Eurovision Debate 2024 between the lead candidates for the Commission presidency: Spotlight - Walter BAIER, European Left. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivering.

Brussels

debate

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

2024 European elections (T)

BAIER, Walter (AT)

BECK, Annelies (BE)

ŘEZNÍČEK, Martin (CZ)

Eurovision Debate 2024 (Clean feed): Spotlight - Walter BAIER, European Left

SOUNDBITE (Original), Annelies BECK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, I am from a Viennese working class family, and I'm proud of that. I grew up in very humble conditions. My parents had to sacrifice, even to send me to secondary school, so I know what social inequality is look like.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, And that's why I want to change this. I know that many of you also have difficulties to sustain their lives with high rent, with precarious jobs. We think this is unfair, this is unjust. This is neoliberal capitalism. We want to change this system. We want to put people before profit, put the planet before profit. And if you join this, I call you to vote for the Left.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Thank you very much, Mr. Baier, for this direct address. Let me get back to Defence that you seem to have very strong views on. You advocate for a negotiation between Ukraine and Russia. How do you negotiate with someone who is bombarding a neighbouring country?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, First of all, we are for ceasefire and we want that the European Union plays a political role in finding a diplomatic solution, because I don't see a solution for the conflict taking place on the battlefield.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Do you think that Russia is interested in a diplomatic solution?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, We must put pressure on Russia. China must put pressure on Russia.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, This is happening. European Union is putting pressure on Russia, or is it not?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, Obviously, the European Union does not take any effort in mediating a political solution, trying to find a diplomatic solution after 500,000 dead. How? When will this end? We must put an end to this terrible war in order to create a safe and prosperous Ukraine in the future.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Let me get to another very important point. You oppose NATO's expansion, but NATO has been the backbone of European security since the Second World War that you talked about before. Are you really going to deny membership to those countries willing to join?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, Every country decides autonomously. My country, Austria, is a neutral country and wants to stay a neutral country. And I believe that security in the future cannot be based on military blocs. That must be based on a collective system of security, on arms reductions and on measures which reduce the threat of a war happening in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, You also reject the Migration Pact. So, what is your answer to countries like Greece that we heard from, like Italy, like Spain?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, Of course, a fair distribution of the incoming migrants. And then, opposed to Migration Pact, amongst other reasons, because it is against human rights. Also because it allows states who are not ready to receive refugees to pay money, for what? I mean, if you allow them to get out of a common solidaristic European solution.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZN&Iacute;ČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, By paying...

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, What is the moral of this? I do not do the right thing, but I give money in order to be allowed not to do the right thing.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, So, if you're in favour of door opening to migrants, are you not helping your political rivals?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, First of all, that is a human question and not a question of party politics. But secondly, I am, first of all, in favour of human rights and of the Refugee Convention of the United Nations, granting the individual right of every person arriving on European soil that his or her application for asylum is examined individually. And this is not secured through the migration.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Of all the countries that are on stage today, you seem to be disagreeing on many issues and disagreeing the most, maybe with everyone. Is there anything that you agree on with others?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, Generally or in the migration issue?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, No, no, no. I mean, in general.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, In general, of course, I agree with the idea of transforming the European economy into an ecological economy. Of course, I agree with the idea of spending money for social housing. There is a lot of agreement. The only thing is that there is a difference very often between words and deeds. And that's what we are criticising.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin ŘEZNÍČEK, Eurovision debate 2024 moderator, Mr. Baier, thank you so much for your time.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Walter BAIER, lead candidate of the European Left, Thank you very much.