During the plenary session (14-17 September 2020) in the European Parliament in Brussels, Ursula VON DER LEYEN delivers the State of the European Union (SOTEU 2020) before the MEPs. In her fifth part of the speech VON DER LEYEN focused on a more shared management of migration between member states, the respect of Rule of Law, and the respect of all human rights on the European territory. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

state of the Union

fight for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (T)

fight against racism and xenophobia (T)

EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (T)

fight against hate speech, populism, and fake news on social media (T)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

state of the Union 2020 (T)

Part 5/5 - State of the European Union debate: Opening statement by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission (Migration, Fight against racism, Rule of Law)

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Honourable members, we will continue to believe an open and fair trade across the world not as an end in itself, but as a way to deliver prosperity at home and promote values and standards.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, More than 600000 jobs in Europe are tied, for example, to the trade with Japan and our recent agreement with Vietnam alone helped secure a historic labour rights for millions of workers in the country.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We will use our diplomatic strength and economic clout to broker agreements that make a difference, such as designating maritime protected areas in the Arctic. This would be one of the biggest acts of environmental protection in history.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We will form high ambition, coalitions on issues such as the digital ethics of fighting deforestation, and we will develop partnerships with all like minded partners from Asian democracies to Australia, Africa, the Americas and anyone else who wants to join.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We will work on just globalization. We cannot take this for granted. We must insist on fairness and a level playing field. And Europe will always move forward alone or with partners to do that. I want to come back to the carbon border adjustment mechanism.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Carbon must have its price because nature cannot pay this price anymore. And this carbon border adjustment mechanism should motivate foreign producers and EU importers to reduce their carbon emissions while ensuring that we level the playing field in a WTO compatible way.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The same principle applies to digital taxation. We will spare no effort to reach agreement and the framework of OECD 2020.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, But let there be no doubt: should an agreement fall short of a fair tax system that provides long term sustainable revenues? Europe will come forward with a proposal early next year. I want Europe to be a global advocate for that.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Honourable Members,  if Europe is to play a vital role in the world, it must also create new vitality inside and to move forward we must now overcome the differences that held us back.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The historic agreement on next generation EU shows that it can be done and the speed with which we took decisions on fiscal rules, state aid or sure. All this shows it can be done, so let's do it. Migration is an issue that has been discussed long enough.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Migration has always been a fact for Europe and it will always be throughout centuries. It has defined our societies. It has enriched our cultures. And it has shaped many of our lives. And this will always be the case.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, As we all know, the 2015 migration crisis caused many deep divisions between member states, with some of those scars still healing today. A lot has been done since, but a lot is still missing. If we are already to make compromises without compromising on our principles.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We can find a solution next week. The commission will put forward its pact on migration. We will take a human and humane approach and there are principles. Saving lives at sea is not optional.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And those countries will fulfil their legal and moral duties or are more exposed than others. Must be able to rely on the solidarity of our whole European Union. We will ensure a closer link between asylum and return.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We have to make a clear distinction between those who have the right to stay and those who do not. We will take action to fight smugglers, strengthen external borders, deepen external partnerships and create legal pathways.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And we will make sure that people who have the right to stay are integrated and made to feel welcome. They have a future to build and skills, energy and talent.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, I think of Suuad, the teeage Syrian refugee who arrived in Europe dreaming of being a medical doctor within three years. She was awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, I think of the Libyan and Somalian refugee doctors who offered their medical skills the moment the pandemic stuck in France. And last year I told you of the story of Muuas, whom I had the honour to meet. He is studying physics toda  in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Honourable members, if we think about what they have overcome and what they have achieved, then we simply must be able to manage the question of migration together. The images of the Moria camp are a painful reminder of the need for Europe to come together.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Everybody has to take a step up here and take responsibility and the commission will just do that. The commission is now working on a plan for joint pilot with the Greek authorities for a new camp on Lesbos.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We can assist with asylum and return processes and significantly improve the conditions for the refugees. But I want to be clear. If we step up, then I expect all member states to step up to migration. As a European challenge. And the whole of Europe must do its part.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We must rebuild the trust among us and move forward together. And this trust is at the very heart of our union and the way we do things together. It is anchored in our founding our values, democracies and then our community of law as a Hallstein used to say, this is not an abstract term.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The rule of law helps protect people from the rule of the powerful. It is the guarantor of our most basics of everyday rights and freedoms. It allows us to give our opinion and to be informed by a free press before the end of the month.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The commission will adopt the first annual Rule of Law Report covering all member states.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, It is a preventive tool for early detection of challenges and for finding solutions. I want this to be a starting point for commission, parliament and member states to ensure there is no backsliding.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The commission attaches the highest importance to the rule of law, and this is why we will ensure that money from our budget and next generation EU is protected against any kind of fraud, corruption or conflict of interest.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, This is non-negotiable, but the last months have also reminded  how fragile it can be. We have a duty to always be vigilant, to care and nurture for the rule of law, and breaches of the rule of law cannot be tolerated.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, I will continue to defend it and the integrity of our European institutions, be it about the primacy of European law, the freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary, all the sale of Golden Pass ports, European survey of values are not for sale.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, None of our members these values are more important than ever. I say that because when I think of the State of the Union.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, I am reminded of the words of John Shroom, one of the great Europeans who sadly passed away this year. If so many people live in peace today on the island of Ireland, it is in large part because of his unwavering believe in humanity and conflict resolution.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, He used to say that conflict was about difference and that peace was about respect for difference. And as he so rightly reminded this house in 1998, and I quote, the European visionaries decided that difference is not a threat.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Difference is natural difference is the essence of humanity. And quote and these words are just as important today as they ever have been, because when I look around, we ask ourselves, where is the essence of humanity?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, When three children and Wisconsin watched their father shot by the police while they sit in the car, where is the essence of humanity? When anti-Semitic carnival costumes openly parade in our streets. Where is the essence of humanity?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, When every single day Roma people are excluded from society and others held back simply because of the colour of their skin or their religious belief?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, I'm proud to live in Europe in this open society of values and diversity. But even here in this union, these stories are a daily reality for so many people. And this reminds us that progress on fighting racism and hate is fragile. It is hard won, but very easily lost.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, So now is the moment to make change, to build a truly anti-racist union that goes from condemnation to action. And the commission is putting forward an action play plan to start making that happen.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, As part of this, we will propose to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech. Whether because of race, religion, gender or sexuality, hate is hate and no one should have to put up with that.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We will strengthen our racial and equality laws where there are gaps. We will use our budget to address discrimination in areas such as employment, housing or healthcare.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We will get tough on enforcement when implementation lags behind because this European Union fighting racism will never be optional.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We will improve education and knowledge on the historical cultural causes of racism. We will tackle unconscious biases that exist in people, in institutions. Well, yes, and even in algorithms.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And we will appoint the commission's first ever anti race racism co-ordinator to keep this at the top of our agenda and to work directly with people, civil society and institutions, honourable members. I will not rest when it comes to building a union of equality, a union where you can be who you are and love, who you want without fear and recrimination.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Becaus being yourself is not your ideology. It is your identity. And no one can ever take it away. So I want to be crystal clear. LGBTQ I free zones are humanity free zones and they have no place in our union and to make sure that we support the whole community.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The commission will soon put forward a strategy to strengthen LGBTQ rights as part of this. I will also push for mutual recognition of family relations in the EU because if you are a parent in one country, you are of course a parent in every country.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Ladies and gentlemen, Members of Parliament. This is the world that we want to live in. It is a world where we are united in diversity and adversity. A world where we work together to overcome our differences.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And when we support each other in the difficult times, we are talking about a world of tomorrow that is stronger, more respectful, more healthy, a world that we are building to leave to our children while we are teaching our children how to live.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, They are teaching us what life means. This year has showed that more than ever, there are millions of young people who are calling on us to enact change for a healthier planet or the hundreds of thousands of children who put up beautiful rainbows in their windows as a sign of solidarity all across Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, There is one image, though, that has really stayed with me over these last six months. It is an image which shows us the world through the eyes of our children.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, That is the image of Carola and Vittoria, two young girls who were playing tennis on the rooves of LaGuardia in Italy during the lockdown. It was not just their courage and their talent that shone through in this image, but it is also the lesson that they can teach us.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, It is a lesson to never give up when faced with obstacles that you should never let conventions hold you back and that you should always seise the moment. That is what got all Vittoria and all the young people of Europe teach us every day about how to live.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, This is the future generation of Europeans. Next generation EU this year. Europe has taken up their example and made a step forward together when we needed to find a way forward for our future. We did not let out dated conventions hold us back when we felt a fragility around us.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We seise the moment to give fresh impetus to our union when we have the opportunity to go it alone. As we have done in the past, we chose to use the full strength of the 27 to give all 27 a chance for the future.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We have shown that we are in this together and that we will overcome this together. Ladies and gentlemen, members of Parliament, the future will be what we make of it.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And Europe will be what we want it to be. We should stop trying to break it down and instead build it up to make it stronger and to build the world that we want to live in. Long live Europe.