Today in Strasbourg, during the European Parliament’s plenary session, a debate was held to review the first 100 days of the new Commission’s term and the progress made toward its goals in the areas of defense, competitiveness, simplification, and migration. Speaking on behalf of the ECR Group was PiS MEP Patryk Jaki.
The PiS MEP referred to the Commission’s assertion that it is fulfilling its objectives in the areas of defense, migration, and competitiveness: “One might consider this ironic, were it not for the fact that the subject is so serious.”
“So let’s break this down into its basic components—that is, what exactly have you supposedly ‘delivered’?” said Jaki.
He pointed out that the defense fund is supposed to consist of three elements: first, giving member states the voluntary option to reallocate funds from the Cohesion Fund—which, according to the PiS politician, “no one will agree to.” Second, Jaki said, encouraging countries to increase defense spending—and in order to raise this fund, all countries must agree to it. “And just yesterday, the Netherlands refused,” he added. “And third—yet another shared debt that all countries must agree to—see the point above,” the PiS MEP listed. “So the only thing you’ve ‘delivered’ on this issue so far is a PowerPoint presentation,” Jaki said, pointing to the Commission’s clumsy actions.
The MEP emphasized that “there will be no security in Europe without our own agriculture.” “And history teaches us what happens to countries that don’t have their own food supply during a conflict,” Jaki added, referring to the agreement with Mercosur, which “the European Commission boasts about” but which “will destroy European agriculture.”
On the issue of migration, the MEP stated that “you’re not bringing people in here—you’re taking them away.” “I urge everyone to see what’s happening at the Polish-German border, where migrants are simply being taken to parking lots next to Polish hypermarkets, and furthermore, it’s completely unclear on what basis the Schengen Area has effectively been suspended,” the Polish politician explained. Furthermore, he said, the migration pact will come into force next year, which will trigger another wave of migration. “And you will indeed be transporting them—but migrants to migration centers—which will mean that instead of spending on external defense, we’ll be spending more on internal defense against foreigners in our own countries,” stated the MEP.
“And the funniest part is, you think you’re ‘importing’ competitiveness,” — said Jaki, noting that in its competitiveness compass, the European Commission proposes, for example, reducing the ideological reporting requirements for businesses—a principle it had touted at the end of its previous term. “So you’re bravely fighting among yourselves. Congratulations,” said the ECR leader. According to the politician, however, if one takes the issues of competitiveness, a strong economy, and greater opportunities for defense spending seriously, one must “throw ETS-1 and ETS-2—and all this green madness—in the trash.” The MEP also pointed out that the European Union is responsible for only 7 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and that, for this fight to make sense, all countries must join in at the same time. “So what we’re doing is completely pointless. You’re burdening European businesses and European citizens with an ideological tax that limits our military, economic, and social capabilities. And this has to stop,” appealed the ECR leader.
