On the occasion of the incoming Austrian Presidency of the EU, MEPs debate with Sebastian KURZ, Austrian Chancellor, the incoming EU Council Presidency priorities, during the EP plenary session (15-18 January 2018) in Strasbourg.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

KURZ, Sebastian (AT)

EU - Austria (T)

Austrian Presidency of the EU (T)

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Austrian Presidency: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, If you take a glance at the programme of the Austrian government presidency, which not many do, but many talk about, you will see that the programme of the Austrian government has a clear European hallmark.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, We will need to discuss the protection of the external borders, that is the concern of the Chancellor. However, this is not something that has been dreamed up on the day.

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Chancellor, of course you will also have to continue Europe's work on migration, now you have a full support when it comes to safeguarding external borders. Mr Borisov and we were working on safeguarding Bulgarian-Turkish border and we showed it is possible, we can put an end to illegal immigration in the continent. It is the only way the people of Europe will have confidence in our resettlement programmes and we will also continue to be open to people coming from elsewhere.

SOUNDBITE (German), Udo BULLMANN (S&amp;D, DE), Recently, 700 heavily armed people with helicopters were at the Austrian - Slovenian border. My government is against this development in Austria. Armed forces at the borders within Europe, is this what we want? That&rsquo;s not the Europe we want, that&rsquo;s not the Europe we are in favour of.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, NL), And then there is the so-called migration crisis. And why am I saying so-called? Because I don&rsquo;t think it is really a migration crisis what we are living in Europe for the moment, it is a political crisis on the back of migrants, that is the reality. Look to the figures before spreading fear to the populations and the public opinion.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, NL), In the first six months of the year, 45.000 crossings in the Mediterranean, that&rsquo;s 0.07% of the whole migration flows that exist worldwide, 68 million it all. So what are we talking about? We are not talking in my opinion about a sudden influx of people crossing the Mediterranean, we are talking about a political decision, an opportunistic decision of one minister of Interior in Italy, Mr. Salvini, who created this problem that we have now on our plate. That is happening.

SOUNDBITE (English), Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), You want a Europe that protects, yes, but that protects those with economic power, not the citizens. And this is evidence by the report that we have launched, which highlights how your country still allows wealthy Austrian citizens to pack their money away in Lichtenstein. A country that sells passports to dubious individuals or shows little enthusiasm in fighting money laundering.