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. Answer by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

state of the Union

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

state of the Union 2020 (T)

State of the European Union debate: Answer by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Thank you very much. So listening to the extreme right shows again that there is a fundamental difference at looking at the human being and the individual. We are convinced that each human being has a solemn dignity that can never be touched. Independent, where this individual does come from.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And obviously the extreme right has a different view. There are different types of human beings then and us, and then they have to be confront with hate. But hate has never given any good advice. So we will always insist on the fact that this this makes you angry.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, This makes him angry because we got him on the point where he sees that we are on a different so what that is concerned and that is democracy. That is democracy. You have to bear with that. He cannot bear with the contradict that you are preaching hate.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And we are one solution. And we want a constructive approach to watch migration because it will always be with us.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And therefore, this is the right moment for a fresh start on migration. And just two numbers every year, about 2 million people do come to Europe, 2 million and 140000 refugees. So we should be able to manage that. 2 million people are coming to Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, There is a good reason by Europe because Europe is a wonderful continent that offers a lot of opportunities and this is normality. And on top, 140000 refugees last year, we should be able we have to be able to manage that. And therefore, we will put forward the legislation next week. There will be time to discuss it.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The rule of law with a new report. We will put forward till the end of the month. The commission is taking the most systematic and the most comprehensive approach to the rule of law in our history, because never before we have looked and detailed at these issues across every countr.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Not just on the which judiciary, is important, but also an anti-corruption media landscape, institutional checks and balances. And the report that will be published before the end of this month will face many or will show many challenges.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And then we will have a broad debate here to really confront that. And if it's necessary and we Knewton do need a new instruments, new tools where letchford, let's address it. This is what we are here for. That's why we do politics here. So that is a chance to move forward on that subject.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, You mentioned next generation EU and the issue of jobs and the idea of each euro being spent just once. And the need to move forward on the digital agenda. That's why 20% of next generation EU will be earmarked for digital technology investment.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And that's very important. We have a clear plan for 2030. We've set up targets. We have plans for infrastructure, data, technology. We've got laws that will be put forward. Now is the time for us to move ahead with digital technology in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And someone said quite rightly that with the huge investment ambitions and the next generation EU, we need to be responsible in the way we allocate them in a way that's responsible and efficient.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Ladies and gentlemen, I listened to you and I must say I don't share the gloomy vision of the world that you portrayed. I am a person that wishes to look for hope and seek optimism and solutions wherever possible.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Of course, we are living in very difficult times, but what held us back in the past when there were difficult times, it was the struggle to become active, to mobilize. And that has fundamentally changed in the times of Koroma when nobody wants to remain stuck in the current state.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, So this slowness, i's something we can overcome and we are now called upon to think about the world post. Corona, I have presented my vision to you for this world and I think many in this house share my vision.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We now have a responsibility with the energy that this vision gives us to show leadership to really develop a European vision that is in line with the Europe of tomorrow and to invest accordingly. We need to be efficient, future oriented in our investments, and that really will be our common goal.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We have heard many different perspectives today, and that's what I enjoy about democracy. Let us have a fight about this. I was able to see, however, that was very broad majorities supporting the idea of a greener world, a cleaner world, a healthier one, a more powerful economy.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The challenge will be to chart this path through new technologies so that we can allow our planet to survive into the future. We want to shape our common future. We're not saying doom and gloom the end of the world.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We're seeing progress. The potential for new solutions to be found. Let us work on this together.