Addressing Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker after his State of the Union speech in the European Parliament this morning, GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer responded to him on a range of issues.

On migration she said that “it would be illusory to think that the migrant challenge would be solved in the short term. Migration is one of the greatest challenges of our century, which could be put on a par with the fight against climate change. It is a global problem, a challenge common to us all and we have to be active together.”

Ms Zimmer called for “possibilities for legal immigration to the EU based on fairness and solidarity. The EU should not stick to the quota arrangement because it doesn't take into account the individual and family requirements of people. Addressing Juncker, she said: “We take you at your word that the implementation of the Geneva Refugee Convention and the personal right to asylum will be respected.”

Connecting the issue of migration with the situation in Greece, she said: “In the way the EU dealt with Greece taboos have been broken. Greece has been demonstratively humiliated in order to discipline others. EU finance ministers are now calling the tune, the European Parliament is in the ante-chamber looking in, and the Commission is the fool. This is the state of the union. This must be changed!”

Finally, she regretted that the Commission president didn't talk about social priorities. “Please change that because it is our joint responsibility and they cannot be excluded.”