Irmhild Boßdorf, July 10, 2025, German Language in Poland

EU Parliament, Strasbourg, P10 CRE-REV(2025)07-10(4-0109-0000). 

Frau President. 

Mohnkuchen, Toleranz, Schneekoppe [poppy seed cake, toleration, Snieźka Mountain]: All of these terms unite us with Silesia, an age-old cultural landscape. In the Polish provinces of Oppelen and Silesia live far over 600,000 Silesians – 200,000 of whom have declared to speak mainly German in everyday life. And yet the protection of the Heimat does not legally progress. Dual language locale signs are not used, or only after a long wait; German instruction in the schools is neglected. 

Yet precisely here can the Cohesion Means Assistance help. It should be used so that the expansion of German instruction finally comes forward and the village school infrastructure is secured. It needs be employed so that Europe’s cultural wealth is no longer lost. It should be used so that the involvement with the Silesians in Poland becomes a model for all Europe. We therefore support with complete conviction the European Citizens Initiative. 

 

[trans: tem]

 

Irmhild Boßdorf, May 5, 2025, EU Regional Development

EU Parliament, Strasbourg, P10 CRE-REV(2025)05-05(1-0186-0000). 

Herr President. 

Scarce success, billions in German tax money trickling away – that is the mournful balance of REGI [Regional Development] promotion. Less poverty, more jobs, less emigration from rural regions – a nil return, despite a 270 billion euro promotion. Yet what actually happened with so much money? I asked Elisa Ferreira, the last REGI Commissioner about that. She admitted that it’s not about costs and uses, but about peace, freedom and welfare. In the end, these means would also help to check right-populist parties in rural areas. 

In fact, there was in the past year a study of Kiel University which indicated that, without the REGI means in remote regions, rightist parties would have received two to three percent more. 270 billion repurposed to the fight against rightists – that is unheard of. Let us make the rural area livable again. Let’s finally put the REGI means to use for our Heimat.

  

[trans: tem]