You have turned the rule of law into a caricature, PiS member Ryszard Legutko said on Wednesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, as she took part in a debate with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, after delivering her speech on the State of the EU.
Legutko scores points for the head of the European Commission
When I compare your university and the previous one, I see that we are moving towards an oligarchy. We forget what the treaties say. The EC is entering a stage where it is becoming a machine that is beginning to interfere in national policies. You yourself threatened the voters in Italy
– said Legutko.
I just want to remind you that you have no tools to interfere in the democratic process in the Member States. Mr Lukashenko has such tools at his disposal. You don’t have them
– added the MEP.
There is a saying: ‘physician, heal thyself’. Perhaps Madam President should also move in this direction. We must finally stop playing with legal bases (EU)
– stressed Professor Legutko and once again called on Von der Leyen to release all information on the negotiations on contracts for the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19, including SMS correspondence between the head of the European Commission and the presidents of pharmaceutical companies businesses.
I think such a disclosure would be the right step to demonstrate that you are a law-abiding person
– said the politician.
The situation in the EU is getting worse
Is the European Union in a better position now than, say, twenty years ago? I answer: certainly not
– concluded Ryszard Legutko, pointing out the lack of stability, conflicts, inflation, the threat of recession, the failure of migration policies and the lack of security in countries where large numbers of migrants go.
Regarding the sanctions against Russia, Legutko said the EC ultimately initiated them, but its response came far too late.
Let us not forget that before the invasion the Commission did not dare to do anything regarding the German-Russian energy alliance. This lack of response makes the Commission responsible for the depth of the energy crisis
– he emphasized.
As the head of the ECR said, migration policy also turned out to be a failure.
Despite the Commission’s calls, human trafficking is flourishing and the disintegration of the social fabric continues
– said Legutko, noting that the number of thefts, robberies and rapes in Western Europe has increased dramatically: “In France and Belgium there are about thirty rapes per hundred thousand inhabitants, compared to two in my country.”
Likewise, Fit for 55, the Commission’s flagship, is not a growth engine but an expensive extravagance, which will cost more than EUR 300 billion by 2030 and lead to rising costs of living, much higher energy bills and other unpleasant consequences.
– said the MEP, noting that the Commission is, unsurprisingly, silent on this issue. He added that the latest sinister fantasy is the European Parliament and Council regulation on the recovery of natural resources (Nature Recovery Act).
The curator of these harmful dreams, Mr Timmermans, has chosen the easy way out and is looking for happiness in national politics. I hope that the Dutch voters will give him what he deserves
– said the Polish politician.
Legutko pointed out that another EC financial extravagance was a combined debt of 800 billion euros by 2026. As he said, it is already known that the predictions were wrong and the cost of these activities will be at least twice as high.
The EU budget is in ruins: 66 billion euros is in the red. You apparently assumed that the markets would have more confidence in the financial credibility of the EU than in the Member States. Unfortunately, you have confused EU propaganda with reality
– he said.
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For his part, the head of the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, argued that all was well with the EU.
The Union is in good shape, partly thanks to your leadership and good cooperation with the EP. Together we have made good decisions in recent years: about vaccines; about the reconstruction fund; that Europe becomes a pioneer in the fight against climate change; suspend payments from European funds if the rule of law is not respected; about the Brexit agreement; on sanctions against Russia; about supporting Ukraine. Together we are stronger – this is our message to citizens
– declared the German.
The leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Iratxe Garcia Perez, appealed to Von der Leyen to be more active on social issues.
To create prosperity we must strengthen the social pillar. I would like to hear more commitment in this area. Inflation, mortgages, debt: all this stands in the way of building a good policy
– emphasized the Spanish woman.
According to the representative of the liberal Renew faction, Stephan Sejourne, “Europe is now more active than ever on behalf of its citizens.”
She was by their side during the pandemic, during the Russian aggression against Ukraine. It prepares for future generations. The Green Deal makes Europe a role model in the field of ecological transition
– said a former advisor to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
Philippe Lamberts said on behalf of the Greens that the European Union must open itself to migrants.
At the moment, European policy amounts to building fortresses and sending refugees back to failed countries. This means that people smugglers get richer and the Mediterranean Sea becomes a mass grave. (…) The Union has the duty, the responsibility and even the necessity to actively participate in the reception of those who are expelled. We can do this if we work together
– argued the Belgian.
The representative of the right-wing Identity and Democracy group, Marco Zanni, assessed Ursula von der Leyen’s speech as an “election manifesto” aimed at allowing her to remain head of the European Commission for a second term.
wkt/PAP/ECR
Source: wPolityce