Lukas Sieper
Member of the European Parliament · Renew · DE
“Madam President, I rise under Rule 202(1) and (4), and Rule 180(1) in conjunction with Rule 202(4). On Monday, the President reminded us that there should be no chanting in this Chamber. Yesterday, it happened again. The reaction of the sitting President? Nothing. Later, a colleague requested a personal statement.”
“We need to invest in humanitarian aid, not only because it's a human thing to do, but also for our own interests. If we do not invest properly where needed, we will face the consequences of our inaction in the form of mass migration, global health pandemics or detrimental economic impacts.”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, especially after the recent USAID cuts, the European commitment to humanitarian aid has become crucial for millions of people across the world. Conflicts, climate change and economic factors drive millions of people in various countries into utterly precarious situations.”
“Herr Präsident, liebe Menschen Europas! Ich freue mich, als letzter Redner dem einen oder anderen hier noch ein paar gute Gedanken mitzugeben in die Sommerpause. Herr Bausemer, ich bewundere ja immer wieder die mentale Akrobatik, die Sie hier betreiben in diesem Plenarsaal.”
“Herr Mularczyk, ich möchte Sie darauf hinweisen, dass wir als europäische Abgeordnete Abgeordnete des gesamten europäischen Volkes sind. Wir vertreten hier nicht nur Deutschland, wir vertreten alle Bürgerinnen und Bürger Europas.”
“Θέλετε μόνο να κάνετε πως ενδιαφέρεστε. Λυπάμαι, αλλά σε αυτό το στημένο παιχνίδι δεν θα συμμετέχω. Islam out of Europe! (Η Πρόεδρος αφαιρεί τον λόγο από την ομιλήτρια) 3-0484-0000 Tomasz Froelich, Verfasser. – Frau Präsidentin, Frau Kommissarin! Was für ein Martyrium! Maria Shahbaz, 13 Jahre jung, Christin.”
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“Madam President, dear colleagues, yes, the moustache is gone, if you do not recognise me. I was just wondering about that colleague that said the people elected this candidate. They didn't elect this candidate in a fair election; it was an election that was scammed by Russian propaganda and Russian bots and Russian influence. I know that you are fond of stuff like this, because it tends to help you as well in our elections. But democracy also includes the free will of the people without manipulation, without foreign interference. That is the problem here. It is not that a fair election was taken away; it is that a scammed election was taken away. If the institutions – the Constitutional Court, the board of elections – decide like this, you have to respect it.”
“Mr President, colleagues, I thank you all – nearly all – for your words, because Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová died as heroes of freedom, of our freedom and of the freedom of our people. Therefore, for the end of this debate, I would like to use the remaining speaking time that I got for a moment of silence, and I would like you to join me and invite you hereby to stand with me in remembrance, thank you. (The President intervened and took the floor) 3-0464-0000”
“Die USA sind uns wirtschaftlich, technologisch, militärisch und geopolitisch in allen Bereichen überlegen, und den Wettstreit werden wir also verlieren. Wir brauchen also Verbündete. Ich weiß, dass selbst Sie das Prinzip der Verbündeten in Ihrem kleinen Trommelkreis des Nationalismus auch kennen. Aber Ihr vergesst in Eurer Anbetung leider immer wieder: Trump lacht über Euch. Für ihn seid Ihr nur der kleine Mann, den er auch sonst immer gern über den Tisch zieht. 3-0434-0000”
“Wissen Sie, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, warum ich mich mit den Rechten viel lieber streite als mit den Linken? Die Linken, die verlieren sich lediglich manchmal in ihrem Idealismus. Ihr wollt einfach nur pöbeln! Einfach nur darum geht es. Neuester Hit auf der Pöbelklaviatur: Europe first. Gut, nehmen wir mal für eine Sekunde an, wir machen das, diesen Ausfluss Ihrer mentalen Kreativität. Dann sind die USA nicht mehr unser Verbündeter, sondern unser Konkurrent. So wie übrigens der Rest der Welt dann auch. Wir machen mal ein Beispiel für Sie, ich mache es ganz einfach: Die US-Wirtschaft ist über 60 % größer als die der EU. Die USA hat wesentlich größere Gas-, Kohle- und Ölressourcen – ja, da würde Ihnen richtig einer abgehen, wenn wir das hätten – und sie hat die größte Börse weltweit.”
“Madam President, I'm sorry, but because of the shortness of the time, I'm not able to quote the particular rule, but there is one rule, dear colleague, which says that it's not allowed to impose hate speech in this Parliament. And I can tell you, calling transgender people 'crazy' for being what they are is nothing more. So I ask you to not say that again, and I ask you, Madam President, to stand up against hate speech like that in this Parliament, because we represent all the people and not the people that you deem correctly. 3-0413-0000”
“Sie führt zu Alleingängen im Hinblick auf globale Krisen wie den Klimawandel, die unser Wirtschaftswachstum nachhaltig bedrohen. Es war 1932 Franz von Papen, ein Konservativer, der dachte, er könnte Hitler kontrollieren, könnte mit diesem aus einer Position der Stärke heraus kollaborieren. Liebe Konservative, zum Wohle unserer Wirtschaft und unserer Gesellschaft, machen Sie nicht denselben Fehler! 3-0172-0000”
“Herr Präsident! Liebe Mitmenschen, wissen Sie, was ich an unseren konservativen Freunden von der EVP oder auch der CDU in Deutschland so bewundere? Keine andere politische Strömung hat ein dermaßen konstruktives Verhältnis zur Wirtschaft. Niemand ist personell enger mit der Industrie verflochten und keiner kann mehr auf die finanzielle Unterstützung der Unternehmen zählen. Deshalb freute ich mich, als sich Mitte letzten Jahres die Vorsitzenden der großen deutschen Industrieverbände mit einem Brief an die Öffentlichkeit wandten und vor den mental-kreativen Hobbyfaschisten von der AfD warnten. Schließlich schadet eine nationalistische Politik dem europäischen Binnenmarkt – unserem größten Vorteil auf dem Weltmarkt. Sie schreckt die dringend benötigten internationalen Fachkräfte ab.”
“That is why we need stronger engagement with the citizens to reflect their voices – democracy itself must always keep pace with economic and social progress. A bolder, simpler and faster Union can only be a Union of the people. 3-0099-0000”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, the EU Commission's Work Programme, on paper, shares key priorities with the Party of Progress: reducing bureaucracy for businesses, fostering digital and green innovation, strengthening social protection and internal security. Let us see, friends, because we also have 123 open proposals from the previous Work Programmes. However, this Work Programme falls short in one crucial area and this is democratic participation. The Party of Progress believes that Europe must not only work for its people, but with them. Because you and me, we both know that populists, extremists and opportunists work to turn the people against our democracy every day, and also in here, in this temple of freedom.”
“Because when the rest of the world is looking the other way, we as Europe have to take charge on protecting this system. 2-0512-0000”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, it was the horrors of the Second World War that led to the implementation of the system of international justice as we know it today. The face of tyranny and the killing of people in a scope that was never seen before was needed to bring the international society together. Today, I think we stand at a turning point where tyranny once again shows its ugly face, and where we still have a chance, where we still can defend the international order and we should do everything. Because, once again, the title of this debate is quite wrong. It is not the international system of justice, it is our system of justice that we need to defend, that we need to fight for, and that we need to follow through in every ruling, in every aspect.”
“So that is very much the area where we really need urgent actions and we are all the time taking them. But thank you very much for all your support, because I see also that this is an important priority when it comes to our technologies and competitiveness. 2-0477-0000”
“We also have the Chips Fund for start-ups and SMEs, and for research we also have the Chips Joint Undertaking, but more actions are needed in this area. I said that we are preparing a review of the Chips Act by September 2026, but of course it does not mean that here, in the meantime, we are doing nothing because we have currently already the Chips Act, which it's not very old legislation and we are all the time working with it because more actions are needed to really boost investments and innovations in this area. Because I see, as many of you also mentioned, that when we want to be competitive in the future, and especially when we want to invest in AI and quantum computing semiconductors, it's very much a precondition for everything else.”
“Many of you were underlining the importance of building up our own capacities when it when it comes to chips and I fully agree with you. You know that we have also defined semiconductors as one of our critical areas where we have to also do better in the future. We have set a target that in 2030, we should produce 20 % of semiconductors in the European Union, and I have to say that we are not there yet, so more actions are needed. We have the European Chips Act and in the first year it was already very successful, I would say, because it was mobilising investments of more than EUR 80 billion to our semiconductors. It is a framework to boost technological capabilities and European manufacturing.”
“Dear colleagues, this speech was written by AI just seconds before my speaking time. I hope you take this as an example of the importance of the matter. 2-0475-0000 (Koniec zgłoszeń z sali) 2-0476-0000 Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, I think it was very good to listen to this discussion and see how united the Members of Parliament were on this issue because I think it is very important that we are united and we are defending our European competitiveness together here. We should now convey the same message to the USA, regardless of Member State, because it is very important that we are all defending our single market, but also we have to find new approaches to cooperate in a constructive way with our strategic allies like we have seen.”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, the United States AI export restrictions aren't just a trade issue – they are a direct threat to Europe's technological sovereignty. We cannot afford to be dependent on decisions made in Washington. Our AI future must be built here in Europe, on European terms. And right now, our development is scattered, fragmented, slowed down by a lack of coordination. We need a European AI hub, a central framework for cooperation, funding and research. The AI Action Summit in Paris was a great start. But a start is not enough. We need alternative suppliers, stronger industrial policies and, above all, independence. The US cannot dictate our strategy. Even when their ideas are good, they must be sold as European ideas. Europe must lead, not follow. And it is time to act now, to build the future.”
“Stehen Sie, so wie die Menschen in Serbien jeden Alters und jeder sozialer Herkunft, an der Seite der serbischen Studierenden! Lassen Sie uns Serbien gemeinsam zeigen, dass es einen Platz in unserer Mitte hat, auf dass bald auch einige serbische Studierende hier in diesem Saal sitzen! 2-0435-0000”
“Frau Präsidentin! Liebe Menschen Europas, auch in Serbien. Bevor ich in dieses Hohe Haus hier gewählt wurde, war ich Student. Ein Student mit einem Herz für Politik. Und ich kann Ihnen sagen, das ist nicht immer leicht. Wir leben in einer Welt, in der die Mächtigen in der Regel unsere Eltern sind, in der wir selten gehört werden, in der die Probleme, die unsere Gesellschaft plagen, maßgeblich noch vor unserer Geburt entstanden sind. Aber wir, die Studierenden, wir haben immer wieder gezeigt, dass auch wir an der Spitze der Veränderung stehen können, dass wir die Fahne der Freiheit nach vorne tragen können. Aber das, liebe Abgeordnete, das konnten wir niemals allein. Und ich möchte Sie daher alle bitten: Stehen Sie jetzt auf! Stellen Sie sich jetzt an die Seite der Demokratiebewegung in Serbien!”
“The options expressed by you will certainly feed into the Council discussion on the topic, namely in our examination of the different dimensions of the Competitiveness Compass. 2-0300-0000”
“The Commission will endeavour to work closely with Member States, with social partners, and with businesses to turn our ambitions into tangible actions. Addressing the skills shortages, improving vocational education, training and our attractiveness, as well as supporting mobility, will be key to strengthening Europe's workforce and our economy. The twin transitions that are at the core of our work will require a workforce that is ready for this change. In the Commission, we will focus to accelerate our efforts to promote the integration of cutting‑edge digital and sustainability competencies into vocational education and training. At the same time, access to skills must also be inclusive.”
“I'm happy to hear that we share the view that these are flagship programmes of our Union and that we need to continue to strengthen them. Improving the European skills landscape is essential to deliver both on, first and foremost, social fairness, but also on competitiveness. As explicitly stated in the Competitiveness Compass, social policies built around the European Pillar of Social Rights are central to shaping a competitive Europe. Better skills for a more competitive European economy also mean better skills for a more equitable society. Competitiveness and equality are complementary objectives, and the Commission will soon present the Union of Skills, which aims to contribute to both these objectives. The Union of skills will not just be a vision, it will also be a call for action.”
“Deswegen möchte ich noch einmal betonen, dass wir hier die Finanzierung ausbauen müssen. Niemals einschränken, immer weiter ausbauen, denn das Erasmus+-Programm ist unser Leuchtturmprojekt in der Bildung. Es bietet jungen Menschen auf dem ganzen Kontinent die Möglichkeit, Fähigkeiten zu erlernen, die sie in dieser globalisierten und immer moderner werdenden Welt brauchen. 2-0297-0000 (Fine della procedura "catch the eye") 2-0298-0000 Glenn Micallef, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, colleagues, thank you for your interventions, your suggestions, your ideas, especially for highlighting the role, the important role played by programmes which have become synonymous with our citizens, like Erasmus+.”
“Frau Präsidentin! Liebe Menschen! Hohes Haus! Ich freue mich, dass in dieser Debatte zur Berufsausbildung öfter auch das Wort Erasmus+ gefallen ist. Sie kennen das schon von mir, ich bin ein Riesenfan von Erasmus+. Ich war selber Erasmus+-Student. Genauso müssen wir dieses Programm auch wieder mehr und mehr in die berufliche Ausbildung einbeziehen, denn es sind inzwischen fast zehn Jahre vergangen, seit Erasmus+ für alle Arten von formaler und non-formaler Bildung ein inklusives Programm wurde und sich eben nicht mehr nur an Studierende gewandt hat. Aber trotzdem hält die Mehrheit der jungen Menschen es immer noch für genau so ein Programm. Ich selber habe erst letztes Jahr, als wir unser Europawahlprogramm geschrieben haben, gelernt, dass es mehr als das ist, dass es sich an mehr als die Studierenden richtet.”
“Abolish the unanimity principle and the exceptions to the four freedoms of the internal market due to national interests. Together we stand. 2-0072-0000 (Brīvā mikrofona uzstāšanos beigas.) 2-0073-0000”
“Mr President, dear people of Europe, I think Donald Trump would be happy about the frequency of the name Trump being mentioned here today, but let me be clear: he is not our friend. Someone who tries to dismantle the rule of law cannot be our friend. Someone whose friends perform a Nazi salute at a public event cannot be our friend. And I know this is hard for us because the US, historically speaking, is our friend. But Trump? Trump is nothing more than a spineless schoolyard bully and that's how we need to treat him. But to beat the bully, you have to be able to pack a punch yourself. And that, Germany cannot do. Estonia cannot do. Spain cannot do. But Europe, a strong Europe can do. Give this Parliament the right to initiative.”
“We need to expand funding for the European Union Drugs Agency, and we need to legalise or criminalise the same drugs in the same countries all over Europe. Only if we start tackling this European issue as such, we will stand a chance. 1-0127-0000”
“Madam President, the people of Europe, the title of this debate is, in my humble opinion, all wrong. As many colleagues have pointed out, the problem that we are facing is not a Swedish one – it is European, with a strong worldwide aspect to it. Just last week, the Ambassador of Ecuador told us that it's the Albanian mafia being in control of the cocaine shipping out of the port of Guayaquil in Ecuador. Albanian mafia in Ecuador. Let that sink in for a moment. It is always drug-trafficking gangs that enact the worst violence, and these gangs do not fight about the market of Sweden, of Italy or of Luxembourg – they fight about Europe. And so there can only be a European solution. We need to strengthen Europol and let it take over some responsibilities from the national police forces.”
“Het is tijd om de geldzorgen van de mensen thuis serieus te nemen. Dit is mogelijk wanneer de ECB geopolitieke risico’s serieus neemt, maar ook haar eigen rol scherp bewaakt. Echte onafhankelijkheid betekent: geen politiek bedrijven. De ECB heeft één taak: prijsstabiliteit handhaven. Dit vereist strikt marktneutraal beleid zonder dat de ECB politieke keuzes maakt in haar opkoopprogramma’s en andere instrumenten. De ECB mag zich niet laten leiden door politieke druk of ideologische agenda’s — dat ondermijnt haar geloofwaardigheid en effectiviteit. Wij vragen u dan ook: behoud de neutrale rol van de ECB. Laat de financiële markten functioneren zonder onnodige verstoringen en zorg ervoor dat de ECB onafhankelijk blijft in daden, niet alleen in naam.”
“De ECB toont een sterke ambitie op het gebied van klimaatverandering, maar lijkt de impact van geopolitieke spanningen op inflatie te onderschatten. Wij roepen u daarom op: neem geopolitiek serieus. De wereld verandert snel. Oorlog en conflict hebben de afgelopen jaren keer op keer laten zien hoe ze inflatie kunnen aanwakkeren en onze economie kunnen ontwrichten. De energiecrisis die volgde op de Russische invasie in Oekraïne was geen incident, maar een waarschuwing. Geopolitieke instabiliteit zal de komende jaren een grote rol blijven spelen in de economie. Daarom is het essentieel dat de ECB scenario’s ontwikkelt en voorbereid is op toekomstige crises. Want wanneer je hard werkt in Nederland, moet je leuk kunnen leven en je geen zorgen hoeven maken over een nieuwe rekening of een wasmachine die kapotgaat.”
“I passionately believe that we have, internally in Europe, barriers that we have imposed upon ourselves that we can remove, whether it is in the goods circulation equivalent of 40 % custom duties that we impose on ourselves, as opposed to 15 % inside the United States, or 110 % equivalent of custom duties that we impose on ourselves on services. We have the tools at hand to be more productive, which will lead to better competitiveness. So I'm very passionate about that. But my real passion is to deliver on our mandate, which is price stability for all our citizens. 1-0091-0000 IN THE CHAIR: SOPHIE WILMÈS Vice-President 1-0092-0000 Anouk Van Brug, rapporteur. – Voorzitter, vandaag spreekt de Europese politiek met een duidelijke stem.”
“So much so that we are currently – as you may have seen – working on the new face of our European banknotes so that the euro will have a more relatable aspect to it, so that a European – and non-European for that matter – using the euro will actually appreciate the aspects that embody Europe, whether it is by way of reference to culture or by way of reference to nature. The jury is still out as to what it will end up being, but certainly cash will be around. Some of you have mentioned that the digital euro is a tool of our European sovereignty, and I would beg you to keep that in the back of your mind when you have that debate in Parliament. Many of you have called for that debate. I heard honourable Member of Parliament Ferber mention that. I have heard an honourable Member Navarrete referring to the debate and calling for it, actually.”
“And the inflation that we are now trying to keep under control, hopefully at 2 % in the course of 2025, that is the measure by which the level continues to go up in a relatively modest way and the one that we have defined as our price stability objectives. Let me now touch on a point that many of you have addressed, and that is the issue of the digital euro. Let me preface that with the fact that the digital euro is not intended to replace cash – absolutely not. Cash is around, will be around, no question about it.”
“So I'm not saying that the fight is over because we need to get to the target that we have, but we have closed the gap significantly by taking robust and rapid measures. And you cannot compare one central bank to the other. The circumstances are different. The fundamentals of the economy are different. The rates of inflation suffered by different countries are different. And the tools that are available are different as well. But, you know, I don't take huge satisfaction about what we have done, but I think that for all European compatriots, certainly there has been a difference. Does it mean to say that prices have gone down? No. And the level of prices is something that is very different from inflation. Prices have gone up, their level has stayed high.”
“What we are doing when we pay attention in particular to the externality of the risk of climate change, is that we are looking after and securing the balance sheet of the ECB to make sure that the risks, which are not otherwise reflected by market mechanisms, can actually be embedded into our management of the portfolio. Now, this, in many ways, is a story of the past because, as you know, we are no longer in the business of purchasing assets and in particular not purchasing corporate assets anymore. A few points about the fight against inflation, because many of you have actually mentioned this – one of you actually said that we had done a good job and, you know, those are moments when you enjoy the minute and a half that was given to I think it was Mr Navarrete, who actually said that he was satisfied with the work that we had done.”
“So, on my first point, I am constantly reminded of the mandate that we have under Article 127 of the Treaty we know – at the European Central Bank at all levels of the institution – that our primary objective is price stability. There is no debate about that. We also know that there is a second paragraph, which refers to secondary objectives, which have to do with your economic objectives and how we can support those objectives. But this second article is very specific and starts with 'without prejudice to price stability'. So it goes without saying that price stability is the driving force, and that alternative options have to be without prejudice to that driving force of our action. Price stability is what is guiding us.”
“Let me now move back to English, but I thought a little bit of French would not hurt, because you are still around, Mr Vice-President, although you're leaving – that's okay. So let me tackle three points that I would like to address in response to your many, many questions, and with gratitude for some of your candid points, some of your documented points, but certainly some that you have expressed with great passion. And I'm very attentive and very sensitive to it. Let me just make a few points about the mandate under which we operate, so a little bit about how we took the fight against inflation and finished with the digital euro – and I think that I will have tried to focus on those areas where you have really yourself tried to target your questions.”
“But, at this moment, we don't have a European offer that allows for digital payments across the EU and for all the use cases. In fact, Europeans mainly rely on a few non-European providers, as was mentioned here today. The Commission stands ready to support efforts to accelerate the negotiations. It is equally important to progress on the proposal for the legal tender of cash. These regulations will safeguard the acceptance and availability of cash for our citizens. Also here, the Commission stands ready to support the ongoing discussions on this, so that we can make swift progress. 1-0089-0000 Christine Lagarde, Présidente de la Banque centrale européenne. – Madame la Commissaire, en ayant pris note de vos observations...”
“This is why we will present a savings and investments union strategy in the coming weeks. The savings and investments union will leverage the enormous wealth of European savers to create growth in Europe. Fundamentally, greater liquidity pools and the EU markets operating at a greater scale are absolutely necessary if we want to see stronger economic growth, compete internationally and finance our political ambitions. There is simply no other way. As a last point, let me also recall the importance of making progress on the digital euro, given the challenges we face in terms of innovation and global competition. Today, Europeans increasingly pay digitally, and this trend will continue, reflecting the digitalisation of our societies.”
“Herr Präsident! Liebe Menschen Europas, heute haben wir hier über die Europäische Zentralbank gesprochen. Und ja, auch im Namen der Partei des Fortschritts muss ich sagen: Kritik ist berechtigt. Die EZB beeinflusst das Leben von Millionen von Menschen und muss sich auch solch einer Debatte stellen. Aber während ich hier aus der politischen Mitte dieses Hauses von den Moderaten konstruktive Vorschläge wahrgenommen habe, höre ich von den Extremen, die EZB sei voreingenommen, politisch motiviert gesteuert. Diese Behauptung ist nicht nur falsch, sie ist gefährlich. Aber diese Rhetorik passt ja zu Ihnen: Ja, alle sind miteinander verschworen, wollen es dem kleinen Mann schwer machen und erlauben sich auch noch, das Klima retten zu wollen.”