misclassified/meps_speeches_with_translation.csv huggingface dataset:
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-05-27
Debate: EU Recovery package (debate)

  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)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-05-14
Debate: 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration (debate)

  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.
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-03-10
Debate: Statement by the President

  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.
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-03-10
Debate: Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact (debate)

  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.
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-03-10
Debate: Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it (debate)

  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.
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-02-10
Debate: Order of business

  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)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-30
Debate: Commission Work Programme 2020 (debate)

  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.
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2020-01-14
Debate: Presentation of the programme of activities of the Croatian Presidency (debate)

  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.
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-12-18
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 12 and 13 December 2019 (debate)

  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)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-11-27
Debate: Election of the Commission (vote)

  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)
Speaker: Ska KELLER (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2019-11-25
Debate: Order of business

  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.