misclassified/meps_speeches huggingface dataset:
The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2021-10-19

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Dear Prime Minister, I welcome the opportunity to speak to you directly even though, unfortunately, I might have missed that hopeful part that you had promised to us. Maybe we should give him the extra time for that, President. I believe, Prime Minister, though, that you are leading your country on a dangerous path, a path which calls into question the country’s well-deserved place at the heart of the European Union.
I remember very well the day that Poland joined the European Union. It was just such a joyful day, such a day full of hope of overcoming very physical borders, but also the borders in our head. Today, it pains me to see how your government undermines this very unity that we celebrated together. Your government has turned its back on the rule of law, on the independence of the judiciary, on minorities, on almost anyone who does not fit your reactionary ideology.
With this latest judgment, your government—chosen judges also turned their backs on the very principle of the EU itself ˗ the strength of our common laws. Let’s make no mistake, this does not just concern Poland. What the Polish Government has done and is doing is an attack on the very existence of the EU itself.
Our Union is not just an economic alignment; it’s a Union of peace, cooperation, democracy and the same rules applying to everyone. A Union where Member States have voluntarily agreed to submit to commonly found agreements in order to offer their citizens a better life, to overcome conflicts and to guarantee peace. The Polish Government has questioned those fundamental pillars. If we let that pass, then there won’t be much left of those pillars before long.
This is a test for all of us, but mostly for the European Commission. President von der Leyen, being the guardian of the treaties has never been an easy task, but this time is different. When a Member State blatantly questions the fundamentals, the Commission must act strongly and swiftly.
Time and time again, your Commission has extended a hand of dialogue to the Polish Government. But, President von der Leyen, the Polish Government has rejected your hand. It is now high time that you fulfil the obligations that the EU’s Treaty puts on you, to defend the citizens of Poland and to defend the core of the Union, a Union built on justice.
The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (continuation of debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2021-10-19

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, I was really wondering what the Prime Minister was trying to achieve today in this plenary because he hasn’t really presented himself as a prime minister of one of the most important Member States of the European Union. Prime Minister, you’ve been coming here more like a leader of a small party in a heated election campaign and I’m not sure that’s the image you want to give here. Where are your ideas of how to get out of this crisis? I haven’t heard any ideas about how you want to go forward, and that seems to be the road right into the abyss.
And I’m very proud of all our colleagues here across the room from Poland, who stood up today here for the rule of law in their own country, as well as the European Union overall. I’m very proud of you, colleagues. And let’s never forget that Poland is much more than peace. The Polish people deserve our solidarity, so let’s keep on working for the rule of law, and I very much hope that the Commission is going to be very strong, but also the Council indeed, and we’re going to debate that tomorrow, because they also have to do their job. All of us together. But that also includes the Polish Government.
Presentation of the Fit for 55 package after the publication of the IPCC report (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2021-09-14

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, this summer the UN Panel on Climate Change gave us a dramatic reminder of what’s at stake. They tell us the global surface temperature is increasing faster than ever in the past 2 000 years. They tell us that if we don’t drastically limit our emissions, every single region on our planet will suffer the immediate consequences of climate change. They tell us we only have until 2030 maximum to do everything in our power to act against the climate and biodiversity crisis. 
The decisions that we are taking today have to deliver on the global promise to keep the temperature rise well below two degrees, and it’s the industrialised countries that have built their wealth on greenhouse gas emissions that are now threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the globe. We, as Europeans, have a special responsibility, and all of this makes the Fit for 55 package so important. A 55% reduction is, anyway, not very ambitious given the challenge ahead. Therefore, it will be even more important that this package is filled with concrete measures that are correctly and honestly calculated and measures that start today and not just only after 2030. And unfortunately, that is a test that this package does not pass, at least not in all aspects. 
Phasing out free allowances in the emission trade, a kerosene tax and an end to the combustion engine cannot be postponed for another 10 years, or even more. Not only are we losing out in the fight to keep the climate conditions liveable, but also in the race for who provides the tools and technology for the transition. 
The time to act is now if we don’t want to drown in the consequences of our own inaction. Rather, we need to end public subsidies for fossil fuel, get rid of free pollution certificates, complement the renovation phase with the solar phase and accelerate the switch to renewables. We know what to do. We just need to do it, and we have no time to lose.
Presentation of the programme of activities of the Slovenian Presidency (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2021-07-06

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, an ever—accelerating climate crisis, the deterioration of the rule of law in Europe, a new turn in the pandemic with a very transmissible variant spreading: these are just some of the issues a new Presidency will have to face, and it will be more than enough for any. 
But we are concerned about how willing the Slovenian Presidency is to take on those challenges. While we see unprecedented heatwaves and while the ocean is literally on fire, your Presidency will be in a position to start the negotiations on the climate package. You have a historic chance to help upgrade the EU’s position from the recent insufficient climate targets and focus on a massive rollout of a green and socially just transition.
In your Presidency’s priorities, however – and you mentioned exactly that just now in your speech – not only is such an ambition lacking, but you are even giving credit to false solutions. On the rule of law, Prime Minister Janša, you seem to have been following and taking a look into a course on illiberal democracy, and that is dangerous for the European values your Presidency is claiming to uphold. Smear campaigns and the intimidation of free media and civil society, and looking for scapegoats are not the acts we expect from a European government. 
You have said that your Presidency’s number one priority is resilience and recovery, and I think we both agree that the key to achieve this is a good and targeted use of the common European funds dedicated to the recovery that we so dearly need. I am therefore wondering, as are colleagues, why Slovenia is the only country in the entire European Union that has not yet nominated its prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. What is the message that you are sending by interfering with judicial nominations? You’ve just said how important judicial independence is. Interfering with judicial nominations that are supposed to shed light on fraudulent use of public money in our union is rather strange to me with the rule of law being one of the priorities that you have set. 
The Presidency is always a time when a country and its government are in the limelight. While a country as beautiful as Slovenia always deserves to be the spot of attention, I do have some doubts about how you and your government will represent the EU in the next six months. But I hope that you will prove me, and us, wrong. We are very much looking forward to cooperating with you because a successful presidency is indeed a success for the whole European Union, but it needs to be based on the common values and targets that we have all agreed and signed up to.
Conclusions of the special meeting of the European Council on 24 and 25 May 2021 (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2021-06-09

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, let’s start with the positive news from the last summit. There was indeed unified and strong condemnation of Belarus kidnapping a plane, and arresting and torturing two of its citizens. It’s good that sanctions were agreed; it’s good that they came swiftly. It was a truly outrageous action by Lukashenko and it cannot go unanswered. 
The EU must be ready to think about further sanctions and to work tirelessly for the release of all political prisoners. We must also step up our support to independent civil society, journalists and peaceful political actors in Belarus and ensure that those fighting and risking their lives for democracy find support and protection in the European Union. 
The less good news is actually old news. The Council continues, unfortunately, to ignore the climate emergency and once again fell far short of agreeing anything close to the scale of action needed to protect our climate. It is ironic that the Council is welcoming the United States’ commitment to the Paris Agreement and urges increased global action, while at the same time is stepping on the brake on climate targets and on concrete measures. I’m sure there were a lot of preoccupations; I’m sure not many of them were about the climate emergency. We expect more and better of you. Going into the COP26 in Glasgow, if the EU is to have any credibility and leverage to demand more climate action globally, the level of commitment from the EU side needs to be significantly stepped up. 
The Council also debated the situation of the pandemic, and in Europe the numbers indeed look promising and the vaccination efforts are finally picking up, and that’s great – although we should not forget that there is also a significant difference still between members in their vaccination campaigns. But however well we might be doing in Europe, we should never forget that many countries globally hardly have any access to vaccines. This is a new gap in global justice, threatening the lives and destroying the livelihoods of many, while also leaving the door open to any variant, which can bring new spirals of problems worldwide. 
So the slogan of ‘No one is safe until everyone is safe’ finally needs to be filled with life. Donations of financial means and vaccines are extremely welcome, but they are also not enough. Production needs to be ramped up, and one tool to bring this forward is a temporary TRIPS waiver, with compulsory licensing for countries of the global south and knowledge—sharing that will boost global vaccine production. 
I think the EU must finally ‘walk its talk’ and provide global leadership in all of those fields, and the G7 summit will be one possibility for that. Beyond the nice speeches, the EU must do more. It’s what the world expects of the EU, but it’s also what Europeans expect of their leaders – and that’s where we will be holding you accountable.
Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 25 and 26 March 2021 - The outcome of the high level meeting between the EU and Turkey of the 6th of April (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2021-04-26

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, I would like to say to you, President Michel, that I am disappointed in you. I don’t expect much from President Erdoğan. He has just cancelled the Istanbul Convention and does nothing to protect women – to put it very mildly – and certainly he would try to divide the EU, but from you I would have expected different. If you treat the Commission President like this, then no woman can expect different treatment, and that’s what makes it so personal. 
The EU can only speak with a strong voice if we speak with one voice, if we’re not divided, and this is of course very well known to President Erdoğan but also to other heads of state elsewhere. That’s exactly why they try so hard to divide us and we should never play their game because it weakens all of us. 
Already before your visit to Turkey the EU position towards the Turkish Government has been very weak, and that is something that I’m disappointed with in everyone participating in that meeting. 
The human rights situation in Turkey is catastrophic and democracy and the rule of law have deteriorated dramatically. Look no further than the arbitrary imprisonment of journalists, academia, opposition politicians, the ceaseless harassment of civil society, media, opposition parties, doctors, lawyers, prosecutors, people facing many years of prison for tweets, like Cihan Erdal, and women, especially trans—woman, facing massive violence. 
And yet, confronted with all of those issues, the Council is still working on a mandate for the modernisation of the customs union between the EU and Turkey without any linkage to human rights and – very differently from accession negotiations – upgrading the customs union entails zero commitment for press freedom or the rights of opposition parties. It’s a purely economic instrument that will help Erdoğan win in the area that makes him most vulnerable – economics. 
Therefore, I strongly urge you to think again about the message you are sending to people fighting for human rights and democracy in Turkey, but also beyond. And yes, European companies would also benefit from the customs union upgrade, but that cannot be an argument to ignore human rights. You must change track now for Europe to have any foreign policy credibility left.
Turkey is one of the main receiving countries for refugees, and yes we should do our utmost to help the country deal with that challenge, but Europe should never have tasked Erdoğan with keeping people in need away from Europe’s borders. That was a failure of Europe’s responsibility to the fundamental human rights of people in need of protection and a geopolitical disaster, and it needs to be ended and not to be continued.
Inauguration of the new President of the United States and the current political situation (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2021-01-20

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, dear colleagues, the shocking scenes from Washington have not materialised out of thin air. They were the direct result of Trump egging them on, but also of four years of daily lies, a contempt for facts, of relentless attacks on free media and portraying dissenting opinion as evil or a conspiracy. And this proves that even the strongest democracies are vulnerable when challenged on a steady and aggressive basis. I very much hope that the inauguration today goes well and smoothly, and I wish President Biden a lot of success.
Dear colleagues, imagine that the riots to overturn a free and fair election would have happened here at the European Parliament or in the parliament of one of the Member States. Sounds unbelievable, sounds far away? But do we really think in Europe we are safe from the threats of populism and demagogues, from disinformation and attacks to overthrow the rule of law? Remember the Brexit campaign five years ago, filled with blatant lies and false promises. Think of the Polish Government’s unbelievable disregard for women’s ownership of their own bodies. Think of what we sometimes hear here in this Chamber. And perhaps most emblematic: don’t forget Viktor Orbán’s systematic dismantling of Hungary’s rule of law, blaming every imaginable or unimaginable foreign foe, from George Soros to migrants, to indeed the EU itself. And let’s keep all of this in mind when looking at the events across the Atlantic. Those events should inspire humbleness rather than fuel a false belief that we’re safe from all of this in the EU. We must learn from those shocking events in Washington.
Firstly, we should take seriously those who announce that they want to destroy democracy. Many participants in the Capitol riots had announced their intentions in plain view. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Far-right groups are also underestimated in Europe. They commit murders, they purchase weapons, and yet there’s very little attention to what they’re planning. They are a real threat, both on this side and on the other side of the Atlantic.
And secondly, let’s remember that democracies are fragile and are always ‘work in progress’, and the EU has not always been agile enough to prevent the erosion of rule of law in several Member States. We must relentlessly work to safeguard fundamental rights and rule of law.
And thirdly, we need to look into the role of the social media tech giants in this crisis. Disinformation, amplified by algorithms, has divided societies and has even cost human lives. At the same time, the cooperative executives have acquired unbelievable power. So let’s bring social media under democratic scrutiny. That can wait no longer.
The outcome of the US presidential elections (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-11-11

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, these US elections have brought some good news. Trump is out, even if he himself doesn’t yet want to believe it. I’m sure he will see soon. Joe Biden and his promise of politics based on respect for each other, for facts, and for science has won. Kamala Harris, Vice President-elect, achieved something truly historic. A first woman, a woman of colour: Harris smashed many glass ceilings, and while a lot remains to be done on gender equality, this breakthrough will have a long-lasting impact. 
But, while Trump is voted out of the White House, Trumpism – or whatever you want to call this disastrous mix of nationalism, racism, and narcissism – got a lot of support. And it also has a lot of support in Europe and even among some EU governments, as we have seen. Democracy, equality and rule of law are not a given on either side of the Atlantic. It is something we have to strive for every day and never take for granted. Movements like Black Lives Matter, like Me Too, and journalists, democracy activists and many more fought back and defended democracy in the US for the past four years. They are the ones that should be celebrated in these elections. 
Transatlantic relations have taken a hard hit over the past four years, and while we all hope and we can be sure that they will become better now, the lesson learned for Europe is that it needs to stand more on its own two feet. In order to be able to do that, we need to also stand stronger together and more firmly. For that, we need to have a common understanding of fundamental values because if we don’t know on what grounds we stand as a Union then we cannot grow. And equally, we cannot shy away from the responsibilities of our actions in the external world. That goes for the climate crisis, for weapons exports, for conflict parties or for shady energy projects with even more shady partners such as Nord Stream. If we want Europe to be taken seriously by the world, we have to take ourselves seriously first, and that means taking responsibility for our actions and their impact in the world, no matter who rules the White House.
State of the Union (topical debate) (continuation of debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-09-16

  Ska Keller (Verts/ALE).   – Mr President, President von der Leyen, you said it yourself, now is the time for implementation. Now we had the announcement of which we share many of them, but of course the important task is to put all of that into life, and I want to thank you for your strong words when it comes to human rights, be it on the human rights of refugees, of LGBTI people, also human rights in Russia and in China. The question is, what are the consequences of those words? How will we put them into action, into life, what action will follow? I think it’s very important to make sure that our policies are coherent so that we’re not exporting weapons and then are surprised about refugees, that were not subsidising fossil fuels and then wondering about climate change, and that we also don’t put profits over human rights when it comes to our external relations – and I’m thinking about relations with China, where there’s lots of important talks going on, but also, for example, when it comes to Russia. Thank you very much and good luck. We’re ready to support you.
Preparation of the European Council meeting of 19 June 2020 - Recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-06-17

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, let’s be honest. No one really expects anything to happen at this European Council with regard to the recovery plan. We all think there will be some haggling and insisting on own positions, and afterwards everyone will go to the national press and say how well they have defended the national interest. Even the President of the European Council gave up on any outcome even before the summit had started. It’s quite shameful really that, when our Heads of State and Government come together, no one expects anything much to happen.
Wouldn’t it be great though if, for once, the expectations of Europeans were over—fulfilled, if just once we didn’t wait until things were too late and until the mood was already really bad. We have an unforeseen crisis in the EU, and we all know that we need to act urgently in order to mitigate the economic impact. The EU as a whole needs to have, and provide, funds for this. The funds need to be targeted into the economy that we want to have tomorrow, not the one that puts profit over planet and people. A major effort is needed, but the benefits are great, especially if we link the investments to the challenges that we anyway have to face, namely the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, social inequality and digitalisation.
Imagine if, for once, governments could ditch the drama and go for bold and for courageous. It would be worthwhile because, in the end, it is in the national interest of every single Member State to have a strong European Union for their citizens and for their economy. Our union is not a zero-sum game. It is the boat in which we are all sitting together. We fail together or we win together. So let’s make sure that we make a win for the future of the European Union.
EU Recovery package (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-05-27

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, we have indeed a very deep crisis in Europe, and we need to react to that. It’s a big moment of responsibility, of thinking together, that were joining hands and we’re thinking of how to get together out of this crisis.
This Parliament, with a broad majority, has shown a way forward with a substantial recovery fund, a strong MFF – a strong budget – and a Green Deal that helps the economy while addressing the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis which have gone nowhere. I’m very glad to say that Greens all over Europe are actually supporting that, so I’m afraid Mr Weber, dear Manfred, that it is a bit cheap to hide behind the Greens when we actually have a strong support, also public support from the Austrian Greens who are supporting our position and the position of this Parliament.
Maybe it is rather your best friend in Vienna who is causing the problem. But I’m glad to see that you’re also ready and willing to convince them, and try to convince them, and I am glad we can join forces there and try indeed our common job to convince governments all over parties, all over. Because that is what we need to do now, because I do believe that the Commission proposal is a very big step forward and we welcome the focus that you’ve put on grants to make sure that no Member State is left behind in this crisis.
The overall volume might not prove sufficient in time, but in any case, what we need to make sure is that we don’t lessen the ambitions on the MFF because we also need to think further ahead.
You have mentioned – colleagues have mentioned – conditions attached to the fund, and I would urge us all to not repeat the big mistakes of the past and force countries into austerity and blind market ideologies that have never worked, and will not work. Instead, we need to make sure that the money is well invested into projects that will help in the long term, that create jobs and that save the one planet that we have.
To be meaningful in the long term, both the Recovery Fund and the MFF need to incentivise the social and ecological transformation of our economy and promote gender equality – a big problem we’ve seen in this crisis. They also need to follow our minimum common rules such as the rule of law and democracy.
Some governments think that they can do it all alone, but I think they should think again. They have all benefited as much as and even more than other Member States from the single market, from freedom of movement and some, unfortunately, also from a bit too lax tax rules.
Europe needs a strong step ahead. It needs courageous action like that of Schuman 70 years ago, and this Parliament has shown it is ready to do its part. I hope the Member States will follow.
(Applause)
70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-05-14

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, the success of the Schuman Declaration is certainly undoubtable. Lasting peace on a warring continent is a paramount achievement. But still, our Union has come even further, has been even more successful by working together. We expanded to overcome big parts of the Iron Curtain division and integrated in an ever closer Union to the benefit of the people living within. Crises, like the one we are crossing today, prove how much we have come to take for granted all the achievements of our Union. Just think about the freedom of movement. 
However, it is hardly the time to pat ourselves on the back. The world today is very different from that of Schuman. We have digitalisation, globalisation, a growing nationalism, climate change. All those have fundamentally affected our realities, and the COVID-19 crisis today leaves millions without jobs, a stable income or future perspectives. 
Today, our Union needs an immense leap forward. Europe needs again a Schuman-type future-proof solution oriented action. So what can this leap forward be? First of all, it should be a people and planet centred recovery from the multiple crises that Europe is currently facing – the social inequalities, the climate and biodiversity crises, the public health crisis. It is high time we used all the instruments at our disposal to create the most ambitious social, economic and environmental transformation the world has ever seen, and this must ensure that no one is left behind. 
Secondly, this leap forward must re-anchor our European Union in the respect of citizens’ rights, democracy and fundamental rights, because these have too often been sidelined in recent years. 
Thirdly, a strong and future-proofed Union must also look beyond its immediate borders. Our Union must always offer shelter to those seeking protection. It must be open to countries that want to join and meet our rules. 
We are living through challenging times for our Union. We must now prove that we can live up to those challenges. Seventy years from now, history will judge whether we have passed the test.
Statement by the President
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-03-10

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, unfortunately, on this Women’s Day as on every other women’s day, and as indeed on every day of all of our lives as women, we realise that equality is far, far away from being realised. Women’s Day is not so much a day of celebration; it is a day to remind us of the struggle that has been done in the past, and on the struggle that still lies ahead of us. So much still needs to be done.
Since we’re in a Parliament, I indeed want to remind us of the big lack of women in decision-making. Just because we might see one woman somewhere in a leading position, that just reminds us of the stark contrast of everyone else in the room usually being a man. That needs to change, but we can also all do something about that. All of our parties, all of our list elections, everyone can do something about it. It is not a natural phenomenon that women are under-represented. Everyone can, but also everyone has to contribute to this struggle.
While it takes forever, as we have seen, to break old problems, to break all old inequalities, new ones are rising by the day. For example, if we look at the online hate that people – women – are facing; the hate that we have received is an old problem but to see it so much multiplied in the online space is a new phenomenon. Also the bias of algorithms now coming up and soon having a very big influence – already having a very big, bad influence on our lives – is something that is a new phenomenon. So let’s never ever for one day even think the fight is over. It is not over. It needs to be continued with women of all the regions, of all religions, no matter how they look, no matter whom they love, and let’s not forget, either, the struggle of trans women, who are often overlooked.
Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-03-10

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, I very much want to thank all the health workers, all over the world, who are doing a tremendous job and will most likely have to continue doing a tremendous job and who we all rely on in times of emergency – I really want to thank them for all that they are doing.
And while we’re following very closely what’s happening with the Covid-19 spread and impact, I think what we also should be looking at is the wider impact and the wider effect it has on health systems. There are also other health problems around that might get worse when hospitals are very busy dealing with the coronavirus infections and health systems are often already at their limit. 
And I think that should also encourage us to learn some lessons – I mean, there will be many more lessons to be learned in the future, but already at this point I think we can take and draw some lessons. One of them is to really strengthen the health systems, and not rely on there always being good and sunny days. We also need to have our health systems in shape for emergency situations. 
I think another important thing is that we need to have social systems that enable people to indeed take sick leave, to stay at home when they’re not feeling well, or even to stay in quarantine, and that’s not possible if you’re only paid by the hour. That’s not possible when you’re paid badly, if you don’t get sick leave support, for example. 
Another lesson, as has also been mentioned by colleagues, is that maybe it’s not so smart to leave the production of vital goods to one country, one region alone – that we should spread production more widely and more economically in that sense and not just be reliant on very specific areas or very specific economies. 
And while we need to listen to the medical experts and take note of the measures and emergency measures that Parliament should take – that everyone should take – it is also up to politics to draw those conclusions, to draw lessons and deal with them.
And, most importantly, I think I want to reiterate what the Commissioner said. We need to work together. A crisis can only be overcome if we all show solidarity. Exclusion and discrimination does not help anyone. It’s the wrong way forward. We need to stand together in solidarity, especially when the going gets tough.
Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-03-10

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, what we’re witnessing here is a humanitarian catastrophe in many dimensions. We have one catastrophe of a humanitarian dimension at the Greek-Turkish border, but we also have one on the Greek islands, and we have one – let’s not forget about that – in northern Syria around Idlib. It’s the fate of those women, of men and children – that is the crisis, and that is what we need to care about.
It is shocking that Europe will only care about refugees when they pose a problem at our own borders. It is shocking how Europe answers people in need with tear gas, with breaking the law and with suspending human rights. Is that what we really want to be?
Those who are fleeing from a war, those who need protection, and those who are living in unbearable conditions on Greek islands or anywhere else, they need our solidarity. The EU needs to support the Member States on the borders, but it completely fails if this support is understood as just more policing and keeping people out. Rather, the EU should support Greece with applying international law by a rapid redistribution of the people trapped on the islands or at the border. The EU should focus on safely distributing the refugees. Hundreds of municipalities all across Europe have volunteered to accommodate refugees. They are real heroes, and those communities deserve our praise and they deserve our support. Europe cannot just turn a blind eye if it wants to be worth anything. It needs to help because we are all human beings and we are all equal.
Order of business
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-02-10

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, the European Parliament has been calling in our Green Deal Resolution – not long ago, actually, this year – for binding and enforceable sustainable development chapters. Also, the Commission, which was just recently elected, has been saying that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a key part of their agenda. This is the first free trade agreement (FTA) that will come with the Commission’s mandate. However, the FTA was negotiated without such a commitment before Parliament asked, in January, for this binding trade and sustainable development chapter.
Also in January, this House voted on a report calling for streamlining human rights into all its policies. However, unfortunately, they’re not being streamlined into the FTA with Vietnam, because we have seen a lot of human rights violations – also just recently with the crackdown of a peaceful protest in January – and we’ve been asking for a firm and sanctionable commitment from the Vietnamese Government to improving the human rights situation. Nothing of this sort has been done, and that’s why we think this needs further commitment, from both the Commission and the Vietnamese Government. Therefore, we ask to postpone the vote on the four reports in total.
(Applause)
Commission Work Programme 2020 (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-01-30

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, this week is indeed a traumatic one for the European Union. It’s a dramatic event that a Member State would leave, and it’s an immensely sad one as well. But I refuse to accept this historic mistake as the end. It will neither it put an end to the friendship between the people of Great Britain and on the European continent, nor will we give up hope that the UK will return home at some point – here where it belongs, to the European family. But while this week is a very sad moment, it’s not a moment at all that brings us closer to any end of the EU, for example, as some who brought about Brexit might have wanted it to: quite the opposite. If we didn’t have the EU already, it would now be the perfect moment to invent it, and the Europeans have come together because there are problems that you can only solve together and because together they are stronger in whatever challenge appears in the world. And there are plenty of challenges today, and we need to address them together.
And that’s why it’s so important this week also to discuss the work programme. This work programme will be the chance to prove what we are worth. Commissioner, you mentioned in your speech the climate crisis, which is indeed a huge challenge that every state and every continent is affected by, and it’s high time for urgent action. We’re very happy that this Commission puts an emphasis on initiatives tackling the climate crisis as well as the dramatic loss of biodiversity on our planet. It is, of course, way too early to say if they’re going to be sufficient; that will depend on the details of your proposals. But also it will depend on whether a majority of this House will support ambitious climate legislation, not to mention the Member States as well, which we need to have on board. Therefore, it will depend on all of us how much climate action the EU will undertake and how much the EU will contribute to the global efforts to save the planet after having contributed – actually, a lot – to its destruction in the past.
The Commission is also the guardian of the Treaties, and you mentioned some action in that regard to make sure that Member States don’t deviate from the rule of law, and it is time to put our common commitment into action. This year will show which way the Commission is heading, and we need courageous steps forward into a new European Union.
Presentation of the programme of activities of the Croatian Presidency (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2020-01-14

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, I’m very happy that Croatia is taking its first ever Presidency and I wish you a lot of success for it and also many happy returns. This Presidency comes at a very crucial moment, when the new Parliament and the new Commission will enter into full legislation mode and make sure to make all the promises that were given throughout the election campaign and afterwards reality. There is lots to do. We face a huge climate crisis that impacts everyone and we need to act now, both at EU level and also in the Member States. The European Commission has already made some promises in that regard, which we applaud, but it also needs the Member States and too many of them have been blocking environmental progress in the past. This needs to change. We need the Member States along, active and pushing when it comes to climate action. It will be your task to ensure this, and that is a big responsibility as well. To fill this role, we also encourage you and your government to implement your own fair and ecological transition in Croatia. 
Another area where we would like to see more action from the Member States is rule of law and human rights, and I’m very glad that you mentioned that. It needs some more peer pressure from governments to bring Member States back on track. Rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms are pillars of the European Union and should not be weakened and that goes for all Member States. Here, Prime Minister, I’m concerned about the reports about the Croatian police disregarding international law and procedures in their treatment of refugees and migrants. There are even reports of systematic violence and abuse, such as destruction of property, humiliation, beatings and even the use of firearms. These abuses have been repeatedly pointed out by NGOs and have been widely reported in the media, but the Croatian government has so far neither stopped nor investigated those reports. Prime Minister, that is not acceptable in any EU country, but in any country anywhere, refugee rights are human rights, and I urge you to ensure that those rights are being respected. The Croatian borders are European borders and what happens there is a responsibility for all of us, so we will not turn a blind eye. 
Croatia is a beautiful country and the youngest member of our family. This Presidency is a big chance for your country and your government to show the rest of Europe what your visions and your ideas for our common future are, but the Presidency will also turn a spotlight on Croatia and how much your global words are met with local action, both on human rights as well as on climate justice. You can count on our support for bringing forward climate justice, social equality and rule of law, but you can also count on us to call out any human rights violation, no matter where, no matter by what government.
Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 12 and 13 December 2019 (debate)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2019-12-18

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, while the heads of state and government were meeting in Brussels last week, the COP 25 in Madrid was stalling. So maybe, next year, it would be a good idea if the heads of state went to Glasgow – to the COP26 – to show the importance that they give to the topic of climate protection (if indeed they do).
In light of the disappointing outcome of Madrid, it’s good to see that there was an agreement on climate neutrality in 2050 at the summit. This is a very important step, but of course it can only be one step forward: 2050 is quite late, and setting targets is only half the battle. What really matters is less the targets set for later on – they are important sure – but rather the actions you take today in order to achieve those targets. And for those concrete actions, the discussion on the long-term budget – the MFF – is the perfect opportunity, because the EU budget needs to support the climate targets and not undermine them. Right now, the proposals that we have on the table are not doing that job; they don’t match the climate talk. There are still too many harmful subsidies that are being dished out; too little going into the protection of climate and biodiversity. 
So I hope Member States will start to walk the walk when it comes to climate and budget. It was disappointing to see that the Polish Government would isolate itself by not agreeing to the target. Let’s not forget that 70% of the Poles themselves are supporting that target, so I really hope the Polish Government will change its my mind: the later you start the transition the harder it will get, and the climate crisis does not stop at any one country’s border. 
Brexit is – and remains – a tragedy, but this is not the end. We will never give up on our British friends. We will never forget them, and who knows: one day we might be able to say ‘welcome back, UK; welcome home’. 
(Applause)
Election of the Commission (vote)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2019-11-27

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, the new Commission takes office at a time when the climate emergency doesn’t leave us much time to act. We’re happy to see that climate and environmental issues are a key priority for the new Commission and, by the way, also a key priority for more than 90% of the European population.
However, we’re not so sure that the headlines will be followed by concrete action because if the Commission, as it has announced, does not change its agricultural and trade policy, then any climate measure will remain half—hearted. We are also happy to see that more women than ever are part of the Commission, even though it’s curious to see that some governments couldn’t find any women in their country. So, more work needs to be done to ensure a gender balance and also an overall better representation of European society in the Commission. 
We have found in the hearings some very good candidates, but also some that made us have doubts – doubts on conflict of interest and how serious you are on European values, on the rule of law and on women’s rights. Madam President—elect, we will not support a Commission that is not clear on those issues. But be sure that, whenever you take an initiative that protects the climate, that strengthens a social Europe and that enhances the rule of law, we are more than ready to support you. But we will also point out when we think that the Commission is taking a wrong turn or is being too timid. Europe needs decisive action now and we hope that you will feel the courage and the strength to push for change, to stand up against the Council when needed, and to base your work on European values, such as human rights for all and on the rule of law. We want you to act because it’s high time and that’s why we don’t give you a red card, even though we have pointed out all of those problems I’ve mentioned today at various times and we haven’t seen them addressed. 
But we also don’t want to give you a blank cheque either and that’s why our group has decided to abstain today as a head start in terms of trust that we hope will be justified. We’re looking forward to a good cooperation with you and we wish you and your College all the strength, all the courage and energy that it takes not just to hold our continent together, but to bring it forward. 
(Applause)
Order of business
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance / Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Date: 2019-11-25

  Ska Keller,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, we’ve probably all seen the reports about the China Cables, outlining how hundreds of thousands of people are put into camps in China – being mistreated, being tortured, being put there against their will – and this is something where Parliament should speak up and raise its opposition to such a blatant human rights violation. I would really like to ask colleagues for their support.