Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 25-26 March 2021 and the outcome of the high-level meeting between the EU and Turkey

President Sassoli,

President Michel,

Honourable Members,

I am the first woman to be President of the European Commission. I am the President of the European Commission. And this is how I expected to be treated when visiting Turkey two weeks ago, like a Commission President, but I was not.

I cannot find any justification for the way I was treated in the European Treaties. So, I have to conclude, it happened because I am a woman. Would this have happened if I had worn a suit and a tie? In the pictures of previous meetings, I did not see any shortage of chairs. But then again, I did not see any woman in these pictures, either.

Honourable Members,

Many of you will have made quite similar experiences in the past. Especially the female members of this House, I am sure, know exactly how I felt. I felt hurt and left alone: As a woman and as a European. Because this is not about seating arrangements or protocol. This goes to the core of who we are. This goes to the values our Union stands for. And this shows how far we still have to go before women are treated as equals. Always, and everywhere.

Of course, I know that I am in a privileged position. I am the President of an institution, which is highly respected all around the world. And, even more important, as a leader, I can speak up and make myself heard. But what about millions of women who cannot? Women, who are hurt every day in every corner of our planet but neither have the power nor hold the office to speak up?

When I arrived at the meeting, there were cameras in the room. Thanks to them, the short video of my arrival immediately went viral and caused headlines around the world. There was no need for subtitles. There was no need for translations. The images spoke for themselves.

But we all know: Thousands of similar incidents, most of them far more serious, go unobserved. Nobody ever sees them or hears about them. Because there is no camera. Because there is nobody paying attention. We have to make sure that these stories are also told! And that, when they are told, they are acted upon.

The Istanbul Convention is an important tool for that. In May, it will be ten years since this Convention was signed. It is a groundbreaking legal text and an inspiring document. It is the first internationally binding instrument to take a broad approach to combating violence against women and children. The Convention prohibits psychological violence, sexual harassment and stalking. And it outlaws domestic violence. I do not need to tell you how important that is. Especially now, in the times of the pandemic.

I used the meeting in Ankara to reiterate my deep concerns about Turkey withdrawing from the Convention. The withdrawal of one of the founding members of the Council of Europe is a terrible signal. To be credible, however, we must not only criticise others. To be credible, we also have to act at home.

You all know: Several EU Member States have still not ratified the Convention. And others are thinking about quitting. This is not acceptable. Violence against women and children is a crime. We must call it a crime and it must be punished as such. This is why I want the EU itself to join the Istanbul Convention. This remains a priority for my Commission.

But as the EU's accession is stalled in Council, we will, before the end of the year, present alternative measures: We will put forward legislation to prevent and combat violence against women and children – online and offline.

And we will – my second point – propose to extend the list of Euro-crimes set out in the Treaty, to include all forms of hate crime. Because Europe needs to send a strong signal that hate crime is not acceptable. Because we have to make sure that women and girls are adequately protected everywhere in Europe. Because what U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris just recently said at the United Nations is true: The status of women is the status of democracy.

Die gleichberechtigte Beteiligung von Frauen macht unsere Demokratien stärker. Nicht, weil Frauen besser sind. Aber wir sind anders. Wir haben eine andere Sichtweise der Welt und sehen andere Gefahren oder Chancen. Für ein vollständiges Bild von der Welt brauchen wir Frauen und Männer. Nur so können wir die richtigen Entscheidungen treffen. Nur so können wir maximal erfolgreich sein.

Am Freitag habe ich das Pfizer-Werk in Puurs besucht. Dort habe ich Dr. Özlem Türeci getroffen. Sie ist Mitbegründerin und medizinische Vorständin von BioNTech, jenem Unternehmen, das den ersten zugelassenen mRNA-Impfstoff gegen COVID-19 entwickelt hat. Als kleines Mädchen ist Özlem Türeci bei ihren Großeltern in Istanbul aufgewachsen. Dann kam sie nach Deutschland, ging dort zur Schule und studierte Medizin.

BioNTech steht heute zusammen mit Pfizer im Zentrum unserer Impfkampagne in Europa. Eine Kampagne, die Tag für Tag an Tempo zulegt. Bis heute wurden in der EU 129 Millionen mal Menschen geimpft. Rund 26% der Erwachsenen haben mindestens eine Dosis bekommen. Und in dieser Woche werden rund 30 Millionen weitere Dosen ausgeliefert, überall in unserer Union. Auch Dank Özlem Türeci. Eine Geschichte, die zeigt, welche enormen Kräfte frei werden, wenn Frauen gleiche Chancen haben und ihr Können respektiert wird. Und eine Geschichte, die zeigt, warum wir mehr Frauen in Führungspositionen brauchen.

Hier sollte die EU mit gutem Beispiel vorangehen. Und das tun wir. Zum ersten Mal seit Bestehen der Kommission sind ebenso viele Frauen wie Männer im Kollegium der Europäischen Kommission vertreten. Ich möchte diesen Erfolg auch auf allen Managementebenen der Kommission erzielen. Noch sind wir da nicht. Aber immerhin: Derzeit haben Frauen mehr als 40% der Führungspositionen in der Kommission inne.

J'invite les autres institutions de l'Union européenne à suivre notre exemple. La Commission, certes, mais aussi le Conseil, l'administration du Parlement européen et les autres organes de l'Union ont encore beaucoup d'efforts à faire. La Commission organisera donc bientôt une réunion avec les autres institutions pour discuter comment nous pouvons tous faire mieux. Les femmes représentent la moitié de la population européenne. Et cela doit se refléter dans les institutions au cœur de l'Europe.

Mesdames et Messieurs les Députés,

Au Conseil européen de mars, les chefs d'État ou de gouvernement ont été très clairs : le respect des droits des femmes est un préalable important à une reprise du dialogue avec la Turquie – et à un élargissement de notre programme commun. Mais c'est loin d'être la seule condition préalable.

À Ankara, j'ai de nouveau porté le message que la Turquie devait poursuivre la désescalade en Méditerranée orientale. Elle doit accepter les arrêts de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme. Ce sont nos conditions pour renforcer notre coopération économique avec la Turquie et pour engager des dialogues à haut niveau sur des sujets tels que le changement climatique, la santé publique et les questions régionales.

Dans ces conditions, il serait aussi beaucoup plus facile de libérer de l'argent frais pour aider la Turquie à prendre en charge plus de quatre millions de réfugiés syriens. Nous saluons, d'ailleurs, les efforts de la Turquie à cet égard.

Mesdames et Messieurs les Députés,

Lorsque nous parlons de respect et de dignité, nous ne devons pas nous limiter à l'égalité hommes-femmes. La question est bien plus large. Nous ne pouvons tolérer que les zones sans LGBT se multiplient dans nos États membres.

Nous ne pouvons tolérer que les Roms soient discriminés en Europe. Et nous ne pouvons absolument pas tolérer que le visage hideux de l'antisémitisme et du racisme s'affiche dans le moindre coin de notre Union. L'Europe vaut tellement mieux que cela!

Sometimes I am amazed that we even have to talk about such self-evident things in this year of 2021. That we still have to stress the point that all across Europe people must have equal rights and equal opportunities: Regardless of whom they love, where they come from. Regardless of how old they are, or the faith they hold.

Because this is the Union I believe in. A Union, which lives up to its motto: United in diversity. For me, these three words have always expressed a solemn pledge. At home and abroad. Today and in the future.

Long live Europe.