Plenary focus - October II

Every day that goes by without the EU acting to bring down energy prices worsens the already catastrophic situation. Energy producers continue to rake in billions in profits and line their shareholders’ pockets while Europeans struggle to pay their bills. The European Commission and Council must stop passing responsibility and for once, acknowledge the emergency. Tiny moves won’t be enough and our group continues to fight for ambitious measures : electricity and gas prices should be capped, all windfall profits made since the beginning of the crisis should be taxed and wages should be raised. This crisis is not only a consequence of the war in Ukraine, but also of the absurd rules of a deregulated market which only benefits the richest and the multinationals. This must change, and fast!

The effects of Russia’s terrible war of aggression are clearly being felt in Europe. Citizens must now be protected with an EU-wide price cap for gas and an affordable basic quota. Over the longer term, we need a fundamental restructuring of the EU energy market towards public control of energy companies. This crisis can only be overcome with an extension of a windfall tax to all crisis profiteers and European solidarity between member states.

The main reason for the huge escalation in prices that impoverishes the European social majority is the increase in energy prices. From The Left we have proposed concrete alternatives to solve this problem. No more patches, we need to reform the marginalist energy market and to have public control of this strategic sector.

There is proof of systematic problems and complicity in grave human rights abuses and internal mismanagement of this huge EU agency. The European Parliament should absolutely not grant Frontex budgetary discharge until these problems are addressed and solved, including the actions and responsibilities of the Board as well. If the EU wants to protect fundamental rights and the rule of law, this is the moment we have to put our foot down.

We welcome that the OLAF report is finally public as it should have been from the very beginning. It proves once again in black and white what we have been saying for many years: Frontex is systematically involved in human rights violations and their cover-up at the EU’s external borders. No one can claim anything else after reading the OLAF report. That is why MEPs must vote next week not to grant discharge to Frontex. I expect my colleagues from all groups to take their democratic responsibility seriously. Voting to not grant discharge is the only plausible position for anyone who takes human rights seriously. The European Parliament must not become an accomplice to an agency that has been completely out of control for years.

As the world recedes towards unilateralism, and with a yawning gap in global climate leadership, the EU is distracted with regressive solutions to skyrocketing inflation and food and energy prices. Not only are we failing to meet our already weak international climate finance goals, but we also keep subsidising fossil fuels domestically to the tune of billions of euros. At COP27, the EU needs to urgently push for a new global financial architecture, with climate and socially just solutions at heart, including new financing for loss and damage and debt relief.