Eurovision Debate 2024 between the lead candidates for the Commission presidency: Spotlight - Nicolas SCHMIT, Party European Socialists. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

SCHMIT, Nicolas (LU, EC)

debate

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

2024 European elections (T)

BECK, Annelies (BE)

ŘEZNÍČEK, Martin (CZ)

Eurovision Debate 2024 (Clean feed): Spotlight - Nicolas SCHMIT, Party European Socialists

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, Thank you. Well, as a Lead candidate of the European Social Democrats, what drives me is obviously to improve living conditions and daily living conditions of European citizens. To the workers who are facing cost of living problems, we need to give them decent wages, good working conditions, what we call quality jobs.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, To women, we have to make sure that equality is applying in the labour world. We have to make sure that their fundamental rights are respected. To young people, we have to respond to their wish, that the Green transition is implemented, but also we have to give them the right prospect. Good jobs and not precarious jobs.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, And all of those who need good social services, we have to make sure that Europe delivers on good social services. In this period of big changes, I think people have these concerns and we, as Social Democrats, want to deliver on that by a strong Europe, a Europe that enters into people's concerns, that delivers and makes sure that the Europe we want to build is close to citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you, Mr. Schmidt, for this address. You have stated your priorities and in the manner that was given to you and you've been in the Commission for the last five years. What have you done to make these priorities actually come true?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, Well, there's a lot we have done, I have done. The minimum wage is one of the great achievements, to give people decent wages all over Europe. There is no reason why in some parts of Europe, people have very low wages. They cannot make a decent living out of them.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, There is the protection of special categories of workers, like the platform workers who have no protection in many countries. We have now adopted a Directive on protecting them, but also protecting them against the interference of algorithms. We have created a Child Guarantee because unfortunately in Europe we have millions of children who are in poverty and we need a strong child policy to take children out of poverty.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, But parties on the right and on the far right seem to be that different. I mean, they offer different policies than yours, seem to be on the rise. They seem to be gaining ground. So, I mean, haven't you been in Brussels for too long? Haven't you lost touch with the public?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, No, I don't think that by achieving what I have just mentioned, which has now to be implemented by Member States, that's also an issue. I think we have responded to a high expectations from citizens. Never forget citizens, European citizens come out of different crisis. We have the financial crisis, we have the Covid crisis, we have the Russian war. And now we have to make sure that we put citizen in the heart of our policies and that we ensure also better living and better social justice for all.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, In order to be able to approve this, you need support in the Parliament. My question goes to the inner workings of the Parliament, which is really important for the upcoming five-year-term. Would you work with European People's Party if its Lead candidate, which is important as well, Ursula von der Leyen, if she cooperates with ECR or ID?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, Well, certainly I'm ready to work with all democratic forces, but I do not consider that ECR or ID are democratic forces. And by the way...

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Why do you think they are not democratic forces?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, They have a very different vision of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Well, having a different vision of Europe doesn't mean that there are no democratic.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, Look, just where they are in power. I was yesterday in Sweden, there is an ID party which supports or even sometimes, more than supports the Swedish government, which is an EPP, a liberal government. And what they are doing on fake news, creating farms, producing fake news. This is the case. But also in Italy, we see now attacks against women rights, against the media. So, they do not correspond to the fundamental values we stand for.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, What are the red lines for the support of Ursula von der Leyen?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, Well, our red lines have been clearly exposed. They have been exposed in the Berlin Declaration. They have been exposed in the declaration, many other parties have signed. Unfortunately, EPP did not want to sign and this is no alliance, no arrangement with the extreme right. This is clear. And I would say on such an issue, we need clarity and not ambiguity.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, That's what I was trying to get from you, the clarity. Mr. Schmidt, thank you so much for your time.