On the third day of the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her first State of the Union address since her reelection, followed by a discussion with MEPs. Speaking on behalf of the ECR Group during the discussion was its co-chair, Patryk Jaki.
Patryk Jaki cited facts that starkly illustrate the deteriorating state of the European Union, comparing the situation in 2019 to the present. “There was peace on our border, and now not only is there a war, but Russian drones are also falling on Poland—because, of course, you wanted cheap energy from Russia and believed in all those ‘resets’ with Putin. And now we’re all paying the price,” he reminded his audience. He pointed out that energy prices in Europe have doubled since Ursula von der Leyen became President of the European Commission. “Food prices and the cost of living have also risen, as has the European Union’s debt,” — the Polish MEP listed. He also noted that since 2019, new car prices in the European Union have risen by 30 percent, and industry “is becoming a shadow of its former self.” “In this situation, the EU still wants to raise its climate targets to 90 percent,” he noted with concern. He went on to mention that the sense of security in Europe has declined, while violence—including sexual violence—has increased. Patryk Jaki also referred to a February 2025 report by the European Parliament’s Analysis Service, which confirmed that gang violence is on the rise throughout the European Union and is a phenomenon linked to escalating competition between rival criminal gangs. “As recently as 2008, the European Union’s GDP was over 100 percent of that of the United States, and today it is about 60 percent,” said the co-chair of the ECR Group. “You’ve done this, and you’re still proud of yourselves,” he commented on the alarming state of the EU economy.
The MEP also drew attention to the state of political freedom. “It was in the European Union that the concept of a ‘cordon sanitaire’ was invented—the annulment of election results if the ‘wrong’ candidate wins, or the persecution of political opponents in countries not ruled by your people,” he pointed out. He noted that within the EU, there are attacks on freedom of speech and attempts to curtail freedom on the internet, and that “instead of moving toward economic integration, which has always been profitable, the European Union is choosing political integration.”
“More conditionality mechanisms, more centralization,” he warned, referring to what has led the European Union to where it is today. “The biggest problem, however, is not the EU’s actions mentioned above, but the fact that Europe has lost its sense of purpose,” the Polish politician commented. “The symbol of Strasbourg—a city with over 2,000 years of history—cannot be green frivolities, a rainbow flag, or bottle caps,” he remarked. Patryk Jaki emphatically stressed that the symbol of Strasbourg is the Cathedral of Our Lady. “It is a symbol of the synthesis of faith and reason—that is, everything that is so sorely lacking in Europe today,” he pointed out. The co-chair of the ECR Group also quoted Goethe’s words regarding Strasbourg Cathedral: “Here, music is enchanted in stone. Soaring lines and infinite forms lead the spirit toward God.” “I hope that by speaking of God, I have not offended anyone in this Chamber,” he added. “You, the generation of decadence, which with some incomprehensible self-satisfaction is pushing us all toward the abyss, must go!” concluded MEP Jaki.
