Dear Colleagues, today I speak to you as a “Young Parliamentarian”. The fact is that many people my age have children who are already old enough to vote. It is young people who will be most affected by the ClimateDisaster, and it is young people whose voices often go unheard in politics. It is our responsibility to act on their behalf and secure their future.

But: It is impossible for me to continue with “business as usual” while the war in Ukraine is ongoing. It is not a war between two peoples but rather it is a war of aggression led by one individual, deceiving and forcing young men & boys to attack a neighbour and kill men, women and children for the sake of his imperialistic ideas. I was born in Poland during the communistic period, for this reason my family fled to freedom, to Austria and I can tell you: Many countries in Europe that have been living in peace are now living in fear again. And to make it clear: It is not only an European war, it’s an international danger because this conflict will also have effects on the global economy and peoples livelihoods.

Both Ukraine and Russia are important wheat and food producers for markets such as Egypt and other northern African countries or middle East. Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan will be affected as well: With the war ongoing this year’s harvest will likely fail, driving up prices and leaving many people unable to afford food. This is the first issue we need to tackle. Secondly, we must proof that crimes like this will never go unpunished. We must proof that international law is more than just words on a piece of paper. We must proof that it will be enforced by standing united in showing Putin the consequences to his actions. He may have thought that he was too powerful and too rich in oil and gas to cause a strong reaction. But: We were able to surprise him. We have to send a strong message to Putin and all other global leaders, that invading a neighbour is never acceptable. It’s necessary.

Also because: There is no Future, there is no Life on a dead planet but the planet dies when there‘s no peace. Thank You.