Im sorry kelly welcome to the program youre joining us for special coverage of an address by germanys ursula funder line before the European Parliament that will be getting under way in just a few minutes time youre looking at live pictures here as people assemble for what is Voter Alliance last chance to make her case to even lawmakers in her bid to become the 1st woman president of the European Commission she needs to secure a majority and a confirmation vote being held later today but success is far from certain for deadline faces hostility from parliamentary groups who say that she was foisted on them by National Leaders so shes been on a Charm Offensive making a raft of promises to win support and we can see her walking out there. Lets get more analysis on the speech which is about to get underway im joined here in the studio by diffused chief Political Correspondent and to crane and we also have our Brussels Bureau chief max hoffman standing by at the European Parliament in strasbourg and max id like to begin with you because funder line shes really facing an uphill battle here what does she need to do in order to get the votes that she needs. Its a balancing act sarah because if she gives too much to the right for example too many concessions to the right then shell lose votes on the left if she gives too many concessions to the left and shell lose votes on the right so really she cant be too concrete she cant be too vague she really has to hit that sweet spot in the middle and its got much more complicated than in the past to do that because you need 3 parties to gain a majority here in the European Parliament and shell probably even need from 4 different parties to get a majority from the liberals from the conservatives from the social democrats and also even from the conservative euro skeptics thats why its been so tough for her harder than for any of her predecessors thats why shes been writing letters for example to the social democrats trying to find exactly that fine line she needs to find more in to tell us a little bit more about that Sticking Point max has just touched on there the issue of the social democrats why are the german social democrats against one of their fellow countrywoman it seems 2 aspects basically the 1st one is a stance on principle the e. U. Parliament had decreed on this system of leave candidates from the Different Party fractions and these leave candidates conducted real election campaigns with posters with debates with public rallies and so when they had months to work out their policy positions now the leaders of the heads of the Member States simply threw that overboard with a backroom deal that puts a fund to lie in there as the main candidate for president at the commission instead of the lead candidates that the e. U. Parliament had designated so the s. P. D. In general in brussels and especially the german s. P. D. Members say look thats not democracy that is not right and we stand on principle but the fact is the german s. P. D. Has been particularly vocal on the. Point and that has to do with Something Else and thats domestic namely their very weak profile at the moment with in the governing coalition and also in Public Opinion surveys at large their numbers have fallen to historic lows came back up a teeny bit last weekend but not much so theyre very worried about looking strong about having a distinctive profile and thats very much what this is about and frankly theyve backed themselves into a corner if i may say so if you hear what what leading s. P. D. M. Members are saying particularly in brussels german s. P. D. Members essentially their way out on a very very fragile limb and theres not only that matter of the internal political jockeying when we talk about the domestic front theres also this issue of the lead candidate max fill us in on this because its been quite a controversial what on the european level walk us through whats at stake. The whole principle of the whole process started 5 years ago when the parliament for the 1st time said we will have a lead candidate for every group here every Political Group in the European Parliament and the winner of that election is the one that we will do agree to to become Commission President back then it worked because right after the election you had. And his competitor martin should agree that it would take the Commission Presidency martin shows would be become president of the European Parliament and so the leaders really didnt have that much choice but to dream with that because the European Parliament had a united front so that was a principle what you have to remember though that this is not anchored in any kind of legislation its not anchored in the european treaties so its really more of a convention and if the European Parliament isnt on the same page for that which they werent this time then its hard for them to stick to that principle what we have this time is that no longer. The 2 big parties the social democrats and the conservatives could agree on one candidate basically handing over responsibility to the leaders who couldnt find a majority either for one of the candidates and thats why they came up with. And that in turn made some in the European Parliament met again and thats why for this time at least the. Principals so that the principle of one of the lead candidates becoming Commission President didnt work out ok and just to remind our viewers of what youre looking at there youre looking at live pictures from the European Parliament you can see ursula funder line greeting various people there as she gets set to address the European Parliament in just a few minutes time it is her last chance to make her case to e. U. Lawmakers in her bid to become the 1st woman president of the European Commission and she is certainly a candidate with a track record she is one which many people have strong opinions on belinda especially here in germany dont think shes the outgoing defense minister she is and in fact in their effort to torpedo her candidacy the german s. P. D. One member of the german. Delegation in brussels sent a letter to fellow s. P. D. Members in brussels laying out her perceived weaknesses as defense minister essentially saying that she was inadequate and in appropriate to head the commission which is also rather astounding to hear german essentially attempting to take down a fellow german even if she is from a Different Party the fact is her track record as defense minister was somewhat mixed but frankly she took over a ministry and military forces in enormous disarray she is known as a reformer both in the time when she served as family minister prior to that and also in the defense post and she did try to Institute Real reforms in the armed forces. But they have taken some time to play out and certainly the German Military is nowhere where they need no not where they need to be in terms of workable hardware and to some degree also in terms of the armed forces themselves so that was the reason for critique in general shes perceived as being very strong in europe shes been campaigning very much on the basis of her childhood connections to europe she actually grew up in belgium im sure max tell us a little bit more about that side of things but she basically has been emphasizing her multilingual of the she speaks a number of different languages and that european that pro european background and she was known for that also within c. D. U. Circles here in fact back in 2011 she called for a United States of europe as a means to essentially come back from the financial crisis and shes also you know shes a brussels born political blueblood we have to we have to mention as well max with that id like to turn with you because i mean shes she would be coming in here with the a pretty Strong Network of allies what does that mean for her candidacy. It did help there especially with the leaders she have been quietly building up that network over the years going really under the radar in her function as minister of defense to Eastern European partners who backed her she has a very strong backing in tundras like poland and hungary because of her stance on russia. As defense minister for example the role she played in nato you know when the defense ministers of nato came together it was often ally and was there as well she was interested in european topics more so than she would have to be as defense minister and we talked to members of the board. They had podium has actually appeared in front of our shorter line she is shes begun speaking lets listen in a life at the European Parliament you need. Yet to a case like that you cant be and all the others europeans icons that today i am able to put forward to you my function of 30. And 40 years later it is with great pride that im able to say finally a woman has handed it for the presidency of the European Commission. Thank you thank you janet. And women thanks to all those women who broke through the barriers and the conventions i am woman finds to all of us who built a europe of peace of unity and a europe of values that because. It is this european conviction of it has guided me throughout my life and my korea has been my thoughts as a doctor and also as a politician thank you. It is not courage and demonstrated by the pioneers such as see more of a that is at the very heart of my vision of europe. It will be that spirit that will guide the European Commission that i have the intention to be the president of and mr president ladies and gentlemen. Members of the European Parliament the Founding Fathers and mothers of europe from the ruins and ashes of the world war created a fantastic new world of peace with a stronger Common Market the ability to work and study and Research Across borders 500000000 youre appearance now live limit over to your i phones and in wealth and freedom. My children generation is able to look ahead to a europe which is a home and they cant really imagine it any other way and those born into that help positive generation assume just parents that this would always be the case but today it is now clear that we are going to have to fight the were going to have to rise up for this europe of ours the whole world is called upon with disruptive to further moments of pace not to allow this to go by party by europe globalization of the World Economy the huge digitalisation of our world of work and of course Climate Change none of these met us in development new. They have been predicted by our scientists for a long time but the new thing is that as citizens of europe today irrespective of which country we live in the impact of that is something that we are feeling daily lives whether its the finnish. Growers affected by drought or the effects now made palpable in france we are experiencing a Climate ChangeOnline Banking is now in the daily lives of the irish or in poland people after 20 years in the workplace or having to take further training. Just to remain in the work place so we are all feeling this opposite arena all close and personal and whether its in the schools or hospitals company. Which having to close we are experiencing demographic changes as well all of this up close and personal both with a feeling of losing control of lose our ties with our communities none of these challenges will go away but there have been different ways to react to these trends some are churning towards also retiree and regimes some of buying their global influence and creating dependencies by investing in ports and wrote and other such turning towards protectionism none of these options are for us we want multilateralism we want fair trade we defend the rules based order because we know it is better for all of us we have to do with the european way. Thank you but if we are to go down the european path we must 1st rediscover our unity if we are united on the inside no body will divide us from the outside if we close the gaps between us we can turn to a more of shall enjoy this in tomorrows opportunities. Honorable members almost pressing challenge is keeping our planet. This is the greatest responsibility and opportunity of our times. I want europe to become the 1st climate neutral continent in the world by 2050 thanks to make this happen we must take bold steps together our current goal of reducing our emissions by 40 percent by 2030 is not enough we must go further we must strive for more a 2 step approach is needed to reduce c o 2 emissions by 2030 by 50 if not 55 percent the European Union will lead International Negotiations to increase the level of ambition of other Major Economies by 2021 because to achieve real impact we do not only have to be ambitious at home we have to do that yes but the world has to move together to make this happen i will put forward a green deal for europe in my 1st 100 days in office i will put forward the 1st ever european climate law which will set the 2050 target in law this increase of ambition will need investment on a major scale public money will not be enough i will propose a sustainable Europe Investment plan. And turn parts of the European Investment bank into a climate bank this will unlock one trillion euros of investment over the next decade to 80. It means change all of us and every sector will have to contribute from every a she to Maritime Transport to the way each of and every one of us travels and lives emissions must have a prize that changes our behavior. To complete this work and to ensure our companies can compete on a level Playing Field i will introduce a Carbon Border Tax to avoid carbon leakage but honorable members. What is good for our planet must also be good for our people and our regions of course i know about the importance of cohesion funds but we need more we need to Just Transition fall not all of our regions have the same starting point but we all share the same destination this is why i will propose a Just Transition fund to support those most affected this is the real pre in the way we are ambitious we leave nobody behind and we offer perspectives. T. If we won to succeed with this ambitious plan we need a Strong Economy because what we want to spend we have to earn it 1st. That we need to strengthen the backbone of our economy the small and Medium Sized Enterprises they are innovative they are entrepreneurialism they are flexible and agile they create jobs they provide Vocational Training to our youth but they can only do all these if they have access to capital everywhere in this huge Single Market lets get rid of all the barriers lets open the door lets finally complete the Capital Markets union our small and Medium Enterprises deserve it. Thank you and we need to work with the stability and growth pact when vestment and reforms are needed we should make sure that i can be done we should make use of all the flexibility allowed in the rules we have proud of our economy we want to make it stronger but theres also a clear and simple logic. Its not people that serve our economy its the economy that serves our people. A petite and our social market economy we must really come syal the market with the social therefore i will refocus our european semester to make sure we stay on track with our Sustainable Development goals and i will stand for fair texas whether for brick and mortar industries or Digital Business when the tech giants are making sure which profits in europe this is fine because we are an open market and we like competition but if they are making these profits by benefiting from our Education System our skilled workers our infrastructure and our Social Security if this is so it is not acceptable that they make profits but they are barely paying taxes because they play our tax system if they want to benefit in they have to carry the burden t. Hon members the european way is also about using all of our potential our people out telent our diversity it is about care creating a fairer and more equal union this will drive me forward every single day i am in office as it has throughout my career. We have come a long way since i was a minister for Family Affairs and had to fight to introduce parental pay access to childcare for families but the fight for fairness never stops it is still too difficult for hard working families to make ends meet in europe i want to ensure that the work pays in a social market economy every person that is working full time should earn a minimum wage that pays for a decent living. Q. To pay therefore we will develop a framework of course in respect of the different labor markets but i think the optimal option is to have collective bargaining by Employers Union and trade union because they tailor the minimum wage to the sector or to the region necessary of course im aware that different models but we have to create the framework and i want better protection for those who lose that job when our economy takes a severe hit. A european Unemployment Insurance scheme will support our economies and our people in times of external shocks of course there are national Unemployment Insurance us but the reinsurance scheme for those heavy tax dollar shops is needed in europe. Thanks i also want more equality and fairness for young people youth unemployment is at 14 percent in europe but it ranges from 5 percent to 40 percent in some countries we cannot accept this young people have aspirations they want to work they want to have a future and it is our job to let them achieve these this is why i will make sure the youth guarantee which i started when i was a minister for Labor Affairs in our council is working as well as it can and every member state and i will support the european policy amends idea to triple the arrest was a good budget as far out of the next long term budget. T. We have to care for the most vulnerable out children we have to fight poverty. I know as a mother of 7 that it makes a difference for their entire life if children have access to education to sport to music to healthy food and to a loving environment we need a child guarantee to help ensure that every child in europe at risk of poverty and social exclusion has access to the most basics of rights Like Health Care and education i will and it will empower them and it pays tremendously if we back them when they are young and this is part of my action plan to bring our pillar of social rights to life and i will start a troll by example i will ensure full gender equality in my college of commissioners one thang if Member States do not propose enough female commissions i will not hesitate to ask for new names since 9958. There have been 183. 00 commissioners only 35. 00 were women that is less less than 20 percent we we present for our population we want our fear share one thing. We also need to talk openly about violence against women. If one in 5 women have already suffered physical or Sexual Violence in the European Union and 55 percent of women have been sexually harassed this is clearly not a womens issue i will propose to add violence against women on the list of e. U. Crimes defined in the treaty and the European Union should join the Istanbul Convention i am convinced if we close those gaps between us we will emerge stronger as a rule thank honorable members of the credible of our european civilization is greek philosophy and roman law and our european continent went through its darkest period when we were ruled by dictators and rule of law was banished. For centuries europeans fought so hard for their liberty and independence the rule of law is our best tool to defend these freedoms and to protect the most vulnerable in our union this is why there cant be no compromise when it comes to respecting the rule of law then never again thank you i will ensure that we use our full and comprehensive toolbox at european level in addition i fully support and the you wide rule of law and mechanism and to be clear the new instrument is not all china tift to the existing instruments but an additional one. The commission will always be independent guardian of the treaty. Lady justice is blind she will defend the rule of law where ever it is attacked. Unravel members. The rule of law is universal it applies to all in the last 5 years more than 700000 people have drowned in the mediterranean which has become one of the deadliest border in the world. At sea there is the duty to save lives. Elaine and in our treaties and conventions that is the legal and moral duty to respect the dignity of every human being the European Union can and must to defend these values the European Union needs humane borders we must save but saving alone is not enough we must reduce irregular marriage gratian we must fight smugglers and traffickers its organized crime we must preserve the right to asylum and improve the situation of refugees for example through humanitarian corridors in close cooperation with the un age. We need empathy and Decisive Action i am aware of how difficult and divisive discussions on these issues are