During the plenary session (13-16 September 2021) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Ursula VON DER LEYEN delivers the State of the European Union (SOTEU 2021) to the MEPs. Statement by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

state of the Union

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

state of the European Union 2021 (T)

State of the European Union 2021 debate: Statement by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader

Title: State of the European Union 2021 debate: Statement by Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D Group Leader

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&Iacute;A P&Eacute;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D Group Leader, President Von Der Leyen, honorable members, a year ago, we were holding the debate on the State of the Union in exceptional circumstances. We were considering major challenges, putting the brakes on the pandemic, guaranteeing the provision of vaccines, historic investments to mitigate the economic impact, social measures to make sure no one was left behind, while at the same time we sought to strengthen our democracies from attacks which undermined the rule of law.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, Looking back, we can take stock of the position and see a positive picture. 70 percent of our people are vaccinated. And the Digital Certificate has allowed us to restore one of the fundamental freedoms of our Union. Freedom of movement. We've adopted NexGenerationEU and the money is starting to flow through to ordinary people, to families and firms within the social democratic family. We have consistently continued to stress that these investments have to be geared towards the future. We have to invest thinking in terms of a more sustainable economic and social model, a true pact for sustainability.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, The climate legislation is an important challenge if we're into achieve climate neutrality before 2050. Parliament managed to raise our greenhouse gas reduction target above 55 percent before 2030. And we'll ask the commission to be more ambitious and fit for 55 because we can't be complacent. We've done a lot, but we're only halfway there. One of the things that still in kind of creation is the Health Union.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, President Von Der Leyen, when you presented your policy guidelines at the beginning of your term, you promised a green social market economy. But certainly, those three elements are far from being in balance, and undoubtedly environmental sustainability is where the commission has made more progress with the whole idea of legislation as a team effort led by Vice-President Timmermans. And that shows that the collegiate approach works. When you bring together all the ideas and energy of the members of the College of Commissioners, what we socialists find lacking is legislation to protect biodiversity. This summer's fires have reminded us how necessary this is. As much as what we're concerned about is this imbalance among the three pillars of this socio economic model we want to build. The model has to be resilient and make sure we can maintain people's well-being with social cohesion.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, We have to be able to cope with a less stable geopolitical position. We have to strengthen the Social Climate Fund. In your report a year ago, the commission said that a resilient Europe would emerge sooner and stronger from any crisis in pursuit of the UN's sustainable development goals. We mustn't forget that the goal of any policy has to be the well-being of people. I don't think we've done enough on that front. The pandemic has worsened the inequalities of an unfair economic system. The most vulnerable sections of society have suffered the most and still are older people, children, health and care staff, less highly trained people, migrants and as good as ever that are being used as scapegoats for populist and xenophobic messaging. We need to reform governance with indicators taking account of human development. We need a true social pillar. The important social summit was a first step forward, but we need clear goals to press ahead. And I want to underscore a fundamental gender parity. You made a lot of points this morning, present from the line mounted on behalf of my group, that the commission's announcement that you will come out with a law against gender violence in Europe is undoubtedly wonderful news. It's excellent.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, For years now, for years and years, we've been calling for this European legislation to fight the greatest scourge that exists today throughout the world and in Europe, women are dying. They're being murdered just because they're women. And we cannot stand by arms folded when this happens. That may I say to you that I still can't understand how in this house we can have groups who are not prepared to include gender based violence in the European legal order. We're going to continue to work to ensure that that does happen. It's our moral duty and I'm talking about moral duties.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, Migration and Asylum policy is another urgent need, we can see what's going on in Afghanistan and we can see that Europe needs to speak with a single voice in foreign policy. Let's be brave. We have to move beyond the rule of unanimity when determining foreign policy. And the state of law is crucial. Europe is made up of values, the defense of the rule of law. We have to be firm. The commission has taken some steps, but it has to be bolder yet, and the Socialists and Democrats will be backing that. Lastly, if you look at the convulsions that with which the 21st century has started, Jorge Sampaio, a great European and a great socialist, said he didn't know what the world would look like in a few years time. He only hoped that as he looked back, he would see that we had managed to preserve the values of democracy, fundamental rights, freedom and tolerance. He's no longer with us, but his struggle for those values is our struggle for today's Europe and for future generations. Thank you..