Opening of the Eurovision Debate 2024 and introduction of 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. This debate is moderated by Annelies BECK and Martin ŘEZNÍČEK. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

SCHMIT, Nicolas (LU, EC)

debate

REINTKE, Terry (Greens/EFA, DE)

GOZI, Sandro (Renew, FR)

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

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

2024 European elections (T)

BAIER, Walter (AT)

BECK, Annelies (BE)

ŘEZNÍČEK, Martin (CZ)

Eurovision Debate 2024 (Clean feed): Opening and introduction of the candidates

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Welcome, welcome, dear all, here with us in the European Parliament in Brussels and watching us, wherever you are.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, This debate is designed to test lead candidates for the European Commission presidency to the full to see if they're up to one of the most demanding jobs in the world politics.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, My name is Annelies Bect,

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, and I am Martin Řezníček.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, This year's debate is going to be unlike anything that has been tried before.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Annelies and I are not alone. Around the EU this afternoon here in Brussels and in all 26 other capitals, people are joining us for this debate.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, And here they are, behind us, great to see you all. And we hope you enjoy the show and we'll be joined live from some of these locations, so voters can ask their questions directly to our candidates.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Also here, in the Parliament, we have a panel of first time voters who are eagerly waiting for their chance to put their questions to the politicians.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, So, let's now meet the five candidates taking part in the Eurovision debates 2024.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, We have Walter Baier, candidate for The Left.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Sandro Gozi, for Renew Europe Now.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Terry Reintke, representing the European Greens.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, And Nicolas Schmit, candidate for the Party of European Socialists.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Ursula von der Leyen for the European People's Party. We should also add that two of the political groups in the European Parliament dispute the principle of the lead candidate system. Their parties have not put forward an official candidate for the Commission presidency this year, so they are not represented here today.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Now, let's look at how it's all going to work.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, We are going to cover wide range of issues, six actually in total, with relevance to the upcoming elections.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, For each topic we will be taking questions live from the people joining us remotely and from our first time voters.

 And Annelies and I will also be putting questions we have received from social media and from our EBU member newsrooms. Each candidate will be able to speak for 45 seconds.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, And each candidate also has got three cards they can play. Three extra opportunities to react or to put a question to another candidate. They'll have 30 seconds to do so.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, In between each topic, the candidates in turn will come over to our Spotlight section, where they will have a chance to address you, the voters directly, and then will be interviewed by one of us.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, The order in which the candidates answer and the order of the spotlights was set in a random draw last week. Now, I don't know about you, but we're ready to roll. It's time for our first topic: Economy and jobs.