Nicolaus Fest, March 7, 2022, Russians Guilty by Association

EU Parliament, Strasbourg, P9 CRE-PROV(2022)03-07(1-076-0000).

Herr President. Herr Commissioner. Frau Commissioner.

It certainly is a good day when I can in large part agree with you. This then is also a premiere and I hope that you now in fact implement this which the dear committee already for long demands. Frau in 't Veld has said it: There are naturally also sensible investment programs but the problems of corruption, tax fraud, money laundering, but also of rising real estate prices, are great problems for the citizens of the respective states.

The one thing here with which I have a real problem, even though all find it good, is the  suddenly quick inserted Sippenhaft [guilt by association] for all Russians. Here naturally is to be asked: Did you actually not know who Putin is? Does the name Politovskaya say something to you? Does the name Boris Nemtsov say something to you? Do the confrontations over the Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk simply say nothing to you?

Grozny has been bombed, Aleppo has been bombed. And what is it now when all peek at the Russian oligarchs? What about the African warlords? What about the war criminals? What about the Chinese communists, the high party functionaries? And what about the Arab despots who above all buy golden visas?

We say that European values are not for sale. Yet for me – I am now a lawyer, but fine – individual responsibility and individual guilt are also European values. And that we here introduce guilt by association, I find extremely problematic. I know that it is a difficult history, yet we should all again reconsider that. I otherwise welcome this resolution. But I cannot befriend guilt by association.

 

[trans: tem]

Nicolaus Fest, March 7, 2022, Civil Society

EU Parliament, Strasbourg, P9 CRE-PROV(2022)03-07(1-117-0000).

Herr President. Herr Commissioner.

Shrinking spaces – that is, schrumpfende Betätigungsfelder – for civil societies: That is nothing other than fake news. Primarily in Germany, yet also in many other countries, the financing increases year by year; thus there can be no talk at all of shrinking space.

What are civil societies? Civil societies are those which are usually designated as NGOs, or now in New German as NPOs – non-profit organizations. In fact, hiding behind this are nothing more than lobbyists. And who speaks with the people at Europol, as I have done recently, finds there quite clear considerations. They speak of namely that now already many NGOs have been infiltrated by organized criminality and that many NGOs in that regard serve for money laundering. Yet here, unfortunately, the European Parliament takes not a peek.

Primarily however, NGOs, or what is here called civil society, are a concrete problem in terms of democratic theory. At least in Germany, it is said: “All power of the state proceeds from the people”. It is not said: All power proceeds from civil society and lobby groups. Yet it leads to precisely that when the EU, yet plainly also the countries, give ever more money to such lobby groups.

Therefore, one should not complain of an allegedly shrinking space for civil societies, but expressly welcome it. Civil societies are not, as was previously said here, a guarantee for democracy but an acute danger and therefore any financing should be suspended.

 

[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]