misclassified/meps_speeches_with_translation.csv huggingface dataset:
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-09-15
Debate: Situation in Belarus - Situation in Lebanon - Situation in Russia, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE).   – Herr Präsident, Herr Borrell, werte Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Die Europäische Union hat von Anfang an in diesem Konflikt die Aspirationen der Menschen in Belarus für Demokratie und Freiheit unterstützt, aber keine eigenen geopolitischen Ziele verfolgt. 
Ich glaube, das war richtig. Das heißt aber nicht, dass andere das nicht tun. Wer das Video gesehen hat, bei dem der ehemalige Diktator, diese lächerliche Figur Lukaschenko, Putin anflehte, ihm doch zu Hilfe zu kommen, der hat erkennen können, wie dort gerade die Gewichte verschoben werden. Russland hat längst angefangen, die Gewichte zu verschieben. 
Es gibt für Belarus zwei mögliche Zukünfte: eine weißrussische und eine russische. Wir haben kein Interesse daran, dass das zweite der Fall ist. Deswegen bin ich zwar einverstanden damit, dass man sagt: Wir wollen nicht antirussisch sein. Aber gegen Putin zu sein, ist nicht antirussisch, das würde ich gerne festhalten. 
Wir müssen aber meines Erachtens darauf Wert legen, dass Lukaschenko in Zukunft nur noch eine Funktion haben kann: Weißrussland Putin zu überliefern. Deswegen müssen wir klar sagen: Eine Zukunft, einen Ausweg für Weißrussland, kann es nur ohne Lukaschenko geben.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-06-18
Debate: Foreign policy consequences of the COVID-19 crisis - The PRC national security law for Hong Kong and the need for the EU to defend Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy - The EU's response to the possible Israeli annexation in the West Bank (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, Mr Borrell, colleagues, the fundamental crisis, which has captivated the globe is driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s also characterised by two novel features. 
It’s the first international crisis, since decades, in which the United States withdraws from any possible international leadership role, while China has been at the centre of this crisis, more than ever before, and this is not for the better. 
This situation reflects the ongoing continental drift in international relations. On the one hand, we have a hegemonic battle between two superpowers, on the other, international institutions are being weakened - in particular multilateral institutions - and undermined. Through the impact of the crisis, these tendencies are being accelerated.
For our EU this constitutes an imperative to step up to the plate and to shoulder our own international obligations more confidently. 
We have a mixed record. We failed when we imposed import-export bans for PPEs. We did well when the Commission organised a donors’ conference for financing vaccine research and we will lead a coalition at the WHO to require an inquiry into the origin and the spread of the pandemic.
But the challenges are many and they are huge. Battling for our values and our interests means finding allies and showing our opponents that we mean business. 
And let me end by making a remark regarding Hong Kong. I welcome the recent statement by the G7. 
Through our resolution, this EP will say that the EU will not just criticise. We want China to understand that reneging on international obligations doesn’t come free of cost. This message should be shared with Chinese leaders at the EU summit on Monday.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-06-17
Debate: Protecting European strategic sectors from foreign takeovers in a post-COVID world (continuation of debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE).   – Mr President, in protecting Europe’s strategic sectors there is no single silver bullet – we need the whole toolbox. That’s why I welcome the White Paper that looks at ways of reining in foreign subsidies, but we also will need to strengthen our investment screening approach vis-à-vis predatory takeovers. Even though the volume of capital invested has decreased recently, the number of investments has grown, which means that investment from China is going after smaller companies that still might have a strategic role. So I think we should try to start amending our investment screening mechanism once it comes into force in October and we could learn a lesson from this.
In addition, I think in order to protect our strategic sectors we must also protect their supply chains, and there it would be interesting to learn from Japan where they’re investing into relocating in order to protect supply chains, and they do that together with ASEAN countries. We could think of doing that with Western Balkan countries and other partners too.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-02-12
Debate: Coronavirus: ensuring fundamental rights and a coordinated European response (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, in this crisis we express our solidarity with the Chinese people and, in particular, with the people of Wuhan. We mourn all the victims and we send our condolences to the families of the deceased.
We declare our high esteem for the service of the Chinese frontline medical workers under the very difficult circumstances and high risks, and I want to hail, in particular, the courage and the sacrifice of Dr Li Wenliang and others.
We welcome the fact that the EU and the Member States have shown first responses in offering support to China. We must continue to provide assistance and cooperation wherever possible. This health crisis is not over. That is why we have to make sure that there is a strong and coordinated effort within the EU and, in particular, between the Member States, and in that regard, I fully support what has been said previously by colleagues.
International cooperation more generally is of paramount importance. This is why I want to explicitly emphasise that Taiwan must be fully included in the WHO—led international efforts.
Lastly, there is a deep concern – and I am grateful to the Commissioner that she mentioned it – about the increasing number of reports of anti—Chinese or anti—Asian xenophobia in some countries, including in the EU, in the context of this crisis. This is completely unacceptable. We want to show solidarity, not allow xenophobia and racism. And in that context, we also have to battle against fake news and fearmongering.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-02-11
Debate: US Middle East plan: EU response in line with international law (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, a great number of victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have long been languishing for a peace plan. Such a peace plan must, of course, include painful concessions, but concessions from both sides. It must include security for Israel, but it must also include a viable sovereign, contiguous state for the Palestinians living side by side with the Israelis. 
This is not what Trump is presenting to us. It’s not a fresh start, it’s a dead end. The so—called peace plan is neither about peace, because it doesn’t overcome it prolongs the conflict, nor is it a plan as a point of departure for negotiations. It’s rather a dictate. When they talk about a peace plan they are effectively pushing for annexation – and a two-state solution is different from one state plus one canton. We cannot … 
(The President cut off the speaker)
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-15
Debate: Distortion of European history and remembrance of the Second World War (topical debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, I want to thank Commissioner Jourová for having Poland’s back in this public discussion. Recently, we have been having an increasing number of historical debates, and it’s not easy dealing with these topics. It’s not our role and it’s not our responsibility to exonerate anybody from their historical record.
Historical truth is not at the disposal of the powerful, nor at the disposal even of parliamentary majorities, but we must defend the facts as we best know them. That also applies to Soviet aggression, to Soviet suffering and to the role of appeasement in the run—up to the Second World War. But when a victim is being turned into the perpetrator of a crime, we have to speak up, and if a wolf cries wolf, we should call it out. 
I believe that these kinds of conversations are rarely just about the past. Shifting historical blame can easily be a first step in the direction of identifying a target for more than just rhetorical aggression. Europe should beware.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-15
Debate: Distortion of European history and remembrance of the Second World War (topical debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE).   – Frau Präsidentin! Ich habe eine Frage zur Geschäftsordnung: Wäre es parlamentarisch zulässig, einen Redner, der sagt, es habe sich zwischen dem Zweiten Weltkrieg und heute nichts geändert, einen Spinner zu nennen?
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-14
Debate: Situation in Iran and Iraq following recent escalations (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE).   – Madam President, I say to the High Representative: let me start with a note of realism: our European hand is weak in this conflict, our role is small. But if we want to take our responsibility seriously we have to stick together, and we have to coordinate well. And the coordination should be in the hands of the Vice—President / High Representative as it is his responsibility.
We want to defend the JCPOA but at the same time, we also must push back very clearly against Iranian aggression in other dimensions of its foreign policy. How can we keep the JCPOA alive? Not if we don’t insist on building the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) and making it functional. And the Commission should join INSTEX and put capital into INSTEX and become a partner.
And the last note that I want to strike here is this: there are many dark clouds, there is one signal of hope and that’s the engagement of Iranian citizens, and just recently also Iraqi citizens. And I think it is our duty as the EU to show effective solidarity with them.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-14
Debate: Situation in Iran and Iraq following recent escalations (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE),  Frage nach dem Verfahren der „blauen Karte“. – Herr Mayer! Sie haben gerade im Zusammenhang mit dem Abschuss des ukrainischen Flugzeugs von „Pech“ gesprochen. Sind Sie bereit, sich bei den zivilen Opfern und diesem Haus für diesen Wortgebrauch zu entschuldigen? Man kann einen solchen Akt nicht als Pech bezeichnen, das ist extrem zynisch.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-14
Debate: Annual report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy - Annual report on the implementation of the common security and defence policy (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin, werte Kollegen! Die Gewinnung von Weltpolitikfähigkeit, wie Jean-Claude Juncker das genannt hat, ist das Zentrale an unserer Gemeinsamen Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik. Und ich stimme Ihnen zu, Herr Borrell, das heißt: Wir dürfen uns nicht im Status Quo ausruhen, wir müssen bereit sein, auch neue Verantwortung zu übernehmen.
Allerdings müssen wir die Richtung klar haben, eigene Werte und Interessen zu vertreten, ohne in die Falle einer eigenen Großmachtpolitik zu gehen, nicht dritte Supermacht werden zu wollen, aber auch zu verhindern, dass wir zwischen den beiden existierenden zerrieben werden. Dazu muss die EU Pfeiler einer multilateralen Ordnung sein und einer Entwicklung Widerstand leisten, wodurch die internationale Herrschaft des Rechts nur zu einer nostalgischen Erinnerung würde.
Der Bericht von Herrn McAllister ist ein guter Bericht. Vielen Dank dafür. Ich würde hoffen, dass wir uns in dieser Richtung auch mit den Kollegen aus den nationalen Parlamenten noch viel besser verständigen könnten.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-14
Debate: Annual report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy - Annual report on the implementation of the common security and defence policy (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE),  blue-card question. – Mr Van Orden, you have not always been with the majority on these issues and we have not shared many points of view, maybe with the exception of our view on NATO and the need to strengthen transatlantic cooperation. Will you still allow me to hope, as this is your last plenary session in this Parliament, that you will be at least a little bit nostalgic when you think back on the work that we’ve been doing together?
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-12-18
Debate: Situation of the Uyghur in China (China-cables) (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, I want to thank Mr Borrell for some clear words on behalf of the EU. The policy of the Chinese Communist Party towards the Uyghurs has never been liberal, but in 2014 a totalitarian turn was taken in Xinjiang that has created the worst police state that we have on the globe today. This extreme policy is even encountering some internal opposition, as we learn from the China cables, and I think that for a nation of such great cultural tradition as China, it is shameful to implement such policies.
Fighting terrorism is necessary, but it’s not an excuse for fighting people who want to think as they want, who want to speak as they want, who want to worship as they want. We strongly believe that it’s time to end the lies, to end the excuses and to end the distractions, and to close the camps. We, as Europeans, must also be active beyond just voicing critical words. That’s why this Parliament calls for the halt of exports and the tech transfer of products and services that are used to enhance cyber surveillance. This is why this Parliament asks that forced labour from internment camps must not be allowed to enter into EU-based companies’ value chains, and as has been said before, the products of forced labour must be banned from the European markets. We call on all EU-based companies to draw clear red lines. They are running a high reputational risks if they don’t implement a robust human rights due diligence system that makes sure that they’re not implicated in acts of repression.
We also need a human rights sanctions mechanism, as you have discussed with the foreign ministers in the Foreign Affairs Council, and we need that expeditiously.
Let me make a last sentence that alludes to Ilham Tohti, our Sakharov laureate. He is not allowed to see his family. He hasn’t seen his family for two years, even though Chinese law guarantees that. I think we should all insist that his family should be allowed to know where he lives and to see him.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-12-16
Debate: Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Romanian revolution of December 1989 (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin, sehr geehrte Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Vor denjenigen, die in der rumänischen Revolution ihr Leben geopfert haben oder verwundet wurden, vor den Familien, die Opfer zu beklagen haben, können wir uns nur verneigen. Ich glaube, es gehört mit zu dem wertvollsten Erbe, das wir in Europa teilen, dass wir so viele Beispiele dafür haben, wie in unseren Ländern engagierte, mutige, tapfere Männer und Frauen sich immer wieder für die Freiheit und für die Demokratie engagiert haben, auch um einen hohen persönlichen Preis. Ich glaube, dieses Parlament hat an diesem Punkt einen großen Konsens.
Keinen Konsens haben wir allerdings von meiner Fraktion mit dem Bemühen, jetzt im Europäischen Parlament eine neue Praxis einzuführen, dass Stück für Stück Entschließungen zur Geschichte Europas verfasst werden und dann jeweils festgelegt wird, was „die Wahrheit“ über Europas Geschichte ist. Wer die Wahrheit sucht, muss die Vielfalt suchen, wer die Wahrheit sucht, muss sich in die Auseinandersetzung begeben, wer die Wahrheit sucht, soll ins Haus der Geschichte gehen, aber es ist nicht die Aufgabe eines Parlaments, per Mehrheit zu beschließen, was jeweils die Wahrheit über historische Ereignisse ist.
Ich glaube, das ist nicht hilfreich, egal, von welcher Seite es kommt – aus der Mitte, von links oder von rechts. Ich glaube, es ist ein Holzweg, auf den wir uns begeben würden, und deswegen bittet unsere Fraktion alle anderen, noch einmal zu überlegen, ob wir wirklich auf diesem Weg weitergehen sollen. Es gibt Formen, den Respekt zu äußern, ohne in diese Sackgasse zu laufen.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-11-26
Debate: Crisis of the WTO Appellate Body (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, we in the EU are trade multilateralists. That’s in the EU’s DNA. The crisis of the WTO Appellate Body is a central part of a wider crisis of the rule of law paradigm in international trade relations.
Is it a dispute between the EU and the US? Well, unquestionably, the Trump administration has certainly caused the present impasse. But, at the origin of this escalation, I think, sits the fact that major players have been flouting WTO rules – for instance, anti—subsidy rules – with impunity and mistakes have also been made in the practice of the Appellate Body. That’s why, without reforms, the WTO is not going to be fit for purpose in the future.
The Walker proposals regarding the Appellate Body are good proposals, and they should be integrated with a wider reform of the WTO. We need not just some multilateralism, we need effective trade multilateralism.
Unfortunately, we have seen the development of a huge deal of mutual mistrust across the Atlantic in this regard. This is why I think we should send two very clear messages today from this debate: yes, we want to – and we have to – save the Appellate Body and its function, but we are also serious about reforming it. And on that basis, we call on all our partners to think again.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-10-23
Debate: Search and rescue in the Mediterranean (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE),  blue-card question. – I have two questions for my colleague. Number one: are you sure you belong to EPP and not, rather, to ID? And number two: is what you have said in any way close to Christianity?
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-10-23
Debate: Opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin! Ein berühmter Franzose hat einmal über eine bestimmte Art von politischen Entscheidungen gesagt: Das ist schlimmer als ein Verbrechen, das ist ein Fehler. Die Entscheidung des Rates, Nordmazedonien und Albanien die Aufnahme von Beitrittsverhandlungen zu verweigern, ist ein Fehler von historischer Dimension. Ich danke Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker, Herrn Hahn oder Frau Tuppurainen und all denen von Ihnen, werte Kolleginnen und Kollegen, die klare kritische Worte dazu gefunden haben.
Trotz allem Zorn darüber, wie die EU hier zum wiederholten Mal ihr Wort gebrochen hat, trotz aller Enttäuschung über die strategische Kurzsichtigkeit, trotz aller Scham gegenüber den Menschen in Nordmazedonien und Albanien, denen der Rat die Hoffnung zunichtemacht, will ich hier nicht kritisieren. Ich will nach vorne schauen und mich direkt an Präsident Macron wenden: Herr Präsident, Sie haben sich in dieser Frage sehr isoliert, aber das Europäische Parlament ist bereit, Ihnen eine Brücke zu bauen. Wenn Sie unsere Entschließung genau lesen, stellen Sie fest, dass wir willens sind, an der von Ihnen gewünschten Reform des Beitrittsprozesses mitzuwirken. Lassen Sie uns das gemeinsam tun, aber bitte korrigieren Sie umgehend den Fehler, dass Nordmazedonien und Albanien draußen vor der Tür bleiben müssen, nur weil wir zu Hause noch nicht vollständig aufgeräumt haben.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-10-09
Debate: US tariffs on European goods following WTO's decision on the Airbus dispute (debate)

  Reinhard Bütikofer,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, to say that we regret the decision of the US administration without saying first that we regret the mistakes that we made years ago is hypocritical. I believe we should not get all worked up. As the Boeing case has not been adjudicated fully, it will not be possible at this moment to square it off against the Airbus case.
But let’s not get distracted from the real issue. The real issue is that we have a basic conflict between this House and the European Union on one hand and the US administration on the other and, hopefully, some of our American colleagues would be on our side of this conflict over multilateralism in the global trade order. And I believe we can use this particular experience to argue very simply: ‘the WTO works, let’s not destroy it’.
Speaker: Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-09-19
Debate: Importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe (RC-B9-0097/2019, B9-0097/2019, B9-0098/2019, B9-0099/2019, B9-0100/2019)  (vote)

  Reinhard Bütikofer (Verts/ALE).   – Herr Präsident! Zu dem Änderungsantrag der S&D-Fraktion stelle ich einen mündlichen Änderungsantrag und lese Ihnen das in der englischen Fassung vor.
Der Antrag der S&D-Fraktion fügt folgende Worte ein, und ich zitiere:
And to effectively ban neo—fascist and neo—Nazi groups and any other foundation or association that exalts or glorifies Nazism and fascism.’ I propose the addition of ‘or any other form of totalitarianism.’
Und an der Stelle beantrage ich mündlich einzufügen:
‘or any other form of totalitarianism’.