Today (Wednesday, February 7), we Members of the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece. The Christian Democrats, together with the far-right, had tried to prevent the vote and clear demands on the rule of law and media freedom. You can find the exact voting behavior here. In Greece, cases of spying and harassment of …
World TV duel of the day: tackling the causes of flight instead of demanding populist solutions
I tried to make it clear to Alexander Throm that there are no simple answers to complex challenges, even if the CDU would like there to be. Especially not when more and more wars, crises and natural disasters are forcing people to flee their homes. You can watch the world duel of the day here.
Study shows widespread racism in the EU
The recent report "Being Black in the EU" concludes that racism, discrimination and hate crime remain a major problem, despite the existence of binding anti-discrimination laws since 2000. Key findings include that almost half of respondents have experienced racial discrimination – an increase from 39 % in 2016 …
Europe Brunch on right-wing extremism with Erik Marquardt and Natascha Strobl on January 27, 2024
January 27 marks the commemoration of the victims of National Socialism, and we would therefore like to dedicate this event to this important occasion. In times when right-wing extremists meet to work out "remigration plans" together, a clear stance against the right and a collective remembrance of the lessons of the Second World War are needed. What significance does the …
Deutschlandfunk interview: Cooperation with right-wing extremists has no place in a democracy
Following the Correctiv revelation that AfD politicians are already planning mass deportations together with other right-wing extremists, I spoke to Deutschlandfunk radio about the rise of right-wing extremism in Germany. It was also about the populism of conservative parties and the fact that we need to find our way back to a democratic culture of debate. Click here’for the interview.
Deutschlandfunk interview on asylum reform: More bureaucracy, fewer human rights
The reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) includes a massive tightening of asylum law, but the overall package does not provide an answer to the real challenges of European migration policy. More on this in my interview with Deutschlandfunk.
GEAS: Not a good day for European asylum law
The Council and Parliament have agreed on a reform towards a common European asylum system. Here you will find a brief overview of the key results of the negotiations on the CEAS package. The Council has prevailed over the Parliament on almost all relevant points. This reform thus missed the opportunity to bring EU asylum policy into line with the …
Humanitarian aid for Syria
Civil war has been raging in Syria since 2011, leaving almost three quarters of the population dependent on humanitarian aid. The situation has deteriorated even further this year following the devastating earthquake in February, which affected almost 8.8 million people. The conflict is also continuing. It was only in October that the Syrian government …
Facts against prejudices
I receive many inquiries about flight and migration. Some are based on genuine interest and I am very happy to answer them. Unfortunately, however, there is also a loud minority that repeatedly tries to impose its racist, right-wing populist or prejudiced world view on others and to disinform them. In recent years, this disinformation has been very successful, …
My 8 goals in development cooperation
As Vice-Chair of the Development Committee in the European Parliament, my work focuses on European development cooperation and humanitarian aid, which, unlike in the Bundestag, is also subordinate to the Development Committee. In this regard, I am committed to an EU that combats global inequalities, acts on an equal footing with its partners, promotes democracy and the rule of law and, above …