ECR Co-Chairman Patryk Jaki sharply criticised the European Union’s economic, climate and migration policies, warning that Europe cannot strengthen its security or global influence while its competitiveness continues to decline.

Speaking in the European Parliament debate ahead of the June European Council, Jaki said the European Union must stop repeating policies that have already weakened industry, agriculture and Europe’s ability to compete.

“Once again, I have heard that we need more green solutions. We cannot listen to this any longer,” Jaki said.

Pointing to high energy prices, industrial decline and growing Chinese competition, Jaki warned that Europe’s most important economic sectors are already paying the price, saying:

“What are the effects? Industry is collapsing. We have the most expensive electricity in the world. Even the jewel in the crown, the car industry in the European Union, is losing to the Chinese in our own backyard. And you say: even more of the same.”

“This is exactly the same, we as Poles remember it well, as it was in the Soviet Union, where it was constantly claimed that with even more of the same solutions, things would finally get better.”

Jaki also pointed to what he described as the contradiction at the heart of Europe’s migration debate. While the Left criticises the idea of moving migrants outside the European Union against their will, the Migration Pact itself relies on relocating migrants within the EU to countries where they may not want to go. For Jaki, reducing illegal migration is necessary, but it must be done through a coherent policy, not through double standards.

He underlined that Europe’s security ambitions will remain empty unless they are backed by a stronger economy and a decisive change of course on climate policy.

“Europe wants more security. And this is true. The only problem is that we will not have more security without competitiveness,” Jaki said.

“That is why we have to stop the ETS. Because ETS is madness, which has led us today to a situation in which the share of the European Union’s economy in the world is falling regularly, and our participation in political decision-making in the world is falling regularly,” he added.

ENDS

Mr Jaki’s full speech reads:

Thank you, Mr Chairman, dear Council, Mr Commissioner.

Once again, I have heard that we need more green solutions. We cannot listen to this any longer. It is exactly the same — we as Poles remember it well — as it was in the Soviet Union, where it was constantly claimed that with even more of the same solutions, things would finally get better.

I will only remind you that the European Union has already implemented many of these green solutions.

So I have to ask about the green solutions. What are the effects? Industry is collapsing. We have the most expensive electricity in the world.

Even the jewel in the crown, the car industry in the European Union, is losing to the Chinese in our own backyard. And you say: even more of the same.

Agriculture is declining. On top of this, we have the Mercosur agreement, a tightening of climate policy and now even a new MFF in which there would be fewer resources for agriculture. This will end in catastrophe.

At the same time, of course, crime is rising. I have just heard from the leader of the Left that the new solution will be to force migrants to move to places where they do not want to be, outside the European Union. And what is the Migration Pact about? Well, the Migration Pact is exactly the same, only within the European Union. We will also move migrants precisely to those countries where they do not want to be.

Because otherwise they would go, and you know very well to which countries, to those where they have the best conditions. So this is hypocrisy squared.

In addition, I heard, and here we have to agree with the EPP, that Europe wants more security. And this is true. The only problem is that we will not have more security without competitiveness, unless we pull our economy out of this situation.

That is why we have to stop the ETS. Because ETS is madness, which has led us today to a situation in which the share of the European Union’s economy in the world is falling regularly, and our participation in political decision-making in the world is falling regularly.

That is why we have to say once again: stop ETS, and you will see that our economy will move immediately.

Thank you.