5th topic of the Eurovision Debate 2024 between the lead candidates for the Commission presidency: Nicolas SCHMIT, Party European Socialists, Sandro GOZI, Renew Europe Now, Terry REINTKE, European Greens, Ursula von der LEYEN, European People's Party and Walter BAIER, European Left. Leaders debate on the implementation of common Migration and Asylum policies during the next mandate. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

SCHMIT, Nicolas (LU, EC)

debate

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

REINTKE, Terry (Greens/EFA, DE)

asylum procedures in the EU (T)

GOZI, Sandro (Renew, FR)

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

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

new pact on asylum and migration (T)

2024 European elections (T)

BAIER, Walter (AT)

BECK, Annelies (BE)

ŘEZNÍČEK, Martin (CZ)

Eurovision Debate 2024 (Clean feed) - Topic 5: Migration and Borders

<p>SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator,</p>

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Let's open another big chapter in our debate that the EU and member states have been grappling with recently, and that is migration and borders.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, After years of wrangling, the Parliament finally passed an overhaul of migration laws last month. But there is still a long wait before we actually see individual countries and the Commission putting them into practice. This has become so toxic politically. So is immigration, and maybe following on what Ioannis had to say about the mixture of problems : is migration is simply proving to be subject beyond the ability of the EU to regulate Mr Reintke.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Terry REINTKE, lead candidate of the European Greens, I think migration is a topic where we can clearly see that having toxic populist debate is not going to help us find solution. We are an aging continent. We will need migration if we want to sustain our hospitals, if we want to be economically successful. But we need to talk about how we can manage migration. We need to create legal pathways. And yes, we need to have a resilient asylum system so that we make sure that the chaos on our external borders ends. But for this, we need to have policies that are both meeting humanitarian standards as well as implementable in reality. And I think we still have a way to go there as a European Union. But let me finish by saying one thing. Despite our differences, I think one thing has to be clear that we need to end the dying in the Mediterranean Sea. So let us fight in this legislature to bring across an EU wide search and rescue mission for the Mediterranean.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you. Mr. Gozi, same question to you, is European Union able to regulate migration? Yes. This is a question for you, Mr. Gozi.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sandro GOZI, lead Candidate of Renew Europe Now, Well, first of all, let's remain human. When people risk to die at sea, you go and save them. End of the story. Without asking about the status, that is what we have to do as Europeans. And I was in government and I was in government in 2014 during the migratory crisis. And I know better than anyone on stage how the division between Europeans turned the Mediterranean into a cemetery. And I can assure you all, that if back then we had the new asylum and migration pact, we and the asylum seekers would have been much better off. But now we have also to open the new sector, legal economic pathways. We need to work on the economic migration. We need to have European economic quotas to satisfy our labor needs and to better cooperate with the country of origin. So, yes, Europe can take back control on migration in a humane way.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Mr. Gozi, thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, And let me remind you that Ms. Van der Leyen has one card, Mr. Schmit two and Mr. Gozi has one, the others two have played all their cards. Now, the impact of migration is different in every member state of the EU. Although many concerns, of course, are shared among them. Now let's turn to one of the outer borders of the EU to Greece, and hear what their question is regarding this issue.

Journalist with a question from Athens, Greece I am Cleo Nicolaou from the Greek public broadcaster ERT and I am here with many, many young Europeans. Among them is Athena, a young European, a translator and a member of a European think tank that is going to ask the question.

Question from Athens, Greece I would like to ask you what concrete step, would you propose to take at the EU level to enhance the integration of migrants, fostering social cohesion and minimizing potential tensions in countries that are gateways for migration, like Greece? Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you very much for that question. And, it's yours to answer, Mr. Baier.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, Social security, education, integrating people in the working process. But let me answer in a very personal way to this discussion on migration. I never met my grandma because she died in Auschwitz and she died in Auschwitz, because in 1938, the so-called Western democracies failed to open borders for the refugees. Shame on them. And nowadays, the European Union fails to open the border for refugees, abolishes the right to individual examination of asylum applications. And I say this is disgraceful. This is shameful. We should be solidaristic. We should be ready to receive these people in dignity and respect human rights.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you, Mr. Baier. Concrete measures, dealing or aiming at integration and diminishing polarization around this topic. Ms. Von der Leyen. What do you suggest?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, lead candidate of the European People's Party, So, diminishing polarization : These two stories that you were talking about who is behind it? It's organized crime. It's smugglers and traffickers. And therefore we have to fulfill our international obligations, yes. Those who need protection and asylum are given protection and asylum. But we are the ones in Europe who decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances, and not the smugglers and traffickers. This is paramount, and therefore we have to be very clear. Those who are here irregularly and are not eligible for asylum, have to go back home. But we need legal pathways for safe and secure ways to come to the European Union. And last year, 1 million asylum applications were in the European Union, but 3.7 million migrants came legally to the labor market. Well integrated. That works.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you very much, Ms von der Leyen. And no one else pulls up a card. So it's over to you, Martin.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you. Our next first time voter is the oldest of our group. He's 31. I hope he doesn't mind us saying that, but it's still the first time he will be going to the ballot box. He's a student and a football coach. Patrick from Croatia. Please take it away.

Question from Patrick, in the room Hello. So as someone diagnosed with chronic disease and I have multiple sclerosis, I'm particularly concerned about individuals who must leave their home to the war or other reasons, and also have some serious health conditions. So my question is, what more can be done at the European level to support people with, significant, physical or mental health needs, without placing extra burdens on the health system of individual member states. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you, Patrick. Thank you very much. And this question goes to Mr. Schmit, please.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, Yes. Thank you. I think for, Europe is a big solidarity project. And solidarity first has to start with those who suffer the most, who are the most vulnerable. And I think we have really to work on people with disability, with health problems. We have to help also in the different countries, these people who are suffering from different health issues or disabilities. But I have to say one word. So I push my button here. I agree with smugglers and traffickers, but that's not the whole story. When I look at the situation in Tunisia, and I suppose that you know what's going on in Tunisia, what happens to the refugees who are pushed into the desert, who are really beaten up, some of them killed.. This is not Europe. These are not European values. This is an agreement with a very special, nasty dictatorship. So don't tell us it's about fighting smugglers. It's about fighting the refugees which are pushed to the desert and many of them die. "Le Monde", has made a very interesting study with many other newspapers. And this is the problem with these agreements. That I donnot agree with.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you for your answer, Mr. Gozi. You're playing your card now.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sandro GOZI, lead Candidate of Renew Europe Now, I listened to Nicolas and I fully agree about Tunisia. We fully agree. But I would like to understand Nicolas, where do you stand as socialists? Because, you know, we have voted asylum and migration pact, here, in this Parliament. And two delegation of big countries who are the most affected by migration : Italian delegation in the Socialist Party and the French delegation in Socialist Party voted against, voted against. We start to take back control. We give, we provide effective answers to be human, to do what you want to do and half of your group voted against. So where do you stand in the future? Where you stand? Would you be in favor? Are you in favor of the zero Migration pact as we are? Or are you against the zero migration pact? Like the Partito Democratico, Parti socialiste and Raphaël Glucksmann?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Mr. Schmit, you've been directly approached, so please reply. And by the way, you've been given your card back because you put it into the previous answer.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Nicolas SCHMIT, lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists, I stand with the migration pact. It's not the ideal, but it is the beginning of a better European solidarity. This is my position that it could be and should be improved. But always keep in mind our values. If we make concessions on our values, Europe will be weakened.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you very much, Mr. Schmit.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you and, to conclude, just to note that Mr. Baier and Mr. Gozi and Ms. Reintke have played all their cards and there's an extra card showing up. You pulled the push the button. That's what happened. Of course.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, lead candidate of the European People's Party, A very important discussion. And we spoke now about the migration and asylum pact. But we should be also clear eyed about the countries of transit and of origin. And what we do is : we invest in these countries. This is the first thing to do that they have good jobs that are created there, and people have an income and can stay. Second, we invest in education. We invest in education so that young people can come on safe and legal pathways to the European Union. And I think this is the way to deal with these countries, and not just to exclude them and slam the door.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you very much. And with that, we conclude this part of the discussion.