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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“So I take the issue of parliamentary accountability very, very seriously in my role as a commissioner, particularly given my own background as a member of national parliament in Ireland for a long number of years. To conclude, Mr President, can I just extend best wishes to everybody for the break that lies ahead, to wish everyone a merry Christmas. It has been an incredibly busy year for everyone, and just to join with colleagues in extending our sincere gratitude to all of the staff working for us and for all of the EU institutions, for their dedication and commitment throughout the year.”
“And again, can I take the opportunity to underline our commitment to the two programmes that I referred to earlier on: the Protect Aid Workers programme, designed to help humanitarian workers, and the ProtectDefenders.eu programme, which is intended to help other journalists who are in need. Can I say to the honourable Members who raised specific questions: I'm always available for engagement and to take questions from colleagues. I appear before the relevant parliamentary committees and working groups on a very regular basis, including LIBE on rule-of-law-related matters, and always take questions from Members of this House. And of course, there is also the opportunity to submit parliamentary questions or indeed email my office or seek an in-person meeting.”
“This year's resolution on the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel, facilitated by the EU, was adopted a few days ago with a large majority. It follows the Political Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel launched by Australia in the margin of the UN General Assembly in September of this year, and signed, indeed, by Commissioner Lahbib, on behalf of the EU 27. International humanitarian law is equally clear on journalists. They are civilians and must be protected at all times. Every attack against them must be investigated promptly, independently and effectively, because all perpetrators must be held to account.”
“Next year, the Commission will adopt a communication on humanitarian aid that will address, amongst other things, the task entrusted by President von der Leyen to Commissioner Lahbib to boost humanitarian action and our support to international humanitarian law. The Commission and the External Action Service will also prepare a staff working document on humanitarian diplomacy. This responds to this Parliament's calls to strengthen the role of humanitarian diplomacy in the EU's external policy that my services are eager to contribute to. The EU will also continue to defend the normative framework for protecting aid workers and facilitate, every year, a dedicated resolution of the UN General Assembly on the safety and security of UN and humanitarian workers.”
“We can do a lot of legislation – and we will do – but in the end, it's you. It's the people who need to love, show love, be loved every day. Merry Christmas. 4-0185-0000 Le Président. – Merci beaucoup, cher collègue, pour ces mots très bienveillants à la veille de Noël. Je donne la parole à présent au commissaire McGrath. 4-0186-0000 (Fin des interventions à la demande) 4-0187-0000 Michael McGrath, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, thank you very much, and thanks to all of the honourable Members for their contributions to this debate this afternoon, which I think shows the importance that this House, and the EU as a whole, give to protecting humanitarian workers and journalists all over the world.”
“Mr President, dear people of Europe, I would like to take this final debate as an opportunity to address our citizens, to address you up there, and also the ones behind me who can unfortunately not see me today. I think the Commissioner said a very important thing: humanitarian aid workers go where humanity failed. But why do we fail? We fail because of a lack of love, because of a lack of kindness and solidarity to the people around us, to the people in need. We are now approaching Christmas, which is for many people in Europe and many people in the world a festival of love, a day or days to remember that love matters and that through religion, through philosophy, through any set of values, you can find love for other human beings. And this is the most important thing.”
“So, thank you for your attention and thank you for this debate this evening. It was heartening to hear of the widespread support that there is for the consumer agenda, and I now look forward to working with all of you in a spirit of collaboration as we move towards the important phase of implementation. Dichiarazioni scritte (articolo 178) 3-0475-0000”
“Close cooperation is not only key to reach the objectives set out in the agenda, but also to be able to adapt and respond to any emerging challenges along the way, and we know that this is an area where developments are moving at some pace. This House is indispensable for ensuring that the action set out in the consumer agenda will be taken forward and actually see the light of day and be implemented in the coming years. And I want to assure you that I will continue to be the champion of consumer protection within the European Commission, and I know that I count on you to continue to work to improve the European consumer protection framework and to hold it to the highest standards in a way that will absolutely support our consumers, but will also benefit compliant businesses who serve the European market.”
“I would very much welcome your endorsement of the 2030 Consumer Agenda, much like the Council will do through the adoption of Council conclusions under the forthcoming Cypriot Presidency. I would also like to welcome your support for our forthcoming legislative initiatives: the Digital Fairness Act and the reform of the CPC Regulation. The adoption of the 2030 Consumer Agenda and the exchange that we have had here this evening really is only the beginning. To put our agenda in motion and to deliver on our commitments in the way that our consumers expect and demand of us will require widespread support, and it will require all hands on deck.”
“We are part of a rapidly changing world, and a strong consumer protection framework is crucial – a framework where consumers can be sure that they are protected, that they have somewhere to go if they are treated unfairly, and that their rights will be enforced at all times. For our businesses, it is equally important that they are shielded from unfair competition by economic operators, including those from outside the European Union, that place unsafe or other non-compliant products on our market. I was very pleased to hear this evening that we agree on many of the priorities that were set out in the Commission's 2030 Consumer Agenda, and I look forward to continuing to exchange with you as we proceed with the implementation of this agenda at speed.”
“And this consumer agenda is about the 450 million consumers across the EU that are at the core of the single market. Sometimes one could get the impression that having high consumer protection standards, properly enforced, is somehow in conflict with competitiveness and economic growth and the health of our EU single market. That is anything but true, because household expenditure – so, consumer spending – is the single largest component of economic activity in the EU, now representing over half of the EU's GDP. We know for a fact that confident consumers mean a healthy and dynamic economy for our single market. And we also know the centrality of trust. If you have consumer trust, it is good for the economy and it is good for the businesses that serve the economy.”
“Can I start by just thanking all of the contributors to this important debate this evening on the Consumer Agenda 2030, and listening to all of you, one cannot but come away with the conclusion that consumer policy matters to everybody here, and it also matters to all of the citizens that you represent, because for our citizens, it is one of the most practical, direct and tangible benefits and protections that the EU has to offer – that is, the consumer protections that we offer through our consumer policy. And indeed for our businesses, it is the benchmark for a level playing field within the EU single market. Whether it is the safety of our children's toys, passenger rights or the abolition of excessive roaming charges, these are things that everyone can directly relate to, because everyone can benefit from them.”
“Dear colleagues, this speech was written for me by my intern, Evgeny, and I would like to take this opportunity before Christmas to remind all of you to be thankful and that without our team, we are nothing. 3-0473-0000 (Fine della procedura "catch the eye") 3-0474-0000 Michael McGrath, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, I am sure we can all concur with those concluding remarks, and we can all express deep appreciation for the enormous efforts of our staff and our teams who support us throughout the year.”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, the 2030 consumer agenda speaks not to theory, but to daily life. We must remember that behind this document there is a family struggling with rising prices, a young person misled online or a small business losing out to unfair competition. Our goal is to address people's real needs, to build a market that protects, empowers and informs both digitally and sustainably. Let us ban manipulative algorithms. Let us ensure fair access to sustainable products. Let us make it easier for people to repair, reuse and reclaim value. Every product should be safe. Every online transaction fair. Every consumer respected. This is not bureaucracy. This is trust. And trust is the currency of a resilient, people-centred Europe. Let us make consumer protection not just a policy, but a promise.”
“This includes supporting Georgia's democratic actors, but also investing in Georgia's strategic connectivity, like we did with the undersea electricity cable connecting the South Caucasus region and the EU. The European Union has not given up on Georgia. We stand with the thousands of Georgians defending their democratic right. Písomné vyhlásenia (článok 178) 3-0432-0000”
“As I said in my opening remarks, we will also make sure that the Georgian citizens are informed about the EU's continued support to their communities, to the democratic values that we stand for in the European Union, and for the opportunities that the European Union is ready to offer to their country, should the authorities reverse course. 3-0431-0000 Marie Bjerre, President-in-Office of the Council. – Mr President, honourable Members, Commissioner, let me conclude on a positive note. The European Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect of human rights. The majority of Georgians share these values and did not give up on their choice for Europe. We need to extend a hand to them.”
“I already outlined, in my remarks earlier on, some of the responses of the Commission in that regard, including the suspension of bilateral assistance that directly benefits the authorities. The new visa suspension mechanism rules will come into force by the end of the year. And I highlighted that discussions on potential sanctions against those responsible for the democratic backsliding and the human rights violations are ongoing. But it's also important to say, this evening, that the EU door remains open to Georgia's European future, should the authorities show a resolute commitment to returning to the EU accession path. The EU stands with the Georgian people. We will continue our support to civil society and indeed to independent media.”
“We need to act bravely, as Georgian people are fighting for their freedom while there is still time. 3-0429-0000 (Koniec vystúpení na základe prihlásenia sa o slovo zdvihnutím ruky) 3-0430-0000 Michael McGrath, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, I would like to thank all of the honourable Members for their contribution to this debate this evening. Many of you share the Commission's assessment of the serious situation in Georgia; that was very clear from the contributions that you made this evening. To conclude, let me reiterate a number of key points from our side. We strongly condemn the continued democratic backsliding, as well as the anti-EU rhetoric, which falls short of the EU's expectations of a candidate country.”
“Mr President, dear people of Europe, I am so happy that most of us support the European democratic path for future generations. And I am also happy that there are so many people who share this European democratic path against all odds – brave Ukrainian, Moldovan and Georgian people who are facing autocrats on this path, as trolls try to block Europe's future. Law on foreign agents copied from Moscow, human rights violations copied from Moscow: this path led Georgia into turmoil, and not the commitment of people defending democracy. That goes to you, Ms Firmenich, or to you, Mr (gesturing to another Member). The civil society in Georgia needs our real support. Let's strengthen our cooperation with them; let's build on their participation in the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly. We need to act swiftly. We need to act strategically.”
“Per questo il regime di condizionalità dello Stato di diritto è fondamentale per proteggere il bilancio dell'UE dalle violazioni dei nostri valori fondamentali e per garantire che questi siano rispettati in tutti gli Stati membri dell'UE, senza eccezioni. Ora è necessario migliorare e rafforzare ulteriormente l'applicazione degli strumenti di protezione dello Stato di diritto, consolidandoli in un quadro coerente e completo, anche nel prossimo QFP.”
“Aber ein freiheitlich demokratischer Rechtsstaat muss in der Lage sein, auch diejenigen, die ihn betrügen und die versuchen, die Steuerzahlergelder falsch zu verwenden oder sich persönlich zu bereichern – dann muss man die Möglichkeit haben, einschreiten zu können. Und das wollen wir auch in Zukunft tun. Déclarations écrites (article 178) 3-0348-0000 Le Président. – Le débat est clos. Le vote aura lieu demain. 3-0349-0000 Giuseppe Lupo (S&D), per iscritto – L'Unione europea si fonda sui valori della democrazia, della libertà, del rispetto dei diritti umani e dello Stato di diritto. Il bilancio europeo non è neutrale dal punto di vista dei valori, per cui, se questi vengono minacciati, i fondi dell'Unione sono messi a rischio e dobbiamo essere in grado di reagire.”
“Es geht hier aber nicht um Ungarn, sondern es geht um unsere gemeinsamen Werte, um unser gemeinsames Vorgehen. Deshalb bin ich traurig darüber, wenn man zum Beispiel bei der Medienfreiheit sieht, dass Herr Putin seine Desinformation weiterbetreiben kann, Wahlen bei uns beeinflussen kann und das dann von Leuten hier intern in der EU auch noch teilweise verteidigt wird. Das hat nichts mit Rechtsstaatlichkeit zu tun. Aber wir haben die Meinungsfreiheit. Wenn man bei Herrn Putin in Russland wäre, dürfte man diese Meinung nämlich nicht äußern. Bei uns in Europa darf man Meinungen äußern, selbst wenn sie noch so irr und wirr und durcheinander sind. Das ist das, was uns eigentlich auszeichnet.”
“Wenn ein Mitgliedstaat wie die ungarische Regierung, und ich meine damit nicht die Ungarn – ich meine, dass die ungarische Regierung sich im Bereich von Korruption, sich im Bereich von Ausschreibungen, sich in vielen Bereichen nicht an die Regeln hält, die wir eigentlich für die Ungarinnen und Ungarn in aller Gleichberechtigung sehen wollen. Wenn ich erlebe, dass uns als Haushaltskontrollausschuss mitgeteilt wird, angeblich gäbe es überhaupt keinen Betrug innerhalb von Ungarn, es gäbe gar keine Fälle. Wenn es hier in Europa Fälle von finanziellem Betrug gibt, dann werden sie von der Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft verfolgt. Sie werden sogar veröffentlicht, und man kann es sogar beobachten. Das passiert innerhalb Ungarns leider bei der Oligarchie nicht mehr.”
“3-0347-0000 Monika Hohlmeier, Berichterstatterin. – Herr Präsident! Herr Kommissar! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! In mancher Hinsicht war die heutige parlamentarische Auseinandersetzung nicht immer ein Highlight. Ich habe selten so viel Desinformation, so viel Verschwörungstheorie – und lieber Herr Kommissar, ich bedanke mich bei Ihnen für die faktenbasierte Antwort, die in der Tat richtig war. Es wird nicht ein Mitgliedstaat untersucht, sondern 27 auf der Basis der Entscheidung von 27 Mitgliedstaaten, auf der Basis eines Urteils des Europäischen Gerichtshofs, der die entsprechende Verordnung als in Ordnung und adäquat an den Vertrag von Lissabon angepasst angesehen hat, die vom Parlament mit großer Mehrheit verabschiedet worden ist.”
“Honte à ceux, aussi, qui, à cette estrade, ont instrumentalisé le principe de démocratie pour défendre un régime qui met au ban les journalistes, qui remet en cause l’indépendance des universités, qui discrimine les citoyens en raison de l’identité de genre. La démocratie n’est pas la tyrannie de la majorité. Gagner une élection ne légitime jamais l’oppression d’un peuple! Je termine, Monsieur le Président, en disant que la démocratie est un régime qui assure la libre et égale participation de tous les citoyens à la décision politique. Seul l’état de droit garantit cette participation et en permet la pérennité. C’est pourquoi l’Union européenne ne doit jamais faiblir face à de telles dérives. Elle doit être inflexible, car remettre en cause l’état de droit, – c’est mon dernier mot – c’est s’attaquer aux fondements mêmes de la démocratie.”
“Mes chers collègues, je veux répondre, ici, aussi, à ceux qui justifient la remise en cause de l’état de droit au nom de la défense d’une prétendue civilisation européenne. Vous vous affranchissez en réalité de l’un des principes fondamentaux de notre civilisation pour vous inscrire dans la continuité des heures les plus sombres de notre histoire. L’état de droit est un principe aussi vieux que l’Europe. Il a été évoqué dès Aristote, à l’aube même de la philosophie européenne. Il a été développé par certains de nos plus grands penseurs. Locke et Montesquieu en ont fait la protection la plus essentielle contre un pouvoir autoritaire et despotique. Parmi les régimes qui l’ont aboli figurent le fascisme italien et l’Allemagne nazie.”
“Que nous signions ensemble ce rapport est un rappel à l’ordre pour la droite de cet hémicycle, pour tous ceux et leurs soutiens qui s’attaquent aux droits les plus fondamentaux des Européens. Nous ne vous laisserons pas faire! Ce Parlement ne vous laissera pas faire, et, je l’espère, les citoyens européens ne vous laisseront pas faire, tout spécialement après vous avoir entendus aujourd’hui dans ce Parlement! Je veux remercier aussi le commissaire Serafin pour l’annonce du retrait du milliard. Je veux y voir un signe que, sous votre autorité, la Commission saura faire preuve de plus de sévérité. À cet égard, je ne peux aussi que relayer l’incompréhension pointée par de nombreux orateurs sur l’octroi de moyens dans le cadre de SAFE.”
“As I said at the beginning, in two weeks' time, because of the Conditionality Regulation, another billion of European budget money for Hungary will be decommitted, will evaporate. I am not happy about that. To be frank, I am depressed because of that. I would really prefer – and I believe this is the position of all of the Commission – to get a notification from Budapest telling us that the 17 conditions in the conditionality decision have been met. But I am afraid it's not going to happen, at least not this year. 3-0346-0000 Jean-Marc Germain, rapporteur. – Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire Serafin, chers collègues, je souhaite remercier les intervenants pour la richesse et l’intensité de ce débat, fondamental pour notre Union européenne. Je remercie tout particulièrement ma collègue corapporteure, Monika Hohlmeier.”
“All of those conditions refer to the protection of European taxpayers' money. And this is European taxpayers' money. This is not money of the Commission. With all due respect, this is not money of the European Parliament. This is the money that is European taxpayers' money – so French taxpayers, German taxpayers, Polish and Hungarian taxpayers as well. I have heard on many occasions the European Commission is applying the Conditionality Regulation against Hungary because the European Commission does not like the views or political agenda of Prime Minister Orbán. Today, I have heard – that was at least my impression – many of you saying, since you like the position of Prime Minister Orbán, do not protect European taxpayers' money. We are not going to follow that advice. I wanted to make it clear. And one last point.”
“And we have the ruling of the European Court of Justice that very clearly stated it is in line with the Treaty and also gave us a very clear framework to apply the Conditionality Regulation. So this is the fact. The second point: I have heard a lot of speculations about what is in the Council Implementing Decision within the framework of the Conditionality Regulation. We don't need to speculate. It's enough to take the decision and to read those 17 conditions that have been set there. And I can tell you they are about anti-corruption and integrity framework. They are about public procurement reforms. They are about judicial review of decisions of prosecutors. They are about transparency of public interest trusts. There is nothing about migration, nothing about gender, nothing about same-sex marriages.”
“His friends have all the money and he is using EU money for stuff like building a bench in front of his private residence. That is the problem and that is what we need to focus on. We cannot allow the extremists and the populists to politicise proceedings like this. 3-0344-0000 (Fin des interventions à la demande) 3-0345-0000 Piotr Serafin, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, many thanks for this debate. I think that the value added of the Commission at this point could be to bring back on the table a few facts. I have heard here that the Conditionality Regulation is against the EU Treaties. That was indeed the case in front of the European Court of Justice when two Member States questioned the compliance of the Regulation with the Treaty.”
“Mr President, dear people of Europe, in a heated debate like we had today in this plenary and that I myself also was a part of, I think it is very important to understand that certain aspects are not to be politicised. The question of if a Member State of the European Union is breaching Union law and needs to be punished for that, is not a political question. One colleague said we just have a problem with Orbán because he is a right‑wing politician. While I do not agree with many, if not all, of Orban's policies, that is not the problem. The problem is not that Orbán is a right‑wing politician. The problem is not that he has conservative positions. The problem with Orbán is that his friends have all the powerful positions in Hungary.”
“In der Geschäftsordnung steht Antwort. Das ist keine Antwort. 3-0314-0000 Die Präsidentin. – Ja, aber in welcher Form er antwortet, entscheidet jeder selber. Das ist leider so. Und dann können Sie für sich entscheiden: Er hat mir nicht geantwortet. Aber wir können nicht vorschreiben, wie er auf Ihre Frage reagiert. Vielen Dank. (Sonstige Äußerungen) Bitte, ich sage mal Missbräuchlichkeit bezüglich Geschäftsordnungsanträgen – da sollten wir hier im Hause alle etwas stiller sein. 3-0315-0000”
“Da wir uns ja jetzt ausführlicher mit dem Blue Card-System auseinandersetzen, möchte ich einen Point of Order vorbringen. Genau zu der Vorschrift, die eben die Blue Card regelt. Denn ich finde, man muss an der Stelle ganz klar sagen: Herr Bausemer, Sie haben meine Frage nicht beantwortet. Also ich habe Ihnen ja eine sehr eindeutige Frage gestellt. Und ich denke, wenn wir jetzt hingehen und in diesem Parlament eine neue Debattenkultur einführen, wo man sich besser mit den Fragen ... 3-0312-0000 Die Präsidentin. – Herr Sieper, ich muss Sie auch darauf hinweisen: Wo ist der Point of Order? (Äußerungen von Herrn Sieper bei ausgeschaltetem Mikrofon) Herr Sieper, Sie stellen eine Frage. Und ob derjenige, der gefragt wird, die Frage beantwortet oder nicht, obliegt ihm selber. Das können wir ihm nicht vorschreiben.”
“Und jetzt seien wir mal ehrlich: Hier wird seit Jahren, seit 16 Jahren, eine Antidiskriminierungsrichtlinie blockiert, die Menschen im Alltag schützen soll. Während die Gesellschaft, besonders die junge, längst viel weiter ist, streiten wir über Selbstverständlichkeiten. Wenn Politik bei Grundrechten im Stillstand ist, dann wird Kunst Protest. Ich will nicht, dass 20 000 junge Menschen uns ersetzen müssen. Ich will, dass wir liefern. Alles oder nix. Um es mit den Worten von SSIO aka SSIBIO aka Kanakonda zu sagen: Ich bin raus.”
“Herr Präsident! Liebe Menschen Europas! Ich war am Wochenende auf einem Konzert des Rappers SSIBIO aka SSIO aus Bobinn Tabinnenbusch, zusammen mit 20 000 jungen Menschen aus allen gesellschaftlichen Schichten. SSIO rappt über Street Mentality, aber seine Mucke hören alle Fans in der Aula. Die AfD würde ihm wahrscheinlich seinen deutschen Pass enteignen. Rap als Kunstform funktioniert so: Bewusste Grenzüberschreitungen, bewusste, provozierende, auch diskriminierende Sprache. Diese Kultur bedient grenzüberschreitende Narrative als Protest gegen ein Versagen des gesellschaftlichen Systems. Und genau deshalb haben 20 000 junge Menschen diese eigentlich diskriminierenden Texte lauthals mitgerappt.”
“But the general question is, do you weigh the life of the woman equal to the life of the unborn child? And if the answer is yes, then you vote for this initiative, not against it. 2-0524-0000”
“I would be very happy to answer a question based on what I said, not on what was maybe lost in translation. 2-0522-0000 Laurence Trochu (ECR), réaction carton bleu. – Monsieur Sieper, ma question est: considérez-vous que la vie d’un enfant à naître a autant de valeur que la vie de sa mère ou de son père? 2-0523-0000 Lukas Sieper (NI), blue-card answer. – I think the life of the unborn child and the life of the woman are equal. That is why they have to be balanced. There is some point in pregnancy where abortion should no longer be possible, and we can have a debate about if this is three months, four months, five months, six months. There are different medical opinions on this. And this is something that the doctors should decide, not we politicians.”
“So, I address those of you who are still uncertain: tomorrow you can change lives, tomorrow you can change the Union for the better. I will do so. Join me. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question) 2-0520-0000 Laurence Trochu (ECR), question «carton bleu». – Vous avez posé la question: est-ce que la vie d’une femme vaut autant que la vie d’un homme? Alors, moi je vous pose une autre question: est-ce que la vie d’un enfant vaut autant que la vie d’un homme ou d’une femme? 2-0521-0000 Lukas Sieper (NI), blue-card answer. – Dear colleague, I asked if you weigh the life of a woman and an unborn child equally. That was my question. So maybe that was lost in translation. Mr President, she can ask another question maybe? One that actually reflects what I said.”
“Mr President, dear people of Europe, dear colleagues, together with 'My voice, my choice', I asked citizens to propose questions to the opponents of this initiative. Do you understand that access to abortion can save a life – a woman's life? I know you do. And do you weigh the life of a woman equally to that of the unborn? I know you do. Do you understand that this initiative is carefully crafted, fully within EU law, based on Article 168(5) TFEU, fully respecting Article 168(7) TFEU, supported by the logic of cross-border healthcare under Directive 2011/24/EU, and in line with the principle of subsidiarity under Article 5 TEU? Maybe you do. I hope you do. So why do you oppose it? One citizen asked, 'Do you hate women?' – I know you do not. For some people in this room, these questions and this initiative is a lost cause.”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, of course it would be wonderful if people did not smoke, if they did not eat red meat, if they did not drink alcohol, if everyone exercised every day and lived perfectly healthy lives. But people want la dolce vita, as our Italian friends would say. And politics must deal with reality, not with moral wishes. That is exactly why the EU cardiovascular health plan matters. For the Party of Progress, this plan is about prevention without moralising, about early detection, structured screening and equal access, so that lifestyle choices do not automatically turn into premature death. It is about using the European health data space, about EU-wide benchmarks and about turning science into everyday healthcare across Europe. To the rapporteur: I will now go smoke a cigarette. Thank you for your work.”
“It has come from national solo efforts – an attack on one grid, a problem in one grid, a solution in one grid will not bring Europe forward. European energy sovereignty will not be built by 27 separate solutions. It will be built by one interconnected, resilient European grid. The Finland grid is strong, but the European grid will only be strong if we act together. 2-0115-0000”
“Mr President, maybe the button was hindered by the energy grid. Dear people of Europe, I listened with interest to my colleague, Mr Tynkkynen praising the Finnish electricity grid. And rightly so – Finland should be proud of it. But to turn national excellence into an argument for national solutions is deeply shortsighted. First, we have a single economic area. We share markets, supply chains and prices. We have Schengen, where borders no longer define economic realities. Second, energy grids are critical infrastructure in all of Europe. Russian attacks – physical, cyber and hybrid – have shown us one thing very clearly: critical infrastructure is European in its vulnerability. Third, Europe's weakness globally has never come from cooperation.”
“Every litre of gas and oil that comes here is a bullet for Putin. We don't want this. Thank you, dear Parliament. Thank you, dear rapporteur. Let us vote 'yes'. And this time I will be there. 2-0060-0000”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, I am proud of this Parliament. I am proud because, as an MEP, I can rest knowing that I am not even needed for this. Yesterday we had a vote in the INTA Committee specifically about this file and because I was sitting in the wrong committee room, I missed that vote. Once I realised that the voting list of the colleagues next to me were way longer, I ran over and there was Bernd Lange, our INTA chair telling me: 'No worries, Lukas. It was a landslide majority for this file for phasing out Russian gas.' Don't let yourself be blinded by the very right or the very left people of this Parliament who, for some reason or another, either claim to be patriots or claim to be peaceful, I don't know. Don't let yourself be blinded by them. This is the right decision. This is the right way forward.”
“Esta proposta, como já tive ocasião de dizer, não resolve tudo, mas é um passo no caminho certo e demonstra que é possível conjugar regras mais simples com mais e melhores apoios, sem enfraquecer as regras ambientais ou a proteção social. Resta-nos agora não esquecer as muitas dificuldades que os produtores enfrentam e, sobretudo, ouvir com atenção o que estão a dizer e as razões que os levam, uma vez mais, a sair à rua, já este mês. Continuemos, pois, todos a trabalhar focados nas soluções. Porque é isso que os agricultores europeus esperam de nós. 1-0186-0000”
“1-0185-0000 André Franqueira Rodrigues, Relator. – Senhora Presidente, Senhor Comissário, caros colegas, depois de ouvir todas as intervenções neste debate, vem-me à memória uma célebre frase que sintetiza, estou em crer, aquilo de que nós hoje estivemos aqui a falar: «Agora, isto não é o fim. Nem sequer é o começo do fim. Mas é, talvez, o fim do começo.» Temos muito trabalho pela frente. Neste tempo de incertezas, de avanços e de recuos, com crescentes tensões políticas, com o aumento de pressão sobre os recursos disponíveis, com um clima político cada vez mais polarizado, este Parlamento dá o exemplo de como é possível ultrapassar diferenças, esbater divergências e trabalhar para encontrar consensos e soluções comuns.”
“Aber es besorgt mich doch auch, dass eines der wichtigsten Wörter, warum wir diese GAP-Verordnung überhaupt erschaffen haben, der Umweltschutz, der Klimaschutz, hier kaum vorkommt. Dass es kaum genannt wird, dass es in den Köpfen einiger unserer Kolleginnen und Kollegen nur noch um die Interessen der Landwirtschaft zu gehen scheint. Ohne eine gesunde Natur, ohne eine gesunde Umwelt, gibt es keine Landwirtschaft. 1-0183-0000 (End of catch-the-eye procedure) 1-0184-0000 Christophe Hansen, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, I would like to thank you all for the discussion today. I also welcome the very broad support on the package, which, based on your reactions, also strikes a balanced approach because it achieves simplification without decreasing the capacity of our policy to reach sustainability objectives.”
“Madam Vice-President, there was an important INTA vote about phasing out Russian gas. Frau Präsidentin! Liebe Menschen Europas! Ich erinnere mich noch sehr genau an die Kuhwiesen und die Pferdewiesen vor meiner Haustür. Ich erinnere mich noch sehr genau, dass ich mit meinen Freunden auf den Feldern gespielt habe. Ich erinnere mich noch sehr genau, wie der Bauer uns durchs ganze Dorf gejagt hat, als wir mit unseren Stöcken die Silage, das in weiße Folie eingepackte Weideprodukt, kaputt gemacht haben, indem wir Löcher hinein gestochen haben, weil wir dachten, es wäre lustig. Mein Herz schlägt für die Bäuerinnen und Bauern Europas. Mein Herz schlägt für die Landwirtschaft und die Schönheit, die sie der Natur auf dem Land geben. Und deswegen finde ich es richtig, dass wir hingehen und diesen Menschen das Leben einfacher machen.”
“In the end, to conclude, this regulation is not the end of our work on Europe's defence readiness, but it sets a clear standard for how we should proceed: focus on impact, avoid unnecessary complexity and act with the seriousness the current security environment demands. 1-0140-0000”