ECR Co-Chair Patryk Jaki warned that the European Union must undertake a drastic change of course.

Speaking in the European Parliament’s debate ahead of this week’s European Council, Mr Jaki said that the course set by Brussels in recent years has weakened Europe’s security, industry, competitiveness and energy independence. In the presence of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he stressed that the EU must first and foremost correct the policies that have led to deep economic and social decline across the continent.

Mr Jaki said:

“Europe is falling down. Industry, AI, space, the internet — we have lost everything. Security, migration, once again war and attacks at our borders — everything that was once good in Europe, you have destroyed.”

He criticised the contradictions between the EU’s stated aim to reduce overregulation and its continued expansion of the Green Deal, saying:

“That’s like saying we must defend freedom in Europe, and therefore we shall ban the sale of combustion-engine cars.”

Referring to the economic impact of the EU’s climate and energy policies, Jaki added:

“You have destroyed Europe’s future through high energy prices. Since you took office, energy prices have risen by about 30 per cent in Europe. This is why it’s time for radical change.”

While sharply critical of the EU’s current direction, Jaki’s intervention underlined the need for policies that restore competitiveness, lower energy prices and protect Europe’s industrial base — priorities the ECR Group has long advocated.

ENDS

Mr Jaki’s full speech reads:

Madam President, Madam President of the Commission, colleagues,

Europe is falling down. Industry, AI, space, the internet — we have lost everything.

Security, migration, once again war and attacks at our borders — everything that was once good in Europe, you have destroyed.

And what’s worse, it has become absurd. Even the letter calling the European Summit proves it. Let me quote: ‘First of all, we have to intensify our efforts to move away from overregulation.’

Yes, that’s true — but the overregulation comes from the Green Deal.

Then, in the next paragraph, you write that we must achieve climate goals.

So, to reduce the Green Deal, you propose… more Green Deal.

That’s like saying we must defend freedom in Europe, and therefore we shall ban the sale of combustion-engine cars.

The Chair said that competitiveness is most important. Let me remind you: in 1995, the European Commission said that by 2010 the European Union would overtake the United States in GDP.

But the World Bank report from April this year says otherwise.

Since you introduced the ETS, between 2008 and 2023, GDP in the European Union grew by 13.5%, while in the US it grew by 90%.

You said green energy is the cheapest. Yet when we add ETS costs, stabilisation costs and investments, energy becomes the most expensive.

The President says there is a growing market for green energy. Yes, it grows — but so does traditional industry, and it grows faster than EU GDP, with a much larger market.

You also said that CO₂ emissions are being reduced worldwide — but the problem is, they are actually increasing.

Europeans, instead of being first in reducing emissions, now just want affordable energy.

You have destroyed Europe’s future through high energy prices.

Since you took office, energy prices have risen by about 30% in Europe.

Opportunities for housing for young people have been destroyed.

You will destroy agriculture through the Mercosur agreement.

And you will destroy people’s health by importing products from Brazil that contain 367 pesticides banned in the EU.

This is why it’s time for radical change.