Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, as in all his previous speeches, President Barroso has described a half-full glass as totally full. I will demonstrate that the glass is still half empty. President Barroso, you spoke about figures and, yes, there are some good figures, and we are happy about that, but I want to speak about people: about women, about the younger generation and about children, who are still suffering under the austerity policy.

You spoke about increasing investment confidence. But why, Mr Barroso, is there a lack of confidence on the part of Europe’s citizens? This is another question that the Commission and the Commission President need to answer. Recently, Prime Minister Samaras, of the future Greek Presidency of the Council, spoke about a Greek recovery. With 60% of young people still unemployed and with efforts to find a new package for Greece, it is astonishing that some people should talk about a recovery.

Turning to Spain, you probably read the recent article about the young generation there: the children who have to go to school to be fed because they cannot get enough meals at home. And do you know, Mr Barroso, how many jobs have been created in Spain in the last few months? The answer is 31. Thirty-one new jobs: this is the recovery in Spain! It is a scandal.

As for Portugal, your own country, Mr Barroso, I do not know whether you have spoken, as I did recently when I was in Setúbal, with Caritas, who can show you children being taken out of kindergarten because people are ashamed to send their children to kindergarten with poor clothes. That is also the reality of Europe: so show that the glass is not simply half full; it is also half empty. We still have much to do, and we need to change the policies of the Commission.

(Loud applause)

Because austerity is increasing the rift between rich and poor and between north and south, and is aggravating racism and xenophobia. Blaming the others – the foreigners, the migrant workers, the welfare tourists from Bulgaria and Romania – is very popular, for example among the Conservatives in Great Britain, and even more so UKIP and others. This is happening all over Europe today: austerity is undermining solidarity between states and also between citizens.

Yes, I agree we need a strong Europe – a much stronger Europe. How can we support Baroness Ashton’s important work if we do not have a stronger Europe? And that means, of course, more investment because public and private investment is lacking. I have seen many young entrepreneurs who would like to go for new start-ups if they could get credit and investment.

I was recently at Porsche and at BASF, one of the leading companies in Germany, and I saw the high quality of work there. But you know, Mr Barroso, even in rich Germany there is a lack of investment and infrastructure. They have to close bridges and highways because they cannot be repaired; and people say that their Internet speed is sometimes slower in rich Germany than in some of our poor countries. We have to fight together, in all our countries, for more investment.

Mr Barroso, you also mentioned the civil liberties situation. Yes, you are right, but I would take an even stronger stance. How can it be that a black minister in Italy is attacked again daily, even by some of the Members of this Parliament? It is a shame. We should be proud to have a black minister in one of our European governments.

(Applause)

Journalists and friends of journalists are being intimidated in some other countries; laws against media freedom have been passed in certain countries; and Roma are being attacked again, even more so than before. These are things that we need to combat very strongly. Therefore I demand from the Commission more policies for economic recovery, more policies on social cohesion and solidarity, and more capacity to defend the rule of the law in Europe.

You also mentioned, Mr Barroso, some of the proposals due to come forward: for example, on the social dimension of economic and monetary union. But I would ask you: things have been in place since the spring, so why does it require nearly half a year to bring forward this proposal? Are you afraid that some governments are against it? Perhaps you mentioned it and I missed it.

We passed a legislative proposal on the restructuring of industries because we want restructured industries. We are not conservatives who say that once an industry is there, it has to stay as it is. It must be subject to social conditions. Why do you not have the courage to come forward with a legislative proposal on the restructuring of industries? Is it because some countries are against it?

You are the President of the Commission, and the Commission must have the strength to fight not only with this Parliament but also with the Council. So I hope, at least, that you come forward with some proposals on these issues because we need them.

(Applause)

I also want to raise the issue of health and safety regulations because I mentioned the health situation earlier. You need only look briefly at the book The body economic: why austerity kills. It kills in the true sense. Under austerity, among other things, the rate of suicide is increasing, so we also need health and safety regulations from the Commission.

However, let me also address the Council. We had an agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Why is the Council breaking this agreement? We had an agreement, together with the Commission, on frontloading against youth unemployment. But the Council is not frontloading: it is reducing the money for youth unemployment, and this is not acceptable.

(Applause)

How can you present a budget for 2014 which is not up to standard, and not up to the agreement? How can the Council violate the law and the Treaty by not negotiating with Parliament about things which have to be negotiated? We must stick to the laws and the rules, and demand that the Council comes forward with a reasonable budget under the MFF for 2014. My group will not vote in favour of a budget that is not up to standard to fight against youth unemployment in Europe, for that is the biggest task. Talk alone is not enough; we want action from the Council.

(Applause)

We also expect progress on the financial transaction tax (FTT), which is currently taking a lot of flak. We expect of the Council, with the help of the Commission of course, that the promise made to our citizens – that the financial sector will contribute through the FTT – will finally be kept. It is not acceptable that so many citizens should suffer and that banks and financial institutions should not contribute to resolving the crisis.

Lastly, there is to be an election campaign, to which the President referred. The centre-left has approaches to many issues very different from those of the centre-right, especially on social issues. But I hope that the centre in this Parliament will defend the future of Europe. If some governments are now calling for the words ‘ever closer Union’ to be deleted from the Treaty, we say ‘No’. We want an ever closer union in the fields of both economic and foreign affairs. That is the only way to go forward, and I therefore believe in the vision of a United States of Europe. However, just as the United States of America, it is not a unitary state, Europe will never be one. It will have its diversity but will get rid of this nationalism and xenophobia.

With all our differences between right and left, let us fight for a common Europe: a Europe strong enough to defend itself; a Europe strong enough to say and do whatever we have to say and do, on issues from Syria and Egypt to competition with China, and all the others. We cannot defend the interests of our citizens if we go back to nationalism and xenophobia. We have to go forward towards a common united Europe.

(Loud applause)

(The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question under Rule 149(8))