In Strasbourg, during the European Parliament’s plenary session, a debate took place on the “Competitiveness Compass” for the EU, presented by the European Commission on January 29, 2025. PiS MEPs Piotr Müller and Kosma Złotowski spoke during the discussion.
Piotr Müller stated that the greatest threat to Europe’s growth is not China or the U.S., but weak leadership. He added that this was clearly evident during Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the AI summit in Paris. “He spoke with conviction, warning that strict regulations could kill artificial intelligence before it even gets off the ground,” said the MEP, lamenting that Ursula von der Leyen failed to address this message. “While Vance spoke of opportunities and leadership, von der Leyen focused on ideas that have been holding Europe back for years,” the politician noted.
According to Müller, the Commission’s new strategy should include an action plan for economic growth and clearly reject failed policies such as the Green Deal. “But does the left wing of Parliament have the courage to accept and utilize new technologies to help Europeans?” the MEP wondered, noting that the United States is ready to cooperate in building a better future. “Europe must have the courage to do the same,” he emphasized.
Kosma Złotowski noted that it is common knowledge that a compass is a navigational instrument used to determine direction, and that it is used when one is unsure of one’s location or the direction in which one is heading. “What a wonderful idea it was to name the Commission’s document this way! After all, it admits that it is no longer certain either of the Union’s competitive position or whether the direction it has itself imposed for years is the right one,” stated the PiS MEP.
The EP Quaestor commended the fact that the first step—recognizing the problem—had been taken. “As someone who has often questioned the direction the EU is heading in from this podium, I’d like to offer a few ideas for improving competitiveness: let’s throw the Green Deal and Fit for 55 in the trash, let’s stop making life difficult for citizens and businesses, and instead of talking about it endlessly, let’s finally start deregulating!” he urged.
MEP Jadwiga Wiśniewska also spoke during the discussion, addressing a question to GUE Group MEP Per Clausen, who had referred to the competitiveness of the U.S. economy in his remarks. “You are surely aware that energy costs in the European Union are three times higher than in the United States, and gas prices are five times higher. I also don’t know if you’ve heard that this week, Europe’s largest steel producer announced it would move production outside the European Union because the costs of green policies are unsustainable. Do you therefore believe that the Competitiveness Compass will in no way solve the problem of declining competitiveness in manufacturing within the European Union?” she asked.
On January 29, 2025, the Commission presented the “Compass for Competitiveness”—an economic framework intended to guide its work in the coming years. The Compass, which is based on the key role of productivity in financing the EU’s competitiveness ambitions, aims to simplify regulations, combine private and public investments in key technologies, and reduce external dependencies in order to stimulate innovation in the EU. To this end, the Commission intends to present up to 47 legislative and non-legislative proposals by the end of 2026.
(source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2025/767237/EPRS_ATA(2025)767237_PL.pdf)
