During the plenary session (14-17 September 2020) in the European Parliament in Brussels, Ursula VON DER LEYEN delivers the State of the European Union (SOTEU 2020) before the MEPs. Statement by Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), EPP Group Leader. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

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WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

state of the Union

state of the Union 2020 (T)

State of the European Union debate: Statement by Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), EPP Group Leader

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - President Sassoli, President Von Der Leyen. Dear colleagues, minister Roth.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - Let me start first with a thank you for your state Union speech. Today marks, although the end of the first year in your mandate and the mandate of all of us, it was for sure a challenging year. But you managed it together as a whole team of the commission.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And I want to thank you for this. And I also want to thank the colleagues in the European Parliament, because in the last a year we showed unity. We showed a good approach of cooperation in their house.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - Despite all our party political differences, we have shown Europeans that we speak with one voice when it mattered most in the State of the Union speeches. An important point in our agenda and we as EPP fully support your main line of your speech.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - It is about health, but migration, about the rule of law, about the euro without without hate. I want to focus in my contribution in our main title. How can we approach the fears among Europeans? You described after the crisis inside of during the crisis? How can we answer this?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And our main message is that we have to show no credibility for the European people's Party. The headline of the upcoming weeks is Jobs, Jobs and Jobs.Take Italy, 40 percent of the young people in Italy as unemployed.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And we can never accept an other lost generation in today's European Union. When we insisted on 5G network for Europe Enough Project for fight against cancer in the idea of a new battery technology, it's not just about showing the EU flags on the billboards how much money we spend.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - It's about delivering on jobs. you can spend the money of the recovery fund only once, and our priority is the future of Europe's young generation.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - Let us use now one third of the recovery funds to finance a pact for European Chop's credibility means for us to immediately start catching up on digital. You spoke about this and for the moment I must say. Where are the initiatives from the commission? So we had screened papers.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - We had white papers, but no real progress. And that is what we need. Probably be can even have a kind of a digital act like we do the clamoured act to pressurise things in the investments on infrastructure and in the investments of technologies.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - Credibility means for us to finalize an ambitious but realistic green deal to stimulate and innovate. And in new and innovative chops, credibility means for us a screening of all EU legislation to check if it stimulates jobs or not. Now it is again time to cut bureaucratic burden and to reinforce the single market.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And credibility means that the recovery funds must protect and support European interests. And let me be frank, not Chinese ones. That's why we need clear rules. No money from the European taxpayers in the pockets of state owned companies from China.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And Dear colleagues, the second point I want to underline one is jobs. And the second is about the external dimension, because credibility means we have to speak with one voice in the world.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - Belarus and Russia. 30 years ago, people in Budapest, in Dresden and in days ago, if Belarus falls, Russia will fall. I say it in my words the idea of free people is going to the east and no, no one can stop it. Neither Lukashenko nor Putin.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And we are credible. And the people out in the streets in Minsk see that Europe is on their side. After the only case, all options of further sanctions must be on the table. You said it even to stop the Nord Stream 2 project.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And one word to our colleagues from France National from Salvini and from Syriza. We are here to serve the European citizens. A true patriot is never Putin's puppet.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And Turkey of France is the second subject for the external affairs. The Greek government is ready to accept for the gas dispute. The judgment of the International Court of Justice and Turkey, sending warships, breaking international law in Syria, suppressing free media and stoking religious tensions with its decision on Hagia Sophia.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - So I ask us, are we credible when Turkey is still a country who wants to join the European Union? I say no, that is not credible. And when Erdogan attacks our family, we especially also the German presidency, cannot be a fair mediator. We have to be close on our friends in Cyprus and on in Greece. That is why we are a union of values.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - And finally, Brexit here to the need of credibility's is really really, big. It makes no sense to negotiate a future agreement in the face of British prime minister who is throwing out of the window the agreement that he signed himself.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), - Great Britain, you are losing your credibility and the global level. What I can say is that the European Parliament can never vote for any greater trade agreement with Great Britain. If we cannot trust each other. So the upcoming months will be extremely challenging. They will shape Europe. Let's show our citizens that Europe shows solidarity and first of all, credibility. Thank you so much.