Live Replay of the debate on the election of the President of the European Commission: statement by Ursula von der LEYEN and MEPs debate during the plenary session inStrasbourg (15-18/07/2019) The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

debate

plenary session

appointment of the President of the European Commission (T)

2019 European elections (T)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

Election of the President of the European Commission: statement by Ursula von der LEYEN, candidate for President of the Commission (09:09-09:43)

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen members of the European Parliament. Exactly 40 years ago the first president of the European Parliament Simone VEIL is elected and puts forward her vision of a more unified and more just Europe. It is thanks to her and all the other European icons that today I am able to put forward to you my vision of Europe and 40 years later it is with great pride that I am able to say finally a woman is candidate for the presidency of the European Commission.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I am that woman thanks to all of those women who broke through the barriers and the conventions. I am that woman thanks to all of those who built a Europe of peace of unity and a Europe of values. It is this European conviction that has guided me throughout my life and my career as a mother as a doctor and also as a politician. It is that courage and boldness demonstrated by the pioneers such as Simone VEIL that is at the very heart of my vision of Europe and it will be that spirit that will guide the European Commission that I have the intention to be the President of it.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Mr. President ladies and gentlemen. Members of the European Parliament the founding fathers and mothers of Europe from the ruins and ashes of the World War created a fantastic new world of peace with a stronger common market the ability to work and study and research across borders, 500 million Europeans now live between Riga and Limassol, between Athens and Lisbon in wealth and freedom.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: My children's generation is able to look ahead to a Europe which is a home and they can't really imagine it any other way. And those born into that help a positive generation assumed as parents that this would always be the case. But today it is now clear that we are going to have to fight the we're going to have to rise up for this Europe of ours. The whole world is called upon with disruptive developments a pace not to allow this to go by to pass by Europe.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Globalization of the world economy the huge digitalization of our world of work and of course climate change. None of these matter in developments are new. They have been predicted by our scientists for a long time. But the new thing is that as citizens of Europe today irrespective of which country we live in the impact of that is something that we are feeling in our daily lives whether it's the Finnish wheat growers affected by drought or the effects that now made palpable in France.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: We are all experiencing climate change. Online banking is now in the daily lives of the Irish or in Poland people after 20 years in the workplace are having to take further training just to remain in the workplace. So we are all feeling this very close and personal and whether it's in the schools or hospitals companies in Europe which are having to close we are experiencing demographic change as well up close and personal.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: With a feeling of losing control of lose our ties with our communities. None of these challenges will go away. But there have been different ways to react to these trends. Some are turning towards authoritarian regimes. Some are buying their global influence and creating dependencies by investing in ports and roads. And others are turning towards protectionism.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: None of these options are for us. We want multilateralism We want fair trade we defend the rules based order because we know it is better for all of us. We have to do it the European way.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: But if we are to go down the European path we must first rediscover our unity. If we are united on the inside, no body will divide us from the outside. If we close the gaps between us we can turn tomorrow's challenges in tomorrow's opportunities. Honourable members, our most pressing challenge is keeping our planet healthy. This is the greatest responsibility and opportunity of our times.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I want Europe to become the first climate neutral continent in the world by 2050. To make this happen we must take bold steps together. Our current goal of reducing our emissions by 40 percent by 2030 is not enough. We must go further. We must strive for more. A two step approach is needed to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030 by 50 if not 55 percent.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: The European Union will lead international negotiations to increase the level of ambition of other major economies by 2021 because to achieve real impact we do not only have to be ambitious at home we have to do that yes but the world has to move together. To make this happen I will put forward a Green Deal for Europe in my first 100 days in office.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I will put forward the first ever European climate law which will set the 2050 target in law. This increase of ambition. We'll need investment on a major scale. Public money will not be enough. I will propose a sustainable Europe investment plan. And turned parts of the European Investment Bank into a climate bank. This will unlock one trillion euros of investment over the next decade. As. It means change. All of us and every sector will have to contribute from aviation to maritime transport to the way. Each and every one of us travels and lives.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Emissions must have a price that changes our behaviour. To complete this work and to ensure our companies can compete on a level playing field. I will introduce a carbon border tax to avoid carbon leakage. But honourable members. What is good for our planet must also be good for our people and our regions. Of course I know about the importance of cohesion funds but we need more.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: We need a just transition fall. Not all of our regions have the same starting point but we all share the same destination. This is why I will propose a Just Transition Fund to support those most affected. This is the European way. We are ambitious. We leave no body behind and we offer perspectives. If we want to succeed with this ambitious plan we need a strong economy because what we want to spend we have to earn it first.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: For that we need to strengthen the backbone of our economy. The small and medium sized enterprises they are innovative they are entrepreneurial. They are flexible and agile. They create jobs. They provide vocational training to our youth. But they can only do all this if they have access to capital. Everywhere in this huge single market. Let's get rid of all the barriers.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Let's open the door. Let's finally complete the capital markets union our small and medium enterprises deserve it. And we need to work with the Stability and Growth Pact where investment and reforms are needed. We should make sure they can be done. We should make use of all the flexibility allowed in the rules. We are proud of our economy. We want to make it stronger.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: But there is also a clear and simple logic. It's not people that serve our economy it's the economy that serves our people. And our social market economy. We must reconcile the market with the social. Therefore I will refocus our European semester to make sure. We stay on track with our sustainable development goals.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: And I will stand for fair taxes weather for brick and mortar industries or digital business. When the tech giants are making huge profits in Europe this is fine because we are an open market and we like competition.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: But if they are making these profits by benefiting from our education system our skilled workers our infrastructure and our Social Security. If this is so it is not acceptable that they make profits but they are barely paying any taxes because they play our tax system. If they want to benefit. They have to share the burden

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission:  Honourable members the European way is also about using all of our potential our people. Our talent our diversity.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: It is about care creating a fairer and more equal union. This will drive me forward every single day. I am in office as it has throughout my career. We have come a long way since I was a Minister for Family Affairs and had to fight to introduce parental pay or access to childcare for families. But the fight for fairness never stops.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: It is still too difficult for hard working families to make ends meet in Europe. I want to ensure that work pays. In a social market economy. Every person that is working full time should earn a minimum wage that pays for a decent living. Therefore we will develop a framework. Of course in respect of the different labour markets.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: But I think the optimal option is to have collective bargaining. By employers union and trade union because they tailor the minimum wage to the sector. Or to the region. Necessary. Of course I'm aware there are different models but we have to create the framework and I want better protection for those who lose their job.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: When our economy takes a severe hit. A European unemployment reinsurance scheme. Will support our economies and our people in times of external shocks. Of course there are national unemployment insurances but a reinsurance scheme for those heavy external shocks is needed in Europe.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I also want more equality and fairness for young people. Youth unemployment is at 14 percent in Europe but it ranges from 5 percent to 40 percent in some countries. We cannot accept this. Young people have aspirations. They want to work. They want to have a future. And it is our job to let them achieve this.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: This is why I will make sure the Youth Guarantee which I started when I was a minister for labour affairs and our council is working as well as it can in every member state and I will support the European Parliament's idea to triple the Erasmus budget as part of the next long term budget. We have to care for the most vulnerable our children. We have to fight poverty.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I know as a mother of seven that it makes a difference for their entire life. If children have access to education to sport to music to healthy food and to a loving environment we need a child guarantee to help ensure that every child in Europe at risk of poverty and social exclusion has access to the most basics of rights like health care and education.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I will. And it will empower them. And it pays tremendously if we back them when they are young. And this is part of my action plan to bring our pillar of social rights to life.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: And I will start at home by example. I will ensure full gender equality in my college of commissioners. [Applause]. If member states do not propose enough female commissioners I will not hesitate to ask for new names. Since 1958 there have been 183 commissioners only 35 were women. That is less less than 20 percent.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: We represent half of our population. We want our fair share. We also need to talk openly about violence against women. If one in five women have already suffered physical or sexual violence in the European Union and 55 percent of women have been sexually harassed. This is clearly not a women's issue. I will propose to add violence against women on the list of EU crimes defined in the treaty and the European Union should join the Istanbul Convention.

Speaker: I am convinced if we close those gaps between us we will emerge stronger as a union. Honourable members. The cradle of our European civilization is Greek philosophy and Roman law. And our European continent went through its darkest period when we were ruled by dictators and rule of law was banished.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: For centuries Europeans fought so hard for their liberty and independence the rule of law is our best tool to defend these freedoms and to protect the most vulnerable in our union. This is why there can be no compromise when it comes to respecting the rule of law. There never will be.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I will ensure that we use our full and comprehensive toolbox at European level.

Speaker: In addition I fully support an EU wide rule of law mechanism and to be clear the new instrument is not alternative to the existing instruments but an additional one.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: The commission will always be independent guardian of the treaty. Lady Justice is blind. She will defend the rule of law wherever it is attacked. Honourable members. The rule of law is universal. It applies to all. In the last five years more than 17000 people have drowned in the Mediterranean which has become one of the deadliest border in the world at sea.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: There is the duty to save lives. And in our treaties and conventions there is the legal and moral duty to respect the dignity of every human being. The European Union can and must defend these values. The European Union needs Humane Borders. We must save. But saving alone is not enough.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: We must reduce irregular migration. We must fight smugglers and traffickers. It's organized crime. We must preserve the right to asylum and improve the situation of refugees for example through humanitarian corridors in close cooperation with the UNHCR.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: We need empathy and decisive action. I am aware of how difficult and the vice of discussions on these issues are. We need to address the legitimate concerns of many. And look at how we can overcome our differences. I will propose a new pact on migration and asylum including the relaunch of the Dublin reform.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: This will allow us to return to a fully functioning Schengen area of free movement. The key driver of our prosperity security and freedoms. A centrepiece in this ambition is a reinforced European Border and Coastguard Agency. We need to reach a standing four of 10000 Frontex border guards not by 2027 but way earlier at least by 2024.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: We have to modernize. We have to modernize our asylum system. A common European asylum system must be exactly that : common. We can only have stable external borders if we give enough help to member states facing the most pressure because of where they are on the map. We need solidarity. We need to help each other and to contribute. We need a new way of burden sharing. And we must make a fair cooperation offer to countries of origin and transit which are in the interest of both sides

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Diplomacy. Economic Development Investment stability and security are needed so that people have a perspective. I would like to tell you a story. About prospective. Four years ago. I was lucky enough to welcome a 19 year old refugee from Syria. Into my home and into my family. He spoke no German. He was deeply scarred. By his experience of civil war and flight. Today four years later. He's fluent in German. He's fluent in English. He's of course fluent in Arabic. He is a community leader by a day in vocational training and a student for his high school degree. By night he is an inspiration for us all.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: And one day he wants to go home. And honourable members as a defence minister have been many times in this war torn neighbourhood. I will never forget the words of former president of Iraq Masood who said we want to see more Europe here. The world is calling for more you. The world needs more Europe.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: I believe Europe should have a stronger and more united voice in the world and it needs to act fast. And that is why we must have the courage to take foreign policy decisions by qualified majority and to stand united behind them.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: The cornerstone of our collective defence will always be NATO. We will stay. Trans Atlantic. And we have to become more European. This is why we created the European Defence Union. Our work for our European Union of security and defence is embedded in comprehensive security stabilization always comes with diplomacy reconciliation and reconstruction.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Our servicemen and servicewomen work side by side with police officers diplomats and development aid workers and honourable members. These men and women deserve our utmost respect and recognition for their tireless service for Europe. I cannot talk about Europe without talking about our friends from the United Kingdom. For the very first time in 2016.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: A member state decided to leave the European Union. This is a serious decision. We regretted. But we respect it. Applause. Since then. Together with the current government of the United Kingdom the European Union has worked hard to organize orderly. The orderly departure of the United Kingdom.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: The withdrawal agreement concluded with the government of the United Kingdom provides certainty where Brexit created uncertainty in preserving the rights of citizens and in preserving peace and stability on the island of Ireland. These two priorities are mine too. However. I stand ready for further extension of the withdrawal date should more time be required for a good Reason.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: In any case the United Kingdom will remain our ally our partner and our friend.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: As honourable members. When I came to Strasbourg 13 days ago. I promised I'd come to listen. I've heard your concerns. Your hopes your expectations the political guidelines which I send to you today reflect our discussions. From what I have heard I've drawn my conclusions and I've made my decisions first. I want European citizens to play a leading and active part. In building the future of our union. I want them to have their say at a conference on the future of Europe to start in 2020 and to run for two years.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Second. I want us to work together to improve which fits in candidate system. We need to make it more visible. To a wider electorate. And we need to address the issue of transnational lists at the European elections as a complementary tool of European democracy. And third applause.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: And third yes I support a right of initiative for the European Parliament.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: When this house acting by majority of its members adopts resolutions requesting the Commission to submit legislative proposals I commit to responding with a legislative act in full respect of the proportionality subsidiarity and better lawmaking principles I am convinced that our stronger partnership will further help to make people's voices heard. How President.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Well Mr. President. My father was 15 years old when vile war that had brought devastation by my country and displacement and destruction to our continent ended.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: He often told his children me and my six siblings about it. Above all he told us how significant it had been that the other countries reached out a hand to us again to bring us into the circle of democratic peoples. He started in the Coal and Steel Community and said at the outset we're trading with each other again and if we're trading then friendships will grow up and friends will not shoot at each other.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: He was head of cabinet in the Hallstein Commission and later director general for competition issues. That is why I was born in Brussels and became European before later learning that I was German and a citizen of Lower Saxony. And that is why there is only one thing for me to unify and strengthen Europe.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Anyone who wishes to strengthen and help this Europe of ours to grow and blossom will find in me a passionate fighter by their side. But anyone who seeks to weaken split or destroy its values will find in me a fierce opponent. In his old age at the end of his life. My father's story about Europe had changed.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: He no longer talked about war so much. He said Europe is like a long marriage. Love may not be greater than on the first day. But it gets deeper.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: Because we know that we can rely on each other in good times and in bad. Because we know we can argue but be reconciled again because we never forget why we formed this alliance. All of us in this room live in a Europe that has grown up matured and grown strong with its 500 million inhabitants over 200 million people voted in the European elections.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: This Europe has influence. This Europe wants to take responsibility for itself and this world. That's not always easy. I know it can be painful and difficult but it is our most noble duty. People want to see that we deliver that we make progress. Young people are calling for it. My children quite rightly are saying don't waste time do it.

Ursula VON DER LEYEN, candidate for President of the European Commission: And that's what drives me. This is why I need your help and support and I call on all Europeans therefore to play their part. It is the most precious thing that we have. Long live Europe. Vive l'Europe. Long live Europe. Thank you.