Statement by Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate and Q&A. On Sunday 9th June 2024, the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels transforms into a press room on the occasion of the election night. Over several hours, journalists from all over Europe follow the results thanks to national estimates and exit polling data. From 6 to 9 June 2024, around 360 million Europeans are called to the polls to elect the 720 members of the next European Parliament. The constitutive session of the newly elected Parliament will take place in July, in Strasbourg.This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

EICKHOUT, Bas (Greens/EFA, NL)

Greens/EFA

2024 European elections (T)

European Elections Night 2024 - Statement by Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate and Q&A

SOUNDBITE (Original), Delphine COLARD, Head of Spokesperson’s Unit and Deputy spokesperson Unfortunately? Valérie Hayer for Renew Europe Now could not join us tonight. So we are welcoming on stage Bas Eickhout for the European Green Party.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, Good evening. Almost, good night, I think. First of all, I would like to congratulate Ursula von der Leyen with a very good campaign and a very good result. She came on top again, out of these elections. Of course, that also means something for the process afterwards, what we can expect, that's now in the hands of the council. But I do think that we have seen a democratic process where a lead candidate from the EPP has won the elections very clearly, and I think that also should be reflected in the discussions in the council. And that is certainly, congrats to her for that.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, For us as Greens, I will not tell you a secret that, of course, we aren't disappointed by the number of seats that we are getting. To be very fair, this is mainly because of losses we got in Germany and France. We did also have some very good results if you look throughout Europe. First of all, really congratulations to our Danish colleague who, beating the polls and became biggest in Denmark. But we had very good results in the Nordic countries as well.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, Of course, also quite happy what happened in the Netherlands, although that was last Thursday. But we also have new entrances for the Greens in Croatia, Slovenia, Latvia and Lithuania. And we are still hopeful also to get more, in the South. And also there the entrance of the Greens in Italy, of course, is good news for us. So in that sense, clearly not happy with the total number of seats, but happy with the different results, which also reflects a better representation of the Green movement throughout Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, For the future process, it's going to be very clear. The Greens are going to take a constructive and responsible role in this. I think the challenges for Europe are too big to play political games. If you look at, what the challenges for Europe? If you look at the future of our climate policies, the future of Europeans security, and certainly also the future of European democracy, it is very clear that we need a stable majority in this House in order to deliver for the citizens on these elements. And we as Greens are ready to take that responsibility. Of course, depending of a potential program. But I think it is very clear that we are ready to take that responsibility. I'll leave it to that.

Q&A, What do you think in light of tonight's results will be the fate of the Green Deal? Do you expect the EPP and Renew turn greener since the elections are over now? And will this be the price for you supporting a new Von der Layen Commission?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, Now, let me be very clear. The Green Deal was, in 2019, a program also for our future economy. And if you now look at what's happening in the world, where also China, the United States are stepping up their game in this global race for green innovation, I think the biggest mistake we would do is now to abandon the Green Deal. Also, for our businesses, they want predictability. They want clarity for the long term future.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, And with that, for us, it's also very clear that any future program, the Green Deal should be part of that. But it's also very clear that more needs to happen, certainly for our industry. If you look at energy infrastructure, if you look at the resource scarcity, if you look at investments that are needed for Europe, I think the continuation of the Green Deal as part of a new green industrial strategy is certainly one of those elements that we are going to discuss. And I also think that the future of our industry is something that should unite also the pro-European center parties in this European Parliament to work on. Thank you.

Q&A, Just a very general question. You've lost 20 seats. You've been pushed from fourth place to sixth place behind both the ECR and ID. The public have lost confidence, you could argue, in the Green Party and that your allies. What do you say to that?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, No, I think i already said that we were not happy with the election results on the numbers. But I do think that if you are only going to look at the number of seats, then you are not doing justice to those countries where the Greens have increased their strength and are now also entering the European Parliament. As I said, like countries like Croatia, Slovenia, Latvia, that we have new entrances of the Greens.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, And in Denmark the Greens have become the biggest party in Denmark. So on the basis of that, you could say that in Denmark they are expecting more green policies. I think it's a mixed bag of the results. We are absolutely not happy with the numbers that we are getting. But of course, if you now look at the challenges that we are having as Europe, I think what we need to do now is create a stable majority in the center of the European Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Bas EICKHOUT, European Greens Lead Candidate, And I do think that in order to, get to that stable majority, we will have to look also at the Greens. And I'm just saying that we are ready to take our responsibility for that. And of course, the loss of seats is always a, a blow also for us. But at the same time, we do see our gains in other countries as well. So let's try to translate this mixed picture into a solid program for Europe, for the future to deliver on greening and socializing Europe.