ECR Group Co-Chairman Patryk Jaki has criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arguing that after six years in office, the Commission should be judged by results rather than another round of announcements.

Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Jaki compared von der Leyen’s State of the Union address with commitments she made in 2020 and pointed to what he described as a widening gap between promises and outcomes on industry, energy prices, bureaucracy, migration and competitiveness.

Jaki said:

“You promised — and I quote — ‘a new industrial strategy and lower energy prices’. What is the result? Industry is collapsing, and energy prices have risen by 100 per cent during your term in office.”

He argued that Europe now needs fewer new institutions and less bureaucracy, lower energy costs, a stronger industrial base and policies that give young people better prospects through jobs and greater security.

Jaki said:

“You are banking on people having short memories. To sum up, you claimed the European Union is at its strongest point in history. Yet the data — even the European Commission’s own figures — show it is at its weakest point in history. It has never been this weak. You claimed it is an innovation leader — yet in this regard, too, it is at its weakest point in history.”

He argued that the Commission should be judged by measurable outcomes rather than new announcements, saying that Europe had lost economic weight while businesses and young people continued to face growing pressures.

“And finally, I want to say this: if you want to do something for young people, the answer is not to censor the Internet, but to provide them with jobs and safety — especially for the women you are so concerned about.”

Jaki’s full speech reads:

Madam President, I am very pleased that you stated today that actions matter more than words. So, I examined the actions. Specifically, I reviewed your address—not against last year’s promises, but against those made in 2020. After all, you have had six years to deliver on your pledges—longer than governments in Member States typically have.

First, you promised COVID-19 vaccinations and safety. The result after all this time? A journalistic investigation based on data from 19 countries estimated that 200 million doses, worth €4 billion, were wasted.

Then, you promised the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The result? A report by the European Court of Auditors points to a lack of transparency and massive waste of funds. I would point, for instance, to the Polish example of large-scale misappropriation of funds—including for swingers’ clubs, yachts, and tanning beds in pizzerias.

Next, you promised to complete the Capital Markets Union and the Banking Union. The result? Nothing. Then, you promised to cut red tape. The result? The number of officials has risen since then, and further recruitment drives have recently been announced. Indeed, you promised the same thing today by pledging to set up yet more institutions.

Then you promised — and I quote — ‘a new industrial strategy and lower energy prices’. What is the result? Industry is collapsing, and energy prices have risen by 100% per cent during your term in office.

Then you proposed raising the emission reduction target for 2030, stating: ‘our impact assessment clearly shows that the EU economy and industry can handle this—companies actually want it. Companies actually want it!’

During that period, according to Eurostat, one and a half million companies declared insolvency or bankruptcy, and the European Union lost 5 per cent of its share of global GDP. Then you said that young people want more climate action. The result? Youth unemployment stood at 14.3 per cent when you made that announcement; today, it is 15.5 per cent. You also spoke of establishing a European Hydrogen Valley and a ‘Renovation Wave’, and claimed the Union would become an economic leader. The result? That, for one, was not achieved. But what was achieved? You managed to tether bottle caps and turn European citizens into forced waste sorters.

Today, you say you want to curb migration. Yet what did you say in 2020? That migration has always been, and will always be, a reality for Europe; that for centuries, it has enriched our cultures and shaped countless lives.

You are banking on people having short memories. To sum up, you claimed the European Union is at its strongest point in history. Yet the data — even the European Commission’s own figures — show it is at its weakest point in history. It has never been this weak. You claimed it is an innovation leader — yet in this regard, too, it is at its weakest point in history. And finally, I want to say this: if you want to do something for young people, the answer is not to censor the Internet, but to provide them with jobs and safety — especially for the women you are so concerned about.