Live replay of the EP Plenary session on the Election of the President of the European Parliament, 9th parlimentary term, during the plenary week in Strasbourg (01-04/07/2019). Statement by Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE) The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

vote

KELLER, Ska (Greens/EFA, DE)

Greens/EFA

election of the President of the European Parliament (T)

EP Plenary session - Election of the President of the European Parliament: statement by Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE)

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE), MEP 9th parliamentary term, Dear Members of the European Parliament, Dear colleagues but most importantly dear European citizens. Five weeks ago European citizens have used your rights to vote and elected us as your representatives. You have given us the mandate to shape the future of this house and also the future of the European Union. And I want to thank you for putting your trust into this institution. But you have also given us a very clear message and the message is that the European project is very much alive. You the voters have answered the hateful and divisive rhetoric of the populist right with a clear pro-European message. And I thank you for that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, Dear colleagues the past elections have seen an increased voter turnout. And this is a very encouraging sign. But it also means responsibility to us as European Parliament. Thanks to the voters we have a strong mandate to now decide on the future of Europe and to hold the Commission and the member states accountable and as parliamentarians we have received a mandate to strengthen the European Parliament as an institution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, And I say let's strengthen the Parliament to get it today and let's strengthen it together by electing a parliament president that embodies the independence of our institution. We cannot accept that the presidency of this house is being treated as a negotiation chip in old school backroom Council negotiations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, This is not the signal we need to send to the citizens. There can be no doubt the European Union is more important than ever. In the wake of climate crisis growing social inequalities and international confrontation we need more Europe more than ever. But as EU institutions we haven't always been very successful in reaching out to the citizens and telling them convincing them that we actually working for them addressing the issues that are most important to them.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, This is not the signal we need to send to the citizens. There can be no doubt the European Union is more important than ever. In the wake of climate crisis growing social inequalities and international confrontation we need more Europe more than ever. But as EU institutions we haven't always been very successful in reaching out to the citizens and telling them convincing them that we actually working for them addressing the issues that are most important to them.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, And as president I want to renew the trust and I want to make sure that the European Parliament is the space where citizens are discussing in the past years. We have been having debates on the future of Europe with heads of state and government with presidents and so on was very interesting but why not now change the direction say we open the house we discuss the future of the European Union with the citizens with the civil society with the people that shape our continent. Today. As. In the Parliament we clearly defend human rights democracy the rule of law.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, And as Parliament's precedents. I want to be the ambassador for exactly those values and principles and in order to be credible also as institutions we need to always in everyday work and making sure we're fulfilling the principles that we ask others to fulfil. Be transparency in gender equality be it inclusion workers rights and also reducing our ecological footprint. And dear colleagues the European Union is the biggest historic achievement of our continent. It has ensured peace friendship and prosperity on a continent that used to be dominated by war and by hatred.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, As elected members of the European Parliament we have a shared responsibility to honour and to defend this historic achievement that we have inherited and I am born in a country that was divided by the Iron Curtain. I have lived on the border between Poland and Germany. I have seen myself what it means when Europe brings people together when Europe overcomes borders in the minds and on the grounds and I see also for myself a personal responsibility to defend that European heritage

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, In order in order to defend Europe we also need to show the courage to change it for the better. And as the only directly elected EU institution the European Parliament has a key role in doing this leap forward.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER, MEP 9th parliamentary term, This house has been for many years fighting to defend and increase our rights as parliament because that means increasing the rights and representation of the citizens. The citizens who elect us who send us through this chamber and to continue this work of parliamentary rights. I am candidate today for the honour of chairing this Parliament and I would be grateful for your support. Thank you so much.