On 15 May 2019, the lead candidates for the presidency of the European Commission take part in a live Eurovision debate at the Parliament in Brussels. Frans TIMMERMANS, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Manfred WEBER, lead candidate of the European People’s Party (EPP), Ska KELLER, lead candidate of the European Greens (Greens), Nico CUÉ, lead candidate of the European Left (EL), Margrethe VESTAGER, lead candidate of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) as member of Team Europe, and Jan ZAHRADIL, lead candidate of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) debate climate change and environment.

Brussels

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

KELLER, Ska (Greens/EFA, DE)

environmental protection (T)

VESTAGER, Margrethe (DK, CE)

ZAHRADIL, Jan (ECR, CZ)

fight against climate change (T)

Eurovision debate between candidates for the Presidency of the European Commission (T)

2019 European elections (T)

CUÉ, Nico (BE)

Presidency of the European Commission / Eurovision Debate - Topic 3: Climate change / environment

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, ALDE lead candidate as member of Team Europe, talking about climate change can be seen as an opportunity to create millions of jobs and have future investments. Everyone can participate on the personal level.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, Greens lead candidate, talking about the need to protect the earth, there is no compromise. The necessary policies are already present, they just need to be applied. By investing into climate friendly economy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, PES lead candidate, talking about how the European Parties should work together across parties to get progress. Need to establish CO2 tax and taxing kerosine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jan ZAHRADIL, ACRE lead candidate, talking about socially sustainable measures against climate change that should be implemented gradually. No unrealistic targets and Commission should subsidise organic farming.

SOUNDBITE (French), Nico CU&#201;, EL lead candidate, talking about how he is thankful to the young people protesting on the streets. Need to tackle the Multinationals which are the big polluters on the international level. Taxing the citizens like in France is unacceptable, need for public initiatives against climate change.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER, EPP lead candidate, talking about the goal of a carbon free Europe by 2050. Pensionist and workers should not be the victims of the transition.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, PES lead candidate, talking about how the real damage will be done to poor people if nothing is done about climate change.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER, EPP lead candidate, talking about how the Trade Emmissions system established on the European level should be expanded to the aviation sector. Innovation is more important than punishment.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, Greens lead candidate, confronting Manfred Weber about why his group voted against the reform of the trade emissions system and are ambitious climate aims.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER, EPP lead candidate, talking about how sustainable solutions need to take ecological, economical and technological sustainability into account.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, ALDE lead candidate as member of Team Europe, challenging Manfred Weber about how climate change is not a partisan issue and that the necessary innovations to tackle it are already at hand.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER, EPP lead candidate, responding to Margrethe Vestager that many in the Liberal Group share concerns about speed of implementation of climate policies.

SOUNDBITE (French), Nico CU&#201;, EL lead candidate, challenging Manfred Weber about how steel production was outsourced to outside of Europe, leading to more pollution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER, EPP lead candidate, talking about how the next Commission should also focus on convincing the rest of the world to fight against climate change.