Kinga GÁL

Policy topics Kinga GÁL is active on

What Kinga GÁL has said (12)

• 2026-06-17 “(09:27:23 – 09:29:43): Dear colleagues, the Patriot's guiding principle is that EU decisions must serve the e the people of the Europe, so this must apply to the next 7 year budget. The draft budget to be discussed at the EU summit is deeply flawed because Brussels intends to cut funding for the common agricultural policy and cohesion policy. We cannot build a competitive Europe this way. We also reject the increase in funding aimed at expanding EU bureaucracy, the use of European citizens' money for further centralization. Furthermore, we oppose any ideological so called rule of law conditions in the budget. EU funds must not become a tool for the commission to exert ideological pressure. Similarly, democracy cannot be strengthened by restricting democracy itself. That is why the new Hungarian government's retroactive tailor made constitutional amendment is unacceptable. Its sole purpose is to bar a political figure, Viktor Orban, from running in democratic elections. This is completely unprecedented in modern European legal tradition. Those who previously sounded the alarm constantly regarding the rule of law in Hungary are now remaining silent. This speaks volumes about this double standard. The leaders of the member states must also be aware that Ukraine's accession to the EU poses a threat to agriculture, to the labor market, and to the safety of our citizens. Yet, they have now opened accession negotiations even though the most basic conditions have not been met. Just as the migration pact, which entered into force last week, is still not the solution, but part of the problem. It does not make the EU better prepared for handling a potential new migration crisis. The PTA has firmly reject this pact. Our position is clear. We must protect Europe's external borders and stop illegal migration in order to preserve Europe's cultural identity and the safety of our citizens. We, the patriots, want fundamental change for a safer, more competitive, and more sensible Europe.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• 2024-07-29 “E-001450/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Vestager on behalf of the European Commission The Commission exercises its powers in accordance with the Treaties. The protection of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, is one of the main values, according to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union 1 , of the European Union law to which its institutions abide. Likewise, at the heart of the Digital Services Act (DSA) 2 lays a deep commitment to the protection of fundamental rights. The DSA horizontal rules against illegal content are carefully calibrated and accompanied by robust safeguards for freedom of expression and an effective right of redress. Under the DSA, the Commission is responsible for supervising and enforcing the specific DSA obligations that apply to very large online platforms and search engines. To monitor their compliance with the DSA, the legislator has entrusted the Commission with investigative and enforcement powers. All actions taken by the Commission, including in the context of the proceedings against X, as well as all other enforcement actions against other very large online platforms, are undertaken within the limits of its supervision and enforcement powers and strictly follow the procedures laid out in Chapter IV, Section 4 of the DSA, in compliance with the principles of good administration, legal certainty and respect for the rule of law. On 12 July 2024, following its investigations, the Commission adopted preliminary findings against X for breach of the DSA. X now has the possibility to exercise its rights of defence by examining the documents in the Commission’s investigation file, including evidence and sources underpinning the case, and by replying to the Commission’s preliminary findings. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:2bf140bf-a3f8-4ab2-b506fd71826e6da6.0023.02/DOC_1&format=PDF 2 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p 1-102.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content · Disinformation & online freedoms
• “President. We expect you to see democracy upheld and that sovereignty be maintained, that values be respected. And that the rule of law be upheld. The Patriots group want answers to the urgent questions that we're faced with. Why is Europe weaker than it used to be? Why are children and citizens in worse conditions than before? Instead of giving us answers, you've answered with a warmongering ideology. Instead of offering answers, the commission is become has become part of the problem. You have to resign. We need a new commission president. That's what the Patriots group is expecting from you.”
  Von der Leyen
• “Madam president, president, Commissioner Europe is finding its place is not finding its place in the changing world. Europe may be left behind whilst others form policy rather than an ideological ideological policy in Brussels which has blinkers on. We need to have a policy which is based on the new geopolitical realities. We expect a change, of course, from the Cyprus presidency. Otherwise the wrong decisions will lead us to a dead end. There should be the migration pact. Should be. Rejected. It's not about distributing refugees on a quota basis. We should stop them at the border in Ukraine. We need a new narrative rather than the bellicose rhetoric up to now. We need to have concrete steps towards peace negotiations, and the American peace efforts should be supported. Unlimited financing of Ukraine can't be sustained because for Europe this would be a huge amount of debt. Hungary, together with Slovakia and Czechia, is against that. The seven year draft budget is also unacceptable. The proposals of the committee would mean that the most successful areas of the commission would be destroyed. Agriculture and cohesion policy. And then you want to have a bad Mercosur policy thrust on us. People in Europe have the feeling that Brussels doesn't protect them, rather it increases its own power. We must go back to what the European Union was founded for preserving peace, security and prosperity. We trust that the Cyprus presidency takes concrete steps in that direction. We expect that.”
  Asylum & border control
• “Madam president, the European Union has grown weaker. A number of poor decisions have undermined security, economy and the sovereignty of member states. Instead of peace, you want sanctions and more arms. A poor migration pact is what you want with the Green Deal. And poor economic and trade agreements. You are leaving families, companies and farmers in the lurch. We can see the Speeded up accession negotiations of Ukraine will damage the EU, the security of the EU, the rules and the unity of these rules have now been moved to being based on ideology. There's no security and accountability, and the rule of law is being wielded as a weapon. There are double standards being applied to democratic governments because of diverse opinions. You're undermining other opinions. In your speech, you said you didn't want to change direction. And this is damaging European unity and European cooperation. And that is the problem. The Commission is the problem as well. Madam president, the faith of citizens in you is waning. Even Martin Weber would agree with that. I'm sure he has some sort of phobia of. My Prime minister. And we've seen the election results in the Czech Republic, and we therefore patriots for Europe are demanding change. It is time for you to go.”
  EU-Ukraine relations
• “And thank you, Madam President. Commissioner, the Patriots for Europe group thinks it's completely unacceptable that Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, is not present at today's debate. This shows contempt for the thousands of farmers protesting in the streets, and several millions of voters who are represented by the patriots. European farmers are not on the streets without justification. From Poland to France, from Ireland to Spain. And tomorrow, here in Strasbourg, here in front of Parliament, they are protesting because they are right to feel that the Commission has once again betrayed their interests. And right now it's because of the conclusion of the EU Mercosur agreement. Cheap and loosely regulated products will flood the European markets, creating unfair competition. And the safeguard clauses from the Commission are simply empty promises which don't actually provide proper protection for European farmers. We've seen a series of missteps by the Commission over the past few years, and these are plunging European agriculture into a serious crisis. Requirements from the Green Deal, the red tape administrative burden on farmers and then the EU Ukraine Free Trade agreement, as well as the Mercosur agreement is another. These are all attacks on European farmers. These are compounded with the drastic cuts in EU funding for farmers in the draft MFF. This is going to kill European agriculture. These are people who ensure that we have food on our tables. What's more, the agreement was pushed through with legal tricks and lack of transparency. The division of the agreement aims to bypass national parliaments as well, and the threat of provisional application undermines the European Parliament's right of consent. The Mercosur agreement is the last straw. We patriots, thousands of farmers and millions of voters who are behind us say enough is enough. Enough of betraying European farmers, enough of policies that go against European interests. We demand a change of direction and new leadership that finally serves the people of Europe, not Brussels. Ursula von der Leyen and her commission must go.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Madam president, the European Council of 23 of the 23rd of October, um, was the summit of strategic. Strategic paralysis. Um, simply, the conditions are not there. Um, and the outcome would lead to indebtedness. For generations. The wrong decisions of Brussels will be shouldered by the common people. At the same time, The commission is trying to take away competences from the Member States. A competitiveness, high energy prices. Uh, the, uh, wrong ideas about the green transition will have the serious costs. Um, the European Council, uh, has been unsuccessful in, uh, making these problems, uh, more serious. It is time to change. Um, the union should play a more active role in promoting peace, in promoting a peace summit in Budapest.”
  EU political integration
• “Mr. president, madam president, the European Union is a peace project created to guarantee peace and prosperity in the European continent. The latest proposal by the Commission. To stock. Emergency reserves for 72 hours creates fear. And this is unnecessary. After three years of war in Ukraine, what would we really need? Is Europe to support the US diplomatic efforts in order to make peace between the warring countries. Of course, Europe needs to do most to create its own security, so defence capabilities need to be boosted. However, this cannot mean further centralisation in Brussels undermining national sovereignty. And also it cannot lead to taking up even more common European loans. And we also need to separate this issue from further weapons deliveries to Ukraine. And we should also honestly speak about the real challenges of Ukraine's eventual accession. Difficulties in the labour market, security and agricultural subsidies. Instead of ideology driven decisions, we need real solutions to boost competitiveness. In the car industry or in agriculture. Mass illegal immigration and Brussels immigration policy, which is a failure, is what causes the biggest difficulties for people. We need a brand new concept. We not fine tuning what we have. We need a complete break with the current immigration policies. The Left Liberal and EPP coalition is doing Europe wrong. We need a complete change which is demonstrated by the Patriots. Even if you want to muzzle us, we will continue. You don't need to protect us. Democracy from Viktor Orban. Yesterday was a dark day in European democracy in France. Decisions need to be taken in the polling booths, not in the courts of Europe.”
  EU competences on defence
• “Madam president, everybody is speaking about the decline of European competitiveness. However, they are usually silent about the main reason for this high energy prices. The nose diving of European competitiveness will not stop until European companies have to pay several times more for energy than their global competitors. Brussels, using its ideology driven decisions, is only making the situation worse. Let's take, for example, the regulation on phasing out Russian energy. This will further increase energy prices and it jeopardizes the energy security of Central European countries. Energy supply is a physical issue, not an ideological one for us. What is more, the wishes of the member states most affected are ignored when the rules of the game are being rewritten. Hungary, therefore, is challenging this regulation at the European Court of Justice. We will not allow families utility bills to triple and we will not allow our businesses to become unviable. We will protect Hungarian families, utility cost reductions and Hungary's energy security. And then there's the huge sum earmarked for financing Ukraine, including the 90 billion loan package which will push Europe into a debt spiral. And this will only further worsen competitiveness, just as the excesses of the Green Deal or the Mercosur agreement, which threatens farmers. These only add to the problem. Now we speak of simplification very enthusiastically. This is very nice, but it's only for it's only a band aid on a serious injury. But you are deeply silent about the fact that you were the ones imposing these burdens just as enthusiastically. So instead of ideological gambling, we expect the European Commission to change course, take concrete steps, reduce energy prices, and finally make decisions that are in the interests of the European people.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Madam president, madam minister. Mr. Commissioner, the EU cannot react to the threats that it is faced with and it is risking the most important three promises of European integration peace, safety and prosperity. There is no prosperity. The Green Deal has become a really dark green Deal. You can see it. Energy prices in the skies. Bureaucracy. Killing our farmers and companies. We cannot speak about new. A new boost to competitiveness until EU leaders are blocked by ideologies. Instead of these cosmetical measures, you need to really reduce bureaucracy and energy prices drastically reduce them. Our security is endangered by illegal migration. The migration pact is bad as it is. We've been saying this for years. We've been asking for putting migration policy on new foundations for years. We need to stop illegal migrants at the external borders and those who are within Europe. We need to send them back. And instead of forcing peace, you are speaking about war. You are losing. Using a war rhetoric. Peace should be tangible in Ukraine. We should achieve peace in Ukraine. But your approach and your proposals about continuing war are not serving anything. We would need to do our utmost to support a diplomatic solution. A potential summit between Putin and Trump in Budapest would be a historic chance to achieve peace. And this is our interest, the only interest of Europe. Thank you.”
  EU political integration
• “Thank you. President. People really need. The right solutions for Europe. But at the last summit, the Hungarian Prime minister was the only one who actually dared to speak the truth. You know, this is for this forced Ukrainian membership of the EU would just destroy everything as far as our markets go, our security. Opening up the markets in this case would just destroy our farmers. It's just not acceptable to have these agreements decided upon between the Ukraine and the European Commission behind closed doors. We agree with certain competences being advanced and enhanced, but we shouldn't centralise everything. The forced migration pact has to be stopped as well. We need radical changes and we need a review of the court's orders as well, and decisions. It's a huge problem, but the Commission is making proposals with regard to energy prices, for example, which will bring about a hike in these prices. We're not able to really participate and we're going to destroy the EU. We really need to remove these cul de sacs and start talking frankly.”
  EU-Ukraine relations
• “Thank you very much, Madam President. The citizens of Europe are actually best served by the values of the European Union. That is the achievement that we wish to offer them. And the single market is an example of that. And it's what serves as a basis for competitiveness in Europe. At the moment, the European economic situation is unfortunately faltering. Our industrial performance is in decline, and our companies are having to operate under an ever heavier your burden. So it's difficult to talk about competitiveness when we know that European families, European companies, are paying much more for their energy costs than their global competitors. We've had a green transition which has been mismanaged. We've also had excessive regulation, and this is suffocating our European economy. Of course, we support simplification, but that cannot lead to even greater centralisation, and it cannot lead to increasingly excessive concentration of powers in the hands of the European Commission. We want to deepen the single market, but we can't do this if it's to the detriment of cohesion. The two are the two sides of the same coin. We see from the proposed new seven year MFF that you actually wish to weaken cohesion, and this is unacceptable for us because it will deepen the gap between central and peripheral states, and it will actually trigger increased political tension. So the single market has been badly handled. I think that we have seen a policy that has really been to the detriment of our citizens. We as patriots want to propose an alternative, not this wrong headed policy. We don't want to act against Europe. We want a Europe that is more successful, one that is better placed to protect the interests of its citizens. We want the kind of Europe that guarantees everything that European Union was created for, namely peace, security and welfare.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU