Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-07-14-Speech-2-012"
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"en.20090714.7.2-012"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to congratulate all my fellow Members on the trust that has been shown in you by the citizens of your respective Member States. This is an enormous amount of trust and hence it is also an enormous responsibility for us all to meet our citizens’ expectations and demands for the changes that are needed and to build a citizens’ Europe. Democracy, the right to choose their elected representatives, is the most important instrument that our citizens have. To be able to talk of true democracy requires more than the right to vote. It requires openness, transparency and an open debate.
I would therefore like to say that it is extremely important for us now to ensure that we reform the first reading procedure. We must take the trust shown in Parliament seriously and demonstrate the openness that is also required with regard to the first reading procedure.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing huge challenges: an economic crisis with higher unemployment, increased exclusion and social insecurity. We have a climate crisis that has already resulted in climate refugees. As usual, it is the poorest people that are hit first and hardest. We see an EU and a world full of injustice and poverty. There are, however, political solutions to these crises, but they require a change in policy. The policy that has been pursued up to now has not solved the problems that we have been responsible for solving. On the contrary, in many areas it has helped to create the crises.
We need a change in policy. We need a policy for a social Europe, a policy that promotes workers’ rights to protection against social dumping. We need a policy that prevents social marginalisation and poverty. We need a policy that safeguards the participation of all citizens. We need a policy that does
discriminate against
citizen, regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age or sexual orientation. I would like to see an EU that protects the interests of all its citizens.
I want to see a policy that creates new jobs – new
jobs. We need to invest in green technology, which – in addition to creating the new jobs that are needed – will also help to create growth and put a stop to climate change, which is one of the most fundamentally important tasks that humanity and Europe are facing.
I want to see an EU that takes responsibility for ensuring fair and responsible international trade. I want to see an EU with a humane asylum and immigration policy that protects immigrants and their rights. I want to see a diverse Europe. This is how we generate development. I want to see a diverse Europe in which every citizen receives protection. I want to see a Europe, an EU, that takes responsibility for human rights. When human rights are repressed, regardless of where in the world it takes place, we can never, ever compromise. These rights are inviolable and this applies to every single human being. Regardless of whether it is a question of freedom of expression, public access, privacy or whatever else, human rights are always inviolable. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our responsibility to stand up for human rights, wherever in the world they are under threat.
I was pleased to hear the President say that the elections in June increased the representation of women in this Parliament. This was made possible by the joint efforts of both men and women. We worked together to increase the representation of women. We are now going a step further and ensuring that we increase the influence of women, including when it comes to positions of responsibility in Parliament and the other institutions of the EU. This is our opportunity. Together, ladies and gentlemen, we can show the citizens of Europe that we are assuming responsibility and demonstrate the emergence of a modern, diverse society.
Today, each one of you has the power of your vote. You have the power to send out a strong message to our citizens that we are now building a citizens’ Europe, a social Europe, to demonstrate to both our citizens and the world around us that the EU is prepared to take responsibility for global justice, human rights and the global environment and to demonstrate the power we have with our votes to send out the message that European citizens are expecting of this Parliament."@en1
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"green"1
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