EU Parliament, Strasbourg, P10 CRE-REV(2025)04-02(3-0018-0000).
Frau President.
In Germany and Europe there is everything needed so that our industry can be successful: Ability, brains, technology and a centuries-old industrial tradition. Yet, despite these strengths, our industry falls behind, not because our people have become worse, but because Brussels always puts new chains on our economy: Bureaucracy, energy prices, duties – made by people far away from the practice. And now comes the EU Commission with an action plan for the steel and metallurgical industry. Yet like every plan of the EU Commission, this one also brings no added freedom, but new formulas. Not relief, but new hurdles.
We who demand fighting for a strong economy, therefore demand: An end to patronization, and away with the blockades! CO2 limit compensation, compulsory works decree, data defense basic decree, supply chain guidelines – all that sounds nice and is well meant, yet steers our businesses away form innovation and production, into control, paper shuffling and bureaucracy. Ever more operations thus think of emigration. Not because they want to, but because they need to.
I want that Germany and all Europe are again places where industry can gladly invest and grow, where workplaces originate in our homeland and not elsewhere. We have the potential, we have the brains, we have the diligence. What we do not have is a good EU Commission. Let us finally give our industry the freedom to be successful.
[trans: tem]
