Valerie Hayer: “Liberals are the most involved in protecting the rule of legislation”

How has your arrival to the presidency of Renew been?It has been fairly unusual. It has been an incredible honor to be elected President of my in-laws in Parliament. I set to work instantly as a result of we’ve many issues to complete earlier than the time period ends. And we even have the European Council summit, which is a unprecedented victory for Ukraine, with 50 billion euros to assist them till 2027. And we nonetheless have rather a lot of issues to complete. I imagine that the asylum and migration pact, reform our finances and likewise our world. And, of course, shield our democracy from these, inside and outdoors the EU, who need to assault it.

The actuality is that the polls are not so good for you in totally different nations and for the European elections. I do know they are solely half of the image, however how do you’re taking them?We have not began the marketing campaign but. So polls earlier than a marketing campaign don’t present the remaining outcomes. In my nation, for instance, the surveys mentioned the identical factor 5 years in the past. And we confirmed that we lastly obtained a wonderful end result. And I believe additionally it is vital to have in mind the dynamics of the group, with new members who will be a part of Renew Europe after the elections, younger events that till now don’t at all times depend in the polls, however for which concrete success is predicted. But sure, if we would like a victory, of course, we should battle a robust political battle, particularly once more, in opposition to the far proper and all the populists all through Europe.

After these 5 years, with the pandemic, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now the warfare in Gaza… What is your evaluation of the legislature in the European Parliament?
Nobody may have advised us. The Russian invasion of Ukraine was additionally a really severe and unprecedented motion. I believe we did the whole lot we may do to guard Europeans. We protected your well being with our terribly efficient vaccine coverage. We protected their buying energy, their jobs. Also with the restoration plan that I personally negotiated. We protected their pursuits and safety, in addition to these of our Ukrainian buddies, by supporting Ukraine in opposition to this horrible Kremlin warfare. And lastly, we protected your future, your youngsters’s future with the Green Deal, which might be, I believe, the largest local weather ambition. And we are additionally working with the European Union to create a local weather motion plan round the world. Personally, I’m satisfied {that a} continent with out this frequent EU mission, the European Union mission, can be a weaker, extra fragile continent. There are nonetheless many, many issues to do, of course, however once I see how unprecedented our mandate has been, I believe we could be proud of Europe.

Would you say then that the European Union has risen to the event with the pandemic and the Russian invasion?
Like I mentioned, sure. We proceed engaged on new tasks and ambitions. For instance, after we hear what candidate Trump is saying about NATO, that is very severe. So I believe that is the final wake-up name for Europe. And we’ve seen that the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kalas, has been included this week on the checklist of individuals wished by Russia. So exterior powers that need to intimidate Europe exist. We have to have the ability to shield Europeans from them. But nobody would have thought a couple of years in the past that what we’ve achieved since 2019 can be doable. And but, we did it, and we’ll proceed to do it in order that our democracies take this away from us.

The farmers’ protests have been one other vital second in current occasions. What options do you see for the present agricultural disaster in the European Union?We assist farmers’ issues and lift points vital to them. One of the vital matters for them, administrative simplification, the significance of having the ability to earn a dwelling from their work and supporting them in the Green Deal. And I believe it’s an absolute necessity to assist those that feed our continent. And I’m particularly satisfied that Europe has to assist their efforts for inexperienced agriculture and has to behave with the Member States on find out how to allow them to earn a greater dwelling. So I believe we’ve to adapt our system, additionally with regard to the proven fact that Ukrainian merchandise mustn’t threaten our economic system. We should assist our farmers. And we will undoubtedly each enhance the economic system and create an setting in which our European farmers additionally construct our personal meals sovereignty. And sure, what can also be crucial is to not oppose the agricultural setting. They should all go collectively, of course.

Do you anticipate after the elections a Parliament that’s extra excessive, with extra significance from, say, the left on one aspect and ECR or ID on the different?The debates on the future Parliament shall be key to the success of the subsequent legislature. The excessive proper talks rather a lot, however I already see what they do in Parliament. The far proper says it cares about the local weather, however then opposes the Green Deal. He says he helps farmers, however votes in opposition to the billions of euros we give to our agriculture. He talks about democracy all the time, however as quickly as he involves energy, he destroys the rule of legislation, like in Poland or Hungary. So we’ve to guarantee that Europeans know what’s behind their phrases.

How do you see the state of affairs of the rule of legislation in some nations of the European Union? Let’s say Hungary, for example Poland, particularly earlier than the authorities of Donald Tusk, and likewise in Spain we now have the subject on the entrance line.We are the European household most involved in protecting the rule of legislation. This is an element of our DNA, at all times has been and at all times shall be. And we’ve acted firmly throughout this mandate, for instance creating a robust conditionality mechanism that led to the suspension of some EU funds for Hungary after Viktor Orban attacked media freedom and judicial independence in Budapest. And Renew Europe has performed a strategic position in protecting the rule of legislation in our Union, and we’ll proceed to take action.

Speaking of these points, for you the supreme state of affairs is the identical coalition that we’ve seen these years with the EPP, S&D and Renew making a pro-European coalition?Our line with Renew Europe is obvious, very clear. We are not going to signal any settlement with far-right events. We are not going to take part in negotiations that additionally contain the excessive proper. So this can be a very, very clear crimson line. And I can guarantee you that no EPP-ID or ECR coalition will ever get our assist. That is totally clear. Our group is important to construct commitments that are each pragmatic and bold.

How are these agreements achieved?We oppose populism, we are there to seek out options and have interaction each the central proper and the central left. And now no European legislation could be handed with out Renew. So I’m very proud of the central power we have grow to be. We will definitely play our half in the upcoming negotiations to construct a strong democratic and pro-European majority. In Spain, as in the relaxation of Europe, anti-European voices are growing. This is what we should announce with Renew Europe. We have been combating in opposition to it in the pursuits of the Europeans. So we’ve to remain united and Renew will definitely play its half. We will proceed engaged on this goal in Parliament.

To end, what are the two most vital achievements of these 5 years?First, we’ve put collectively laws unprecedented in historical past. With a single goal, shield our planet. This is what the Green Deal is. A bundle of European legal guidelines whose goal is to battle local weather change. And it isn’t nearly the planet. It can also be about constructing a domestically resilient economic system, a sustainable approach of life. And sure, I imagine that with the Green Deal we are additionally speaking about innovation, trade, employment and social safety. Those most affected by local weather change are usually those that are least protected to outlive to start with. And those that are not, are the ones who shall be most affected. And we’ll proceed to work collectively to endure its penalties. So it’s evident that we face this problem collectively in a concrete approach.

The second nice achievement is how we’ve gone past the conventional taboos that the EU had for many years to serve our fellow residents. Thus, we’ve constructed a restoration plan based mostly on frequent debt after Covid, one thing that many individuals wouldn’t have believed a couple of years in the past. We pushed a unified message of assist for Ukraine when it was attacked two years in the past. And all collectively, our 27 States with the European Parliament and the Commission, we had been united and remodeled this unity into motion with monetary assist, navy assist, sanctions in opposition to Russia, and so on. And sure, we’ll proceed to assist Ukraine for so long as it takes till it regains its territorial integrity.

He has additionally talked about the work that’s not but performed. Let me ask you about two different huge challenges for the future.I’d say one is to guarantee that the far proper doesn’t rise throughout Europe. As we’ve mentioned, this can be a severe menace. Their speech and insurance policies, after they come to energy, are removed from being true. They assault judicial independence, freedom of the media, elementary rights. And it is extremely harmful. So we’ve the duty to persuade Europeans that these events are not the resolution. And once I say we, it isn’t simply the political events. It is, I imagine, everybody, all residents who imagine in democracy and the rule of legislation.

Europe’s safety is one other of the huge points in the medium and long run, proper?Yes. The different problem is our frequent safety. In actuality, each challenges are associated. About disinformation, protection, migration, cyber points. We should guarantee that the whole lot is sound and that our values ​​and pursuits are protected. So it additionally means working extra with nations round the world that share the identical values ​​and pursuits. So sure, multilateralism shall be important to the success of this century. I’m completely satisfied of it. And with the Renewal, our goal will at all times be to strengthen peace, democracy and the rule of legislation. So we intend to proceed defending this line in the future.