Let us praise what is good and criticize what is bad. That applies to everyone, including the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. While in one of her speeches, she shone, in another one, she upset all conservatives.
I disagree with the current President of the European Commission on many issues. I had reservations about her practically from the very beginning, and I definitely did not consider her to be an ideal candidate. Unfortunately, she has been influenced in many ways by the leftist progressive agenda, which she demonstrated in her recent, very ideological report on the state of the EU. When she was speaking, at many points, it seemed to me that I was not listening to a speech by a politician from the European People’s Party, but rather by a radical colleague from the Green or Socialist faction.
Her report on the state of the EU was problematic in several areas. She promoted, for example, the European minimum wage, which I had previously criticized as complete economic nonsense. Its introduction would be most detrimental to people with disabilities, making numerous people unemployable for many companies. She also mentioned the Pact on Migration. That, in turn, is problematic because of the assumption of mandatory solidarity, which I also disagree with. We need to stop illegal migration to the EU not “direct” it so that more and more people who are incompatible with European culture and do not particularly want to work here come to the continent. Legal routes through work and other visas have long existed! I do not want states to be forced to accept illegal migrants in any way, as it would only lead to repeating the mistakes of 2015.
It is also worth looking into the issue of enforced acceptance of parenthood for same-sex couples. In her speech, von der Leyen said that “a parent in one state must be recognized as a parent in all states.” She really spoke like a radical activist on this topic, which is not appropriate given her position as the President of the European Commission. She cannot interfere in state matters this way! It is precisely these issues that rightly raise opposition to the idea of the EU as an area for the free movement of persons, goods, and services, proving right those who talk about an EU dictatorship.
While there are many more issues on which I do not agree with the current President of the Commission, I would also like to mention one recent act, for which, on the contrary, Ursula von der Leyen deserves words of praise. At the end of October, she shone in the flood of all the negative news about the current coronavirus epidemic.
Not only I, but many other people in the Czech Republic and Europe were strongly impressed by her brief but very clear speech in which she expressed solidarity with the Czech Republic as one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus. She promised to send medical supplies under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism program. She also announced that Czechia would be provided with 30 artificial ventilators from rescEU reserves.
It is a great pity that little attention was paid to her short speech in the Czech Republic, as she has shown how politicians should act in such a crisis.
Tomáš Zdechovský is a Czech MEP and member of the Czech Christian Democrats party, which is affiliated with the European People’s Party.
Title image: Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovký in the European Parliament (Zdechovsky.eu)
