Today in Strasbourg, during the European Parliament’s plenary session, a debate took place on the action plan for the automotive industry. PiS MEP Beata Szydło spoke during the discussion.
Beata Szydło stated that the European automotive industry is a victim of the Green Deal. “This is obvious to all of us here,” she added. She noted that, at the same time, a discussion is underway today in the European Parliament on how to save jobs and prevent Europeans from being cut off from transportation. “We can dismiss as a pipe dream the idea that people will be able to afford expensive electric cars,” the MEP said, adding that as a result of climate policy, many thousands of people will be deprived of the ability to get around. On the other hand, Szydło added, there is an ongoing discussion about jobs, as reports emerge practically every day that more companies are laying off workers. “But today we’re wondering what to do to keep the Green Deal going and still save the automotive industry, which, as we know, will be destroyed anyway, because the Green Deal project is leading to an economic and competitive disaster,” said the Polish MEP. According to Beata Szydło, to save the automotive industry in Europe—for both social and economic reasons—there is only one solution: “We must reject the Green Deal.”
Anna Zalewska stated that the Commission’s presentation “is a plan to prolong the agony of the automotive industry.” As she noted, the European Commission mentions new funds to rescue the automotive industry, although—as the MEP pointed out—“after all, we’re talking about money that’s already in the budget, and there won’t be any new funds.” “After all, you’ve been saying the same thing for many years, and nothing changes,” the PiS MEP said, pointing to the European Commission’s lack of a pragmatic approach.
“You talk about the need to support and strengthen supply chains. Which ones? When it comes to rare earth metals, in most cases we are dependent on sources outside the European Union,” she noted. Finally, the PiS MEP highlighted the ongoing push, despite everything, to implement the ETS2 tax on citizens who drive internal combustion engine vehicles. “We must take Europeans seriously and set achievable goals,” she urged.
