Joachim Kuhs, February 27, 2024, EU Finance and Ukraine War

European Parliament, Strasbourg, P9 CRE-PROV (2024)02-27(2-025-0000). 

Herr President, esteemed Commissioner Han, valued colleagues, Herr State Secretary. 

Even this laboriously negotiated and stripped down revision of the seven year financial framework will fail. Whereon do I fix this? Now, if Herr Orban needs be sent to drink coffee so that all negotiation leaders thus agree, then everyone recognizes: Here, something is not in order. Is this a rotten compromise? 

When in the second round, two-thirds of the 50 billion euros for the Ukraine facility is financed by debt, and it is supposed this would not burden the EU budget, then, valued colleagues, one is self-deceived. Do you really believe that the Ukraine following this frightful war will be in a position to service the interest payments, to say nothing of the paying back the principal debt? 

When a third of 21 billion euros is scraped together from all sides and new gaps are thereby everywhere opened up, then every Schwabisch Hausfrau knows: That can only cause discord and irritation. 

Yet what most depresses me personally, and this I’ve said already in committee: Have you, honored colleagues, even once asked the people in the Ukraine what they really want? Do they really want more money? That, I do not believe. These people want peace for their country. If we here in plenary session – just recently, Herr Gahler, you said it – continue to promote the war with weapons deliveries, and not work towards peace, then we thus make ourselves culpable for the people in the Ukraine, and also for the soldiers, who daily die or are crippled by the hundreds. Dear colleagues, let us finally stop this war! 

 

[trans: tem]

Joachim Kuhs, March 7, 2022, EU Budget

AfD Kompakt, March 7, 2022.

These alarming numbers show especially that the EU budget is much too large. It is obviously impossible to accomplish all expenditures and activities to the extent planned within a fiscal period.

With the not yet expended money, the EU behaves like a city council which in December with the still remaining balances of its budgetary positions quickly, and in any way for the most part unnecessarily, places orders so that its budget in the following year will not be cut. In any event in regards the EU, these still not paid out means will be accounted for in a great heap with the designation “reste à liquider” (commitments to be liquidated). Here thus will be parked around 300 billion euros.

These giant, non-expended sums show that the EU budget’s present apportion and implementation model is very much based on bureaucratic and unrealistic guidelines.

If such prodigious sums are not expended on time, then they obviously are also not needed. The planning was false and must be adapted to the realities. The budget thus needs to be cut by this sum of 300 billion euros, or by some 30 percent!

For the citizens of the EU, it would be a great relief if the EU budget were smaller, more intelligent, better apportioned and concentrated on the really sensible areas, as for example the common space program, atomic energy and research, as well as securing the EU’s external borders. In consideration, the citizens then need be burdened with clearly less taxation. As your member, I will commit myself with all power for a distinctly more frugal EU budget.

 

[trans: tem]

 

Joachim Kuhs, January 18, 2021, EU Court of Auditors

European Parliament, Brussels, P9 CRE PROV (2021)1-18(1-063-0000).

Frau President, Herr Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, dear President Lehne.

Many thanks for the Court’s two general reports. I must say, they’ve really got it. I suppose Commissioner Hahn must initially have gulped when he saw the promised audit opinion on expenditures. But that is good – only thus does financial control work. It must hurt. As the reporter for the discharge of the 2019 Commission, I am naturally quite especially interested in the reports; indeed, well instructed therein. And I am very grateful for the clear structure. I thus can more easily write my report.

Nevertheless, I do not want here today to speak of your reports. We have already quite often and quite basically and thoroughly done that in the CONT [budgetary control] Committee. I want to refer to a specific problem: I have the impression that the Court of Auditors is certainly respected by us in parliament, yet it does not receive the support needed to fulfill its duties. I fear that too many of us are thereby employed to consider where we may require yet more resources or which program we could yet issue. In my view, it would be much more important to ask of proposals [Überlegungen] how to deal more carefully and frugally with the taxpayers’ money.

Actually, the whole parliament should be a control authority. We however prefer to shift this duty onto the few colleagues who here sit on the CONT Committee – who are all there certainly super engaged, and who will then set it right. Dear colleagues of the entire EP [European Parliament], may I for once place before you this small but effective committee? It is one of the most diligent. Please allow that it can better look after its general control duties.

Dear Commission, give us access to all information relevant to the budget and also in regards to the GD SANTE [director general, health and safety]. And then, honored colleagues, let us also please then strengthen the Court of Auditors with personnel and substantial means – the President has appealed for it – as well as with a general examination right of the EIB [European Investment Bank]. We cannot increase the budget by 85% as well as conclude six new sources of our own revenue, and then hope that the Court of Auditors could manage that with its previous personnel. He only can want that who wants less control. Let us not only respect the good work of the Court, no, let us strengthen it and concern ourselves with that so that it is not a rider without a sword, but a real weapon in the fight for the defense of the EU’s financial interests. I am sure that not only President Lehne will rejoice over that.

 

[trans: tem]

 

Joachim Kuhs, May 3, 2020, Church Tax Revenues

Joachim Kuhs

Church Tax Revenues

AfD Kompakt, May 3, 2020

[Joachim Kuhs is an Alternative für Deutschland member of the European Parliament where he is the AfD’s budget policy spokesman. He is also head of the Christians in the AfD organization.]

The German Amtskirchen [official churches] have made themselves much too dependent on the church tax. Instead of growing living communities true to the confession, they have developed into welfare businesses with quasi civil service personnel. The sad consequence is each worldly crisis hits the secularized church with full force. We see that now in the Corona crisis. The German church princelings should grasp the Corona crisis as an opportunity to lead the Church back to its Christian core. In that regard, it may be helpful to completely renounce for many months the church tax and state benefits. That would be good for the churches and the taxpayer.  

[Translated by Todd Martin]