrained and dangerous deregulation agenda? This all seems common sense to my political group. So let's make the European Union competitive – competitive for the future and not for a world long gone. 3-0208-0000 Stéphane Séjourné, Vice-président exécutif de la Commission. – Monsieur le Président, je ne me risquerai pas à faire une synthèse ni à tirer des enseignements de votre débat.”
“Mr President, Minister, colleagues, conservatives often take pride in claiming to embody the political centre. Yet, in recent times, their ideas have increasingly resonated with parties from the far right. Whether by crude political design or reckless indifference, this irresponsible game endangers Europe and its competitiveness. We often hear from conservatives and others that we need to use common sense to increase our competitiveness. Well, let me ask you, is it not common sense to take measures to protect our environment, to believe in science, considering that our economic output is dependent on a healthy planet and population?”
“Member States must guarantee more funding for supporting vocational education and training, and the companies must be more open for apprenticeships. Combining theoretical classroom training with a practical component in the company is the best springboard towards internal professional reconversion. This is how we will turn the digital and the climate transition into an opportunity for all our citizens, but also for all our businesses. It is also important to have better recognition of these diplomas of vocational training because let's not forget the millions of mobile workers and cross‑border workers in the European Union. 2-0277-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, dear colleagues, digital and climate transitions are transforming our labour markets and challenging millions of jobs, but also bringing millions of new opportunities. Faced with this new reality, we must invest massively in vocational education and training, but not only for young people, but also for workers whose qualifications need upskilling. Training these experienced workers is not just about offering them a new chance, it's also a social and economic imperative. We must complement their skills for innovative sectors such as digital technologies, renewable energies, the health care sector and green industries. Nevertheless, the responsibility does not solely rest on individuals. The state and businesses must take action.”