On this page, you will find the latest news, speeches, and talks.
(With a few exceptions, most of them are written in German.)
🌼🐰 Happy Easter to you all! I wish you a restful and relaxing holiday - time to take a deep breath, recharge your batteries and, above all, enjoy wonderful moments with your loved ones. Especially in challenging times, it's good to pause and appreciate togetherness. 🌸💛 ...
Last week I was at the LUX Audience Award in Saarbrücken - an inspiring evening with strong European cinema and important discussions! The film "Intercepted" by Oksana Karpovych, a Ukrainian film director, gave an impressive insight into the war in Ukraine - from the perspective of Russian soldiers. Afterwards I...
In my closing speech at the Parliament Magazine event on food security and healthy nutrition in times of rising prices, I addressed the question of how healthy nutrition can be secured for everyone even in times of crisis - in a socially just, sustainable and accessible way. A key instrument is the...
🎉 The competition for the title of European Youth Capital 2028 is entering the next round - and five cities are now on the shortlist! With cities such as 🇲🇩 Chișinău, 🇳🇱 Leeuwarden, 🇨🇾 Paralimni, 🇧🇬 Pernik and 🇲🇪 Podgorica on the shortlist, it is clear that everywhere in Europe...
I spoke about this today at the network meeting of the Saarland European Movement to mark the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement at the VHS Saarbrücken. The European idea of opening borders to people, which is associated with the name Schengen, is more than just a dream for us in the Greater Region....
🎬 Today I'm attending the LUX audience film in Saarbrücken - and I'd like to invite you to come along too! Tonight, April 10, 7pm in camera zwo: "Intercepted" by Oksana Karpovych - a haunting film about the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Followed by a panel discussion with Dr.... and others.
This week I had a very enriching follow-up meeting with representatives of Caritas following the Charting the Path to Sustainable Economic Development conference I organized at the European Parliament at the end of March, where we discussed exciting topics in depth - including the impressive initiative of Caritas...
We have come a giant step closer to animal welfare in Europe! The EU Parliament's Environment Committee today adopted my report on the "Welfare of dogs and cats" with 67 votes in favor, 9 against and 8 abstentions. That is an overwhelming majority. For the first time ever, the European Parliament has...
ÖDP MEP Manuela Ripa agrees to ease the burden on companies, but warns against weakening the laws 531 votes in favor, 69 against and 17 abstentions: The EU Parliament postponed the entry into force of new rules on due diligence and sustainability reporting by a large majority of MEPs. This gives companies more time to prepare for...
I welcome the fact that Saarland is recommending a ban on cell phones in elementary school - that is the right step. But now we need binding regulations, not just recommendations. And: private cell phone use should also be restricted at secondary schools - with pedagogically sensible exceptions. Hesse is leading the way here...