Sara Matthieu
Member of the European Parliament · ALE · BE
“Madam President, last week I read about a woman in Paris. She was 80 years old. She lived on the top floor of an apartment. There was no cooling. There was just some fans. It was 47 degrees out there in her apartment, and she died there – alone. And many others did this June. In France, deaths at home rose by 91 %.”
“Madam President, colleagues, once again, people are worried about their energy bills and why it costs so much to cool or to heat their homes. But the thing is, it doesn't actually have to cost that much, because right now the clean option is actually the cheapest option. Think about solar panels. Think about heat pumps.”
“So that means that we need to set up social leasing programmes, for instance, for heat pumps, for electrical cars. We need to make sure that there is money for massive renovation and for retrofits. That's how we get everyone on board. So why does the far right want to keep people hooked on fossil fuels?”
“Madam President, Trump turned 80, right? And I think it's already clear what his birthday gift is going to be – this so‑called 'trade deal'. The argument that is given is that submitting to Trump is going to give us stability. Well, because of course, with this guy, you already always know what to expect, right?”
“And we need massive investments in the greening of our industry, so Trump can't blackmail us anymore with fossil fuel. Guess what? All of those things we can do without Trump's signature. We don't need to give him a birthday present. We need to grow. (The President cut off the speaker) 1-0127-0000”
“Madam President, so a girl posts a beach photo of herself on Insta, and weeks later she's receiving naked pictures of herself – AI generated. This happened to 20 girls in Spain and it happened to Steffi Mercie in Belgium multiple times. Dear colleagues, it happened to 1 million children in 2025 alone.”
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“Madam President, last week I read about a woman in Paris. She was 80 years old. She lived on the top floor of an apartment. There was no cooling. There was just some fans. It was 47 degrees out there in her apartment, and she died there – alone. And many others did this June. In France, deaths at home rose by 91 %. In Belgium, we lost 1 222 people in only 12 days during the heatwave. And in the same week, the cooling systems in the data centres never stopped running for a second, because the industry standard says that they can never get warmer than 27 degrees. How can we have cooling rules for machines and not for people? I urge the Irish Presidency to put this high on the agenda. We must regulate data centres, take concrete action against heatwaves, and we must protect people. Because computers don't pay taxes.”
“So that means that we need to set up social leasing programmes, for instance, for heat pumps, for electrical cars. We need to make sure that there is money for massive renovation and for retrofits. That's how we get everyone on board. So why does the far right want to keep people hooked on fossil fuels? Well, after the invasion by their good friend Putin, Europe paid millions more for fossil fuels, and that money went straight into the pockets of the fossil fuel industry and of dictators. Let's not make that same mistake again, colleagues. Let's double down on a faster electrification for Europe, for our economy, for our people. 3-0286-0000”
“Madam President, colleagues, once again, people are worried about their energy bills and why it costs so much to cool or to heat their homes. But the thing is, it doesn't actually have to cost that much, because right now the clean option is actually the cheapest option. Think about solar panels. Think about heat pumps. Think about new electrical car models that are entering the market. Their sales are booming. People from everywhere – from Pakistan, from Australia, also in Europe – are scrambling to get away from fossil fuels. It's not hard to see why, because it's good news for their wallets, and basically they are just better products. So, crucially, we should let everyone benefit – also the people that can't pay for the investment upfront.”
“And we need massive investments in the greening of our industry, so Trump can't blackmail us anymore with fossil fuel. Guess what? All of those things we can do without Trump's signature. We don't need to give him a birthday present. We need to grow. (The President cut off the speaker) 1-0127-0000”
“Madam President, Trump turned 80, right? And I think it's already clear what his birthday gift is going to be – this so‑called 'trade deal'. The argument that is given is that submitting to Trump is going to give us stability. Well, because of course, with this guy, you already always know what to expect, right? Remember the 15 % tariffs. Remember the threats that he posed against Greenland. The only thing that we really know for sure, is that there is no credibility and no certainty when it comes to the commitments of President Trump. So we have to fix our own house. We need to make sure that we complete our internal market, because then we actually give our companies a whole market bigger than the US. We need to make sure that we have real European capitals market, so our savings go into European companies instead of to Wall Street.”
“The advanced AI models that were released in April can discover vulnerabilities that have gone undetected for 15 years. They can enable attacks at a scale that we've never seen. So if the hesitation on banning deepfakes is actually leaving our women and children not protected and exposed, well then the hesitation on cybersecurity leaves everybody exposed. So, colleagues, let's not make that same mistake again. 2-0061-0000”
“Madam President, so a girl posts a beach photo of herself on Insta, and weeks later she's receiving naked pictures of herself – AI generated. This happened to 20 girls in Spain and it happened to Steffi Mercie in Belgium multiple times. Dear colleagues, it happened to 1 million children in 2025 alone. That is one child in every classroom. So, across Europe, people are waking up to find their voice and their body weaponised by AI without their consent. Luckily, Europe is finally banning these apps in December. But we had to fight for it because some wanted loopholes. Some thought that the profits of big tech were more important than protecting our children. That's what terrifies me, because we are about to make the exact same mistake when it comes to our cybersecurity.”
“Voorzitter, mensen in België betalen vandaag meer dan 2 euro per liter aan de pomp. De roekeloze oorlog die Trump in Iran is begonnen, zal die prijzen alleen maar verder opdrijven. En wie betaalt? Niet de oliesjeiks, niet Trump, maar wel onze gezinnen. Ondertussen maken oliereuzen zoals BP, Total en Shell miljarden extra winsten door deze crisis. Laat mij duidelijk zijn: zolang Europa vasthangt aan fossiele brandstoffen, zitten we op onze knieën. Op onze knieën voor Poetin gisteren, op onze knieën voor Trump vandaag, en op onze knieën voor de volgende die de oliekraan dichtdraait. Dit moet stoppen. We moeten de enorme overwinsten van de oliesjeiks belasten met een Trumptaks van minstens 50 %. We moeten Belgische gezinnen betaalbaar, duurzaam transport geven. Schone, betaalbare energie van bij ons.”
“It is time we stop begging at the feet of the autocrats. Let's double down on renewables. That is how we win. 1-0118-0000”
“Mr President, colleagues, let me ask you a very simple question: is there a solar energy crisis? No. Is there a wind energy crisis? No. But we do again have a fossil fuel crisis. Trump's illegal war in Iran is costing our citizens and our industries a hell of a lot of money. And who next to Trump is also responsible for this? It is his right‑wing puppets like Orbán, like Meloni, that want to protect fossil fuel, that are actually trying to sabotage our climate laws that are going to protect us against these high energy prices. They are not protecting our European industry. They are protecting the fossil fuel gains. And so, colleagues, the answer is staring us right in the face. It is wind. It is solar. Those are the only energies that we actually own where autocrats cannot blackmail us or raise the prices. It is time we grow a spine.”
“Take Draghi's message seriously: we need massive common investment; we need EU coordination; we need strategic industrial policy made in Europe. Thousands of companies support this agenda. It's time – we have no time to lose. 3-0102-0000”
“Madam President, colleagues, this year, the European leaders will talk competitiveness – and the pressure on our industry is real, because for too long Europe has depended on cheap fossil fuels for our energy supply. Yet De Wever and Meloni, they want to go back there. They want to cut our climate standards, dismantle our laws, go back to fossil. And they claim to speak for the entire European industry, which is just false. Thousands of companies actually support decarbonisation. Volvo asks for a clear green course. The CEO of Mittal said that it is thanks to CBAM, to climate policy, that they want to keep the European plants open. We do not need a crackdown on our policy. We need a crackdown on those Member States that think that we will win back our competitiveness by deregulation and by playing solo.”
“Het verheugt mij dan ook dat de Commissie tevens uitpakt met een voorstel voor de vergroening van bedrijfswagens in Europa, aangezien dit snel een grotere markt creëert voor onze eigen autofabrikanten. Daarnaast zorgt het voor de betere beschikbaarheid van betaalbare tweedehands modellen. Investeren in de toekomst of terugkeren naar het verleden? De keuze is voor mij duidelijk: de toekomst is elektrisch. 2-0432-0000”
“Voorzitter, het schrappen van het verbod op auto’s die op fossiele brandstoffen rijden vanaf 2035 is economische zelfmoord. Chinese autofabrikanten investeren momenteel massaal in elektrische voertuigen en veroveren onze markt. De Commissie, daarentegen, schept chaos en onzekerheid voor Europese autofabrikanten, waarmee zij de Europese automobielsector niet redt, maar vernietigt. De hele wereld schakelt versneld over op elektrisch rijden, omdat dit de goedkoopste en schoonste technologie is. Volkswagen stak Tesla onlangs voorbij als grootste producent van elektrische voertuigen in Europa. Nu de verkoop van elektrische voertuigen in Europa groeit met 90 %, wil de Commissie achteruitschakelen. Dit is waanzin. Elektrisch rijden is de toekomst. De auto's moeten echter wel betaalbaar zijn en in Europa worden gemaakt.”
“A strong chemicals sector and the protection of public health – they are not opposites; they should be partners. So, dear Commission, we should be strengthening REACH and not weakening it. 2-0037-0000”
“Madam President, colleagues, some already suspected it was dangerous in 1906, but it took us a hundred years to ban it. I'm talking about asbestos. 80 000 deaths every year in Europe alone. And right now, we're making the same mistake with PFAS, with forever chemicals: they're in your blood, they're in your children's bodies. So, what is the Council's only priority for the chemicals industry? Weaken REACH to boost competitiveness. Seriously? Have we learned nothing? REACH should become our safety net. It should ensure that chemicals are actually tested before they enter the market, like we do with medicines. But let me be clear: we need to fight for good jobs in clean industries that will last. But we can't build that future by repeating the mistakes of the past.”
“Straks staan wereldleiders in Brazilië voor een keuze: luisteren zij ofwel naar de fossiele lobby, ofwel naar die tientallen miljoenen mensen die vandaag al hun best doen voor het klimaat? Laat Europa vooroplopen met ambitieuze klimaatdoelstellingen en een verdriedubbeling van de hernieuwbare energie. Niet voor de winsten van oliesjeiks, maar wel voor jou. 3-0445-0000”
“Voorzitter, wie van jullie heeft een oliesjeik in de familie? Niemand. Maar wie heeft iemand in de familie die zonnepanelen op het dak heeft liggen? Bijna iedereen. Gewone mensen kiezen voor eigen groene energie, waarmee ze hun energierekening jaarlijks met 450 EUR verlagen en onafhankelijk worden van olie en van gas. Tientallen miljoenen Europeanen doen dit al, niet omdat politici het voorschrijven, maar omdat ze het zelf willen. Het succes van de klimaattop begint niet in vergaderzalen, maar gewoon op straat, waar mensen kiezen voor groene energie. Rechtse politici houden jullie echter tegen: zij blijven subsidies pompen in fossiele brandstoffen en luisteren slaafs naar Trump, die ons afhankelijk wil houden van zijn gas.”
“They want urgent leadership to translate the 90 % climate target into action, with strategic investment programmes in circular and in cleantech, with demand creation using public procurement or the greening of corporate fleets, with affordable, clean energy and electrification to cut costs and boost our independence, and, of course, with fairness to ensure that this benefits all workers. Now, we expect a lot from the upcoming proposals of the Commission, like the IDAA, like the circular economy act, like the quality jobs roadmap. But, dear Commission, it is time to deliver. 2-0342-0000”
“Mr President, colleagues, this Commission made us a bold promise: to secure both economic prosperity and the climate and environment. So the clean industrial deal is what we need to protect us against bullies like Trump, unfair competition and climate change. But what I have seen lately is predominantly the dismantling of climate and environmental policies. Do we really think that Europe is going to catch up with China by simply deregulating? Listen to what European businesses are asking us to do.”
“Now, here's what I find absolutely fascinating about the right-wing parties that never stop talking about sovereignty, about autonomy; they are the ones desperately clinging to the biggest drain on European purchasing power in history. They want us to keep bleeding billions abroad for oil. You can't make it up. That's not even following ideology, they are just protecting yesterday's industry. The ones that didn't see the future coming while the world has moved on. So, colleagues, let's choose clean air, let's choose green jobs, let's choose made in Europe. 3-0216-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, by 2027 there will be 19 electrical models under EUR 25 000 on our market – those are affordable cars, European cars. I am talking about Volkswagen ID.2, Renault 5; not some distant dream, but on our road, in your driveway. So here's the choice, and I think it's a pretty simple one. Option A – you spend EUR 25 000 on a car produced in Europe that actually strengthens our industry. You plug it in with renewable electricity that we produce right here in Europe. So that's EUR 25 000 that actually stays in our economy, that supports our workers, that strengthens our green industry. Or, option B – you buy a combustion engine and watch EUR 25 000 on fossil fuels literally go up in smoke over the whole car's lifetime. That's petrol, that's diesel, straight into the pockets of the oil sheikhs and Putin's war chest.”
“Yes, some parts of it will be a Member State competence, but, for instance, when it comes to the handing out of European subsidies, where we need to do it to support our industries in that decarbonisation, it can't be a blank check. So for me, it's super important that the Commission does take this responsibility when it comes to social policy. 3-0027-0000”
“Quando cruzamos este plano de ação com o Regulamento Matérias-Primas Críticas, por exemplo, nós percebemos que a Comissão Europeia pode impor aos Estados e às populações a extração, a exploração e a transformação de recursos, mesmo contra a sua vontade, mesmo contra o interesse do desenvolvimento nacional, mesmo contra interesses prevalecentes, nomeadamente do ponto de vista ambiental e social. Isso não a preocupa nesta proposta da Comissão? 3-0026-0000 Sara Matthieu (Verts/ALE), blue-card answer. – Madam President, dear colleague, I think it's very important that this Commission understands that the only way that this transition, this decarbonisation of our industry, is going to work is if it has a social component.”
“There is no mention of social conditionality; there is no mention of the just transition. We really need to get the workers on board, so I'm counting on you to make that happen. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question) 3-0025-0000 João Oliveira (The Left), Pergunta segundo o procedimento «cartão azul». – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Deputada Matthieu, fez referência a um aspeto importante que tem que ver com os impactos sociais, mas queria colocar-lhe uma outra questão, que é a de saber se não vê com preocupação a concentração da capacidade de decisão política em relação a estas questões na Comissão Europeia sobre competências que são dos Estados.”
“Madam President, six months ago, a major steel producer in my home country, Belgium, said that it would delay a EUR 1 million investment in green steel production. That's really a wake‑up call, because it's exactly that kind of investment that we need. Really, the switch to green, to recycled steel, that's a vital opportunity to create jobs while avoiding climate catastrophe. It's good to see that the Green Industrial Deal and the Steel and Metals Action Plan will indeed help to drive down the energy costs, the network tariffs, and to tackle, for instance, circumvention risks when it comes to CBAM. I'm very glad that Commissioner Séjourné mentioned the recycled content targets, but indeed we need them sooner than later. I have to say, once again, that I'm also disappointed when it comes to the social dimension of the plan.”
“Denk maar aan Rana Plaza, waar duizenden arbeiders het leven lieten door de nalatigheid van de "fast fashion"-industrie. Laat ons koers houden. Administratieve lasten verminderen waar mogelijk? Ja. Maar laten we vooral innovatie en duurzame investeringen stimuleren in plaats van onze duurzaamheidswetten verder uit te kleden. 1-0115-0000”
“Voorzitter, het is een absolute illusie dat de hakbijl zetten in onze duurzaamheidswetten de structurele problemen van onze industrie zal oplossen. Toch wil de Commissie nu snijden in wat ik beschouw als essentiële bescherming van onze natuur en de rechten van onze arbeiders. Waarom? Omdat de Commissie denkt dat dit bedrijven competitiever zal maken. Dat is absolute onzin. Deregulering zorgt niet voor broodnodige investeringen in innovatieve, groene, in Europa vervaardigde producten en creëert al helemaal geen banen in Europa. Wie dat gesnoei in wetgeving zomaar toejuicht, kijkt niet vooruit maar achteruit, naar een tijd waar multinationals straffeloos het milieu, de werknemersrechten en de mensenrechten om zeep hielpen.”
“What we really need are clear goals on sustainable and secure investments in our renewables industry, in our circular economy, in our workers that are the backbone of our industry. And that requires real funding. That really requires large-scale joint European investments, otherwise we won't be able to compete. So let's not fall in that trap of deregulation. Let's seize the opportunity for a fair and just ... (The President cut off the speaker) 3-0242-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, an ambitious climate policy. That is really the very best competitiveness strategy we have in the world. To those colleagues on the right that are the die-hard deregulators, I want to say that that is really the key message that I take away from the presentation of the Competitiveness Compass. Because we cannot allow Europe to miss this great opportunity like we have done in the past – when we built up our solar panel industry, for instance, only to just hand it over to the Chinese. Are we really going to make that same mistake when it comes to wind energy and when it comes to electrical vehicles? No. Because that, my dear colleagues, would be economic suicide and it would put even more European jobs at risk.”