Thick board #6: Live from Lesbos – Europe's shame

In this episode we have poured the webinar about the situation on Lesbos with publicist Carolin Emcke, Sea-Watch captain and environmental activist Carola Rackete, lawyer Clara Anne Bünger and my green colleague Sven Giegold as soundtrack into the podcast. I myself have been on Lesbos for 4 weeks now, in the meantime the corona crisis has struck, which does not yet play a huge role in the podcast. But it might be quite good to hear something about a current topic despite corona, which is still topical now.
I could see here how the rule of law is eroding, fugitives are deprived of their rights and right-wing gangs have taken partial control of the island.

In the first third of this two-hour episode, Carola, Clara, Carolina, Sven and I talk to each other about the situation at Europe's external borders, after which we discuss and answer questions from the audience.

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You can watch the video of Sven Giegold's webinar at this Link find.

"What we have been experiencing since the EU's agreements with Turkey is a pure simulation of the right to asylum, Europe is only simulating that there is a right to asylum.

Carolin Emcke, journalist and publicist

"The figure of 20,000 dead in the Mediterranean since 2014 was exceeded last week, which is at least 20,000 people that could have been saved if there had been a European sea rescue mission."

Carola Rackete, climate protection activist and captain of the Sea Watch 3

 "What happens at the EU's external border is a clear violation of the ban on collective expulsion."

Clara Anne Bünger, lawyer and board member of Equal Rights Beyond Borders

"The islanders of Lesbos have long given their all and are trying to preserve humanity here on the island, despite being left alone by the European Union.

Erik Marquardt, Member of the European Parliament Alliance 90/The Greens

Thick board #5: Brexite

This week I talk to Terry Reintke about the brexite and she tells us what to expect now, because even if the points are set now, it is still far from clear where the train will arrive. A lot of questions are still open.
I'll also tell you briefly what I'm currently working on and I'd be happy if you send me feedback and suggestions for the podcast.

If you look at where the poorest regions in Northern Europe are, nine out of ten are in England and Wales.

Terry Reintke

It is not important to Boris Johnson whether his plans are realistic, he simply wants to show that he is a tough guy who makes clear announcements.

Erik Marquardt

I also wrote a letter to Horst Seehofer this week because he claims to know nothing about systematic violence or illegal deportations at the EU's external border in Croatia, although such cases have been documented many times over.

Thick Board #4: FDP, Greens and European Migration Policy

In this episode, I talk to Moritz Körner (FDP), Member of the European Parliament, about differences between the Bundestag and the European Parliament, similarities between the Greens and the FDP in migration policy and receptions on Brussels roof terraces.

When cries for more money came from the UNHCR for help, Europe and Germany did nothing, and then the people set off because the situation in the refugee camps was at some point very bad.

Moritz Körner (FDP), Member of the European Parliament

The fact that we are deporting to Afghanistan has nothing to do with the fact that the situation in Afghanistan has improved; on the contrary, the number of civilian victims there is increasing every year.

Erik Marquardt (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), MEP

This episode is a crossover with Moritz Körner's podcast Europe, we need to talk!

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Thick board #3: Ricarda, Jamila and politics

I talk with Ricarda Lang and Jamila Schäfer from the federal executive of the Greens about why we went into politics, how long we are actually seen as "young politicians" and how we assess the current situation of the SPD.

"I am concerned to get away from the idea that when you join a party, you sign everything that anyone in that party has ever said, and this idea prevents in the long run a big organization where many people with different issues come together.

– Ricarda Lang, deputy chairwoman of Bündnis 90/ die Grünen, spokeswoman on women's policy

„There is a blatant fear among some that the SPD will choose a more left-wing profile, and there is an equation of a more left-wing profile of the SPD with instability in the country.&#8220

– Jamila Schäfer, Deputy Chairwoman of Bündnis 90/ die Grünen, European and International Coordinator

„I myself had a sceptical attitude towards parties for a long time, because I thought they were strange clubs where it was all about winning something in elections.“

– Erik Marquardt

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Thick Board #2: Criminalisation of Civil Society and Fugitives

Thick Board 2 - Criminalisation of Civil Society and Fugitives

In this episode I talk to Hendrik Simon, who is facing up to 20 years in prison for saving lives in the Mediterranean as part of the Iuventa crew, and Sean Binder, who was in prison in Greece for over three months for saving and helping people in the Aegean.

This is not worthy of the European Union, which is why I have invited these two and many other activists to Brussels to talk about how to end the criminalisation of aid workers. They deserve our thanks, not jail.

We are facing up to 20 years imprisonment and up to 15,000 € fine per person we rescued from the Mediterranean Sea."

Henrik Simon

"I spent over three months in prison for trying to help people."

Sean Binder

Links to the show

Thick Board #1: Violence at the European External Borders

In the first episode, I talk to Johanna Thomé, Dean Blaževic and Dirk Planert, three people who have been working for refugees on the EU's external border between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, helping to build emergency shelters and provide basic medical care in the informal camp Vučjak. A camp where conditions are so bad that UNHCR and IOM do not want to become active there because that would be tantamount to recognising these conditions.

"I asked the people in our outpatient clinic at the horror camp Vučjak why they come to Europe and they said that they simply want to live and survive."

Dirk Planert

"For many people, Bosnia is just absolute hell, because they have the feeling that they can't go forward and they can't go back."

Joanna Thomé

"It pisses me off that refugees arriving here are always talked about their fucking usefulness. What's the point? These are people, they're not a regular workforce."

Joanna Thomé

"What these people are doing is completely human. They are looking for a life worth living. Any European sitting on his couch and shouting "refugees out" would do the same if his life wasn't ."

Dean Blaževic
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