On this edition of Brussels, my love? we ask what problems EU climate plans could face following the departure of Commissioner Frans Timmerman and whether Spanish regional languages including Catalan, Galician and Euskera can become official EU languages.
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00:00 [Music]
00:12 Hello there and welcome to "Brussels, je t'aime", Euronews' weekly talk show about European politics.
00:19 On Brussels, my love, we take a look at some of the news of the week.
00:24 Hear what's at stake for you and for Europe.
00:26 I'm Maeve McMahon, thanks for joining us for this first edition of a brand new season.
00:32 Coming up this week, it was back to school in Brussels.
00:35 EU commissioners were back behind their desks, but one face was missing.
00:40 The Dutchman, Frans Timmermans.
00:42 Known internationally for being the driver of the EU Green Deal, has left for national politics.
00:48 As Europe comes out of a summer of record-breaking weather,
00:52 we're asking what this political shuffle will mean for the long list of climate policies.
00:57 And Europe's Tower of Babel, the possibility of adding more official languages to the EU's 24 working ones,
01:06 has become a reality.
01:08 In the hope of striking a deal with minority groups to form a government,
01:11 Spain's caretaker Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has asked Brussels to add Catalan, Basque and Galician
01:18 to the long list of registered EU languages.
01:22 Beyond politics, we take a closer look at what this would mean for locals,
01:26 but also at what cost it would come at to EU taxpayers.
01:30 Our panel this week, Sarah Mathieu, Belgian MEP from the Greens, welcome.
01:34 Thank you.
01:35 Stefan Sipke, Senior Policy Analyst with the European Policy Centre.
01:39 I'm Kate Bolangaro, Managing Editor at Emlex Europe.
01:43 Welcome, how are you all? Did you get a little bit of a break this summer?
01:47 Yeah, certainly. Brussels is always quite relaxing, actually, in the summer.
01:51 I ended up staying here and it's super quiet, so I really enjoy that.
01:56 I got out of the Brussels bubble, I went to DĂĽssaurs, which was great.
02:00 Of course, we need to charge our batteries because the State of the Union is coming up.
02:04 And we'll tell our viewers later what the State of the Union is.
02:07 What about you, Stefan? Did you get a break?
02:09 Yeah, it was great to have a bit of a vacation.
02:11 And of course, August is always a bit of a sleepy month in Brussels,
02:14 so it's good to have a bit of a rest now before we are back to school indeed.
02:18 But Kate, you said you were here. That means you had an eye on that story, which was Frans Timmermans,
02:22 the well-known EU commissioner who's known for coming to work on his bicycle, quitting his job.
02:27 He was like the number two over at the European Commission.
02:29 So I want to hear your thoughts on that. But first, let's just bring our viewers up to speed.
02:34 Good news for the Netherlands, some say, but a setback for Brussels.
02:42 Frans Timmermans, one of the few well-known faces of the EU establishment, has left the building.
02:48 The face of the EU Green Deal?
02:50 The Dutch politician spent the last three years convincing the continent to radically change the way they live,
02:56 consume, travel and do business, and negotiating at COP.
03:00 Timmermans heads home to lead a Labour Green Alliance in November's national elections.
03:06 The question now, who will fill his boots as a Dutch commissioner?
03:09 And what will all this mean for EU climate ambitions at a time when 2040 climate targets need to be set in stone?
03:16 With the UN warning the climate bomb is ticking, we ask if the planet can wait for politicians.
03:22 Louise Albertus reporting there on that story. So let's take a look perhaps at yourself first.
03:30 Was this a big discussion point this week in the parliament? What has the reaction been to the news?
03:34 Well, of course, I mean, this is one of the things that popped out for everyone.
03:39 And myself, I've been working with Timmermans, of course, on some of these important climate laws.
03:45 And well, I'm a Belgian MEP, so I, of course, follow also the Dutch elections.
03:50 So, yeah, I think it was the talk of the town in the sense that, of course,
03:54 Timmermans is one of the architects, the real defenders of this Green Deal.
04:01 At the same time, of course, it's not because Timmermans is gone that everything on climate policy and Green Deal will fall in shambles.
04:07 But for sure, I mean, this was one of the speaking points for me and my colleagues.
04:12 And was it the talk of the town here in a good way or in a bad way case?
04:15 I think it certainly was the talk of the town. August was a bit sleepy in Brussels.
04:20 So we always have those summer stories and there was always a question about who is going to replace him.
04:24 And he's really been the engine behind a lot of these ambitious policies.
04:27 You know, the new carbon border tax that they've put in, the ban on the combustible engine and really bringing in more emissions trading systems, more industries into that.
04:35 So that push, the question would be, what is the next person who's going to be in his role?
04:40 How are they going to what's going to be their approach to that? And that is the question.
04:44 What impact, of course, could him leaving? Well, just to say at first that I think there is also a case for him going back to the Netherlands because they think now the battle for the Green Deal is increasingly being fought at the member state level.
04:54 So we can understand his decision from that perspective. But of course, it comes with the price.
05:00 The question is, indeed, will the commission keep up the pace and manage to keep the same level of ambition as it did during Timmermans?
05:08 And that's a big question. And that will all be, of course, on the shoulders of the commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.
05:13 She was dining earlier this week with Emmanuel Macron, the French president.
05:17 But she's placed the Slovakian commissioner in charge for the time being. That's, of course, Mariusz Sefkiewicz.
05:23 He's been put of charge in charge of climate. And our Euronews' Gregor Lahore, he asked him if a new face for the job could mean a new direction.
05:30 Take a listen. I think it definitely means that we are in a new phase because, I mean, until now, we've been focusing a lot on the legislative work.
05:39 So I think we build this new political but also legislative framework for the Green Deal.
05:44 And now we are approaching the phase which should be roll out. This is proper implementation.
05:50 This phase, how to put it in practice, I think will be as challenging as the work we've been doing until now.
05:57 Mariusz Sefkiewicz there. So just on the momentum, which was there, of course, when Franz Timmermans was around, will it still be there,
06:04 especially given as well the backlash, perhaps, that we've seen to a lot of these climate files lately?
06:09 No, I think it will be there. And there are, of course, still important things that need to be discussed.
06:14 I mean, think about our EU climate goals for 2030. Think about, for instance, the cup, of course, in Dubai.
06:22 And in that sense, I think it will be very important that we have a strong support from the Commission for our climate goals and for Green Deal.
06:30 And, of course, you've all followed what happened with the nature restoration law, where there was a backlash coming from conservative parties.
06:38 And in that sense, I think it will be really important that we make sure that that support is still very clearly spoken out by von der Leyen and the colleagues.
06:48 And in that sense, I think it's a good thing that an experienced commissioner, like Sefkiewicz, will take up the vice president's role that Timmermans played,
06:59 and that he will be the one responsible for the Green Deal. So we do have this continuity.
07:04 We do have a commissioner with some experience there. At the same time, I'm quite worried about who von der Leyen is now putting on the table as a replacement on climate, I have to say.
07:14 Well, that's another question. We mentioned that person in just a minute. But I just like to remind our viewers what exactly is in that Green Deal.
07:21 It is, as you mentioned, a long list of policy proposals to reach that magic goal of climate neutrality by 2050, make it a legal obligation.
07:30 But also, as you said, focus on a biodiversity strategy for 2030 and a farm to fork strategy.
07:36 So, Kate, I'd like to turn to you, because you're obviously keeping a very close eye on the commission and all these proposals in your day to day job.
07:44 What has been done and what is yet to get done?
07:46 Well, I think there's been a big push now to work on a lot of this industrial side of things, bringing more of those industries like construction into this emissions trading system, for example,
07:56 which is basically a way of making sure that any the companies that are polluting are going to be compensating for that.
08:03 And so I think there's been a lot of push to implement this policy. And now the question is, how is it going to work on the ground?
08:09 And I think that's really where there's a lot of that political will meets the road.
08:13 And we're going to see now, especially as the European elections are coming, what's that going to mean on citizens lives?
08:19 I think that's going to be a big question. And young people are agitating more and more about climate issues.
08:23 We've been seeing that over the past decade. Timmermans was a voice for a lot of that.
08:27 And now the question is, what kind of a role is it going to play in the talks around the European elections and the campaigns?
08:33 And I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on the commission and anyone else wanting to run that there need to be having an answer for those tough climate questions that especially the new generation is posing.
08:43 The pressure is on, of course, as you say, from the new generation and, of course, from the weather that we saw this summer.
08:48 But at the same time, Stefan, we see industry, a lot of industry calling for a pause. We saw France and Germany writing to the commission here saying, stop it with all this red tape.
08:57 We cannot digest the amount of proposals and obligations that are coming from Brussels.
09:03 Indeed, there has been a lot of pushback on the Green Deal, the Green Agenda, on different files, on climate, nature, agri-food.
09:11 So lots of these discussions, again, like importance of discussing this at the member state level and going to the capitals themselves becomes more important than ever.
09:19 And, of course, there is an issue with that. And we need to listen to different stakeholders, the industry, but also different regions, different categories of our population, and to try to ensure that this green transition is just.
09:31 But we have to do it because we need to think about the costs of inaction and what is at stake at this point, our economy, our society, maybe even our survival depends on actually on this, whether we will achieve the green transition,
09:44 we'll save our climate and our nature and reduce pollution and resource depletion.
09:48 So we need to compare to what is the challenge, what are we actually trying to do and why Green Deal is actually important in that sense.
09:54 And Sarah-Matthieu, as you said, you're a Belgian MEP, you're from Ghent, a beautiful city. Is that how your voters are thinking?
10:01 The way Stefan was expressing himself there.
10:03 Well, definitely. And I think it's very important what you said on the just transition as well.
10:08 I think for me, that's really the big thing that this next commissioner needs to make sure that actually happens.
10:14 I mean, of course, we need to have these ambitious climate goals and we need to take industry with us.
10:19 And I think that that will really be an opportunity also to create a lot of green jobs, for instance, in the circular economy.
10:25 But I think that what has been lacking within this whole framework is the social component.
10:31 And that's really where I see the big challenge for this commission and for the next one to make sure that, you know, the most vulnerable people are really protected in this,
10:40 that they are helped with energy renovations, with good and affordable public transport, for instance.
10:47 I mean, for me, that's really what needs to happen and what's really key.
10:50 Well, they often we often hear that phrase leaving no one behind.
10:55 The expression that Franz Timmermans alluded to a lot and Mara Sefcovich in that interview earlier with our colleague,
11:01 your Gregoire Laurie as well from Euronews, he alluded to that, that he wanted more dialogue as well with citizens.
11:08 And of course, to make sure that no one got left behind. But in reality, that's easier said than done.
11:13 Well, certainly it is. I mean, I think that it is easier to say that we are going to speak to everybody.
11:17 I mean, this is a very big union of 27 countries, and it's very, very difficult to reach all the four corners of that.
11:24 And there's different realities that people are facing. It doesn't mean that there that should be an excuse to not pursue ambitious climate goals.
11:30 But I do think that it does become a bit more of a challenge.
11:33 And especially when you're trying to reach out to voters and get people engaged at the European level, which is where these policies are set and decided upon.
11:41 I think it's really, really key to get Europe going in the same direction.
11:44 And we saw what happened with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and what went on with the energy transition that actually that spurred it on.
11:51 And that's been really interesting to see even how an outside event that's right on the border of Europe is actually pushing towards those climate goals
11:59 and showing the importance of trying to find a way to have a just transition also because of the energy bills, for example.
12:06 They had to find ways to lower those costs down for people. And I think that that really brought climate change,
12:11 but also about energy transition really into everybody's home because they had to discuss that.
12:16 So I think that might be a way in when it comes to the campaign to talk about these issues and talk about the need for more climate targets
12:24 and to meet those and what's the strategy to do that, but without necessarily leaving people behind.
12:29 And we mentioned or you mentioned earlier a certain man whose name popped up a lot this week in Brussels as well.
12:34 That is Woopke Hoekstra. He is a Dutch Christian Democrat.
12:38 And we heard Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission president, put his name out this week as a possible potential candidate to replace Frans Timmermans.
12:46 She said he would work under Maris Cefkevic, but MEPs, of course, would have to endorse his appointment.
12:53 We've seen already this week a couple of MEPs take to Twitter to express how they feel about that potential appointment.
13:00 Pascal Canfan, for example, the head of the Envy Committee, said he has to demonstrate that he's the right man at the right place.
13:08 And it's absolutely not, in his eyes, a done deal.
13:13 Will he get through? And perhaps tell our viewers more about this man that you can and you can probably pronounce his name a little bit better than I can.
13:19 Well, Woopke Hoekstra, indeed, I can imagine for non-Dutch speakers it's a bit of a difficulty.
13:26 Well, I was quite surprised to hear his name pop up here.
13:31 And I'm also quite worried, to be very honest, because, of course, I mean, if you put this person in charge of climate,
13:38 you do want someone there that has an affinity with it.
13:42 And this guy, well, in all frankness, has never done anything on climate.
13:47 Quite the contrary, actually. I mean, he used to work for the fossil industry.
13:52 And I mean, if you look at his track record more on Dutch elections and on the Dutch-speaking political sphere,
14:01 this is one of the guys from the CDR, the Christian Democrats in the Netherlands,
14:06 that were really in the lead against the whole nature restoration law.
14:10 And that's very worrying, because, of course, it seems like they still haven't understood
14:15 that saving nature and saving the climate are very much intertwined.
14:19 And, well, and I think within the euro bubble people have seen that as well during the corona crisis.
14:25 Well, what he said about the Italians, for instance, in the middle of this pandemic,
14:32 when we were talking about a corona fund and a joint debt, well, let them get their budget in order first,
14:39 is perhaps not the best way, the best diplomatic way to get all member states involved in climate policy.
14:46 So, I mean, for me and for my group, I think that this hearing will be quite tough.
14:52 We will ask a lot of tough questions. And, well, if it doesn't suffice, if he can't convince us,
14:57 then it's very possible that Van der Leyen will have to go to the drawing board again.
15:02 Which will, of course, take more time and be a distraction when lots of work needs to get done.
15:07 What are you hearing about this Wupke Hoekstra? I know he was also involved in those Panama papers.
15:12 That's something that a lot of people were reporting about him for the last couple of years here.
15:15 So, yeah, he has a bit of a question mark, perhaps, over his name.
15:18 Well, I would say, I mean, it's great that the Commission acted quickly and decisively when it comes to Sevkovic.
15:22 I think there is no real, let's say, debate about that.
15:25 I think it's good that we already have someone replacing Timur in a sense,
15:28 but lots of discussion about, definitely about Wupke Hoekstra.
15:32 Basically, what you said, I think that's what's circulating around.
15:35 Lack of experience when it comes to the Green agenda.
15:38 Some other experience that actually is not contributing to these efforts.
15:42 So, it's like, it's really a question.
15:45 I think for this, he will really need to prove himself, and I think this is not a done deal.
15:50 And I think maybe it's also, there is a political link with this,
15:54 and also the fact that there is time that they're trying to replace, to make these replacements.
15:58 So, with Sevkovic, I think that's something that is understandable for this.
16:02 We will have to see. It's not a done deal.
16:04 And Kate, you mentioned COP earlier. Of course, COP is taking place in Dubai this year.
16:08 And I remember, Franz Timmermans was always the man there in the room for those hours and hours of negotiations.
16:14 Standing as well beside John Kerry, the American counterpart.
16:17 Who will the EU now, perhaps, be sending?
16:19 Could it be a man like Mr. Hoekstra, and would he be up for that task, do you think?
16:23 Well, it certainly could be. My question, though, is if Mr. Hoekstra is going to play more of a caretaker role.
16:27 We are heading towards the European elections in June.
16:29 A lot of the policymaking has already been done.
16:31 So, my question now would be, when he goes to COP, what position is he going to be in to actually make any promises?
16:37 And actually, any promises that he does actually make, will he be able to deliver on those?
16:41 Because the Commission, we don't know what's going to happen next June.
16:44 There could still be changes. So, I think he is in a powerful position.
16:47 But I do wonder what kind of changes he would be able to make in terms of strategy in that short period of time.
16:53 Especially since he's going to be under Sevkovic.
16:55 So, I think he may have to actually follow the marching orders that are given by Sevkovic,
16:59 who does have some experience as the Energy Head at the Commission previously.
17:03 So, I think that there's a question there also about how much he's going to be able to do in that short period of time that he will be holding that portfolio.
17:10 And, of course, if he gets the job, he'll also be given a huge team of experts and academics and lawyers that will, of course, help him along the way.
17:17 But another question that was posed this week in Brussels, whether or not the wheels are starting to come off the European Commission.
17:23 Because, of course, we said Frans Timmermans was one of the perhaps more popular figures.
17:27 And then we're also hearing about Margrethe Versteyer, the Danish Commissioner, who has her eyes set on a job at the EIB.
17:35 From your perspective over in the Parliament, does it really matter who's sitting there at the Commission?
17:40 Do these figures matter? Or what is your view?
17:43 Well, of course, it matters. I mean, I would rather have a climate champion than someone that is just following a line.
17:52 At the same time, of course, the Commission does have a quite clear project.
17:56 And in that sense, of course, like you also say, it's not like someone like Hoekstra can just do whatever he wants.
18:02 I mean, there is a clear project and a clear Green Deal project that also Ursula von der Leyen is still supporting.
18:10 But, yeah, if you ask me, of course, I would like to have a commissioner that is really strong on climate and social policy.
18:17 Stefan, your take just on that?
18:19 Well, I mean, we run up to the elections. So in that sense, I mean, I see that there are things are changing.
18:25 Officials are coming and going in a way. And I do think it's important that it's I think it's important who is definitely in charge.
18:35 And it's not always just the experience. It's also the influence.
18:39 And of course, these people need to be surrounded by experts and listen to different stakeholders.
18:44 But it does matter what what let's say that that different, let's say, levels of the of the civil service.
18:53 And they are also inspired that they receive clear signals that something is important, something needs to be addressed.
18:58 And in that sense, I think it does matter who is.
19:02 And finally, perhaps from from yourself on that, I definitely think that Margarita Vestager is also been a big departure.
19:10 So I think we are seeing waves of people now leaving and heading off as the elections do approach.
19:15 So keeping my eyes out to see what exactly happens with Hoekstra if he does, in fact, pass the parliament's grilling.
19:23 Well, we certainly keep a very close eye on that and keep our viewers very much informed on that hearing.
19:29 Will you be in the hearing? Yes, of course.
19:31 I will be on a member of the Environmental Committee and I work on climate policy.
19:35 So, yes, of course, you'll be asking him all the tough questions.
19:38 OK, we'll keep an eye on that. Thank you so much for your insights on that.
19:42 And don't go anywhere, because in just a minute, we'll be focusing on a completely different story that caught the attention of Polyglots this week.
19:48 More on that after the break.
19:59 Welcome back to Brussels, my love, Euronews's weekly talk show about European news.
20:04 I'm Maeve McMahon. Now, this week was quiet in Brussels, but one story that did catch our eye was the Spanish prime minister asking Brussels to recognise Basque, Catalan and Galician as official EU languages.
20:17 His motives, of course, are political. He's currently flirting with the Catalan political party, Junts, in order to form a government.
20:24 So I'd like to check in with the panel and hear your thoughts on this.
20:28 Perhaps we start with you, Kate. This, of course, will have to be considered by EU ministers when they meet and the general affairs.
20:33 Council, will this fly? I mean, what do the EU treaties say?
20:37 I think it's a big question as to at what level are we able to recognise every regional language in the EU?
20:44 And I think that's going to be a question for the ministers. To what extent are they willing to open that door up for it?
20:49 Because it's not only going to be Spanish languages, of course, that would be included, you know, Galician, Catalan and Basque.
20:54 They would need to expand that opportunity to, you know, you have Breton in France.
20:57 You have a lot of other regional languages that, you know, obviously are flourishing or even also, unfortunately, some of them dying in their countries.
21:06 So I think they're going to have to have a conversation about the EU as a whole.
21:09 Also, that ties into talks with membership talks about expansion, because there are more and more languages on the way as the EU expands.
21:16 So what's the linguistic policy as a whole? Irish is a great example of that, you know, and that was obviously the language that Ireland chose when it joined.
21:26 And so that, I think, is a really good case to look at in this conversation as well.
21:32 Well, I mean, I would really more focus on the political context, if that's OK, because, I mean, for me, of course, this is very linked to the fact that Sanchez is trying to form a new government.
21:43 And I mean, of course, I will support that in the sense that I think that the former government, which was a leftist government, was very good on social policy.
21:53 Now he's trying to form a majority with Sumar. That is, of course, linked to my party, to the Greens.
21:59 And while I understand that you need to have some some bargaining chips there, the question is, is this really going to make a difference for Basque or Catalan citizens?
22:11 Well, that's where we were asking. That's the question we were asking ourselves here as well.
22:15 So we decided to check in with one of them because, of course, around nine million people speak Catalan on a daily basis, Catalan and Valenciano.
22:22 So we checked in with Victor Camino. He's the secretary general of the Socialist Youth in Spain to hear if he thought this proposal would fly.
22:30 I believe that the proposal is a realistic one on the one hand and a symbolic one on the other.
22:38 This means it is realistic to make Europe more similar, to make Europe look in the mirror and become more like what it really is.
22:44 For example, in my case, I speak Valencian, so it is the language of my family or the language I have fallen in love through, I have worked through.
22:51 Therefore, it has an important symbolic value because you're making Europe bigger, a Europe where more people fit, where more linguistic realities fit.
22:59 So you're strengthening Europe to make it stronger and also in this case to make Spain stronger.
23:08 So Victor Camino there making the point that this wouldn't just benefit Spain, but also Europe, making people feel more included.
23:14 Stefan Zipke, your take? I would say in principle there is a case for that, but we need to be careful because it's about recognising local languages.
23:22 Also, it's linked to regional identities, different sentiments in that sense.
23:26 If you do it right, that can actually, that could benefit the EU and also Spain in this case and potentially other countries and maybe bring more, ensure a long term stability in that sense.
23:37 However, it could create a precedent and we have similar questions popping up in other member states and we need to look at it on a case by case basis.
23:47 So we need to be a very careful discussion, we shouldn't rush into conclusions.
23:52 Just saying that in principle, there could be a good argument to recognise these languages and therefore in a way reach out to this,
24:01 coming back to the importance of the dialogue and recognising different sentiments, but it's important not to,
24:07 and there can be trade-offs and we need to think about potential that it can be a negative side, there can be negative side effects as well.
24:13 Okay, well one MEP that we spoke to earlier this week thought it was a really, really bad idea, Jorge Buchade, he is from the National Conservative Spanish Party, Vox.
24:22 Take a listen to his reaction.
24:26 It is an absolutely insane idea and above all it is a forced idea.
24:31 It is not an idea of Sánchez, it is an idea of a leader who wants to make a pact with separatism,
24:37 with all those parties that want to destroy the Spanish nation.
24:41 Spain as a nation has its own language, general and common to all Spaniards,
24:46 which is what represents us here in the European Parliament and in all the institutions in Brussels.
24:53 And the institutions of the European Union are not there to satisfy any radical minority party, but to satisfy the real needs of Europeans.
25:03 Jorge Buchade there giving his two pence on that. Sarah Mathieu, quick reaction?
25:09 Well, I mean, he is of course entitled to that opinion.
25:12 I would say it is a legitimate question of the Spanish government and that the institutions need to look into it.
25:18 But again, I mean, what I would focus on honestly is what really makes a difference for a common citizen in the Basque Country and in Catalonia and Galicia.
25:28 And I mean, for me, if you would ask me what would be perhaps a better bargaining chip,
25:33 I would look at the European funds and say, you know what, maybe in those regions we could spend a bit more on the green transition,
25:40 finding green jobs, making sure social policy is there. I think actually that might be a more workable.
25:47 Because of course, Kate Bolingaro translating all the documents, official documents, if Pedro Sanchez's wish was to be granted, would come at a massive cost.
25:56 Currently, according to a document from the EU Commission that I read, it takes around 349 million euros per year to translate the documents every year.
26:05 And there's around 2 million documents. I mean, that's already a lot.
26:08 It's quite a lot. And I know that Irish is the most expensive to translate because, you know, it is an official language.
26:13 And so all the documents do need to be translated into that language.
26:15 And it's also very challenging to find fluent Irish speakers who can translate those very complicated documents of the Commission.
26:21 Totally. And I think that's a big question. So Catalan has a bigger population base, but the smaller regional languages.
26:26 And then at what point is it, what do we decide what's a language that should be of a certain threshold?
26:31 There's a lot of conversations there.
26:33 What I would also encourage is why not having some European funds to support language diversity, to reinforce language and have some access to allow people to continue to speak their languages?
26:43 Does that mean that it has to be official recognition? I think that's a broader question that politicians need to decide is what to what extent.
26:50 Also, these definitions, how does that impact people's identity and where they live and what's the response to that going to be?
26:56 So there's a lot of political questions there and the cost to EU taxpayers.
26:59 You know, again, Irish being the case study for that, you know, speaking some speaking it, it's a beautiful language, but, you know, I don't understand a word of it.
27:08 But I always am very impressed when I hear someone who does.
27:10 Well, I won't dare to speak Irish and confuse a lot of our viewers.
27:14 But indeed, I mean, we'll have to keep an eye on that general affairs meeting and see what the what the ministers decide.
27:20 And of course, we keep you all very much informed on the attempts over in Madrid to form a government.
27:25 There's news breaking every single day on the various meetings taking place and we will keep you very much informed.
27:31 But for now, thank you so much for your insights and thank you for watching.
27:34 We'll see you soon right here on Euronews and of course, on Euronews.com.
27:38 Hello there. Welcome back to Brussels.
27:49 My love, Euronews' weekly talk show.
27:51 I'm Maeve McMahon and along with my panel, we're taking a look at some of the stories that got tongues wagging this week.
27:57 One brings us to Austria, where the climate minister, Leonore Gewissler, offered people a free annual transport ticket in return for getting a tattoo with the motto 'Climaticket'.
28:10 Locals could choose from an array of tattoos, but they had to include those words 'Climaticket' and therefore endorse the campaign.
28:18 Would you get a tattoo like that, Kate?
28:21 Maybe if it was for a lifetime of free public transport. I mean, that tattoo lasts a lifetime.
28:26 Yourself, Sarah Mathew?
28:27 Well, I would try and hack the system, actually. I'm very curious how it would work.
28:31 So, I would just get a temporary one and see if the conductor actually tries to wash it off, like the kid ones.
28:36 What about yourself, Stefan?
28:37 I might consider it. I never had a tattoo before, so maybe I can try it now with the climate tattoo. Why not?
28:42 And so far, I see that they made an effort to make different designs and different options.
28:46 Really? You'd care about the climate so much you would do the tattoo?
28:49 Maybe. Why not?
28:50 Well, we posed the question as well to locals here in Brussels to see would they get a tattoo in return for free public transport. Take a listen.
28:58 No, because I'm afraid of needles.
29:01 Is there any removal plan offered by the government for the tattoo after the year? It kind of seems like a very long-lasting experiment. I wouldn't do it. It's too permanent.
29:10 That's amazing. Honestly, I would do it. I really care about the climate and I would do it, definitely. I would take this tattoo, of course.
29:18 A tattoo is not something I would do, no. Just because of my religion, firstly, and secondly, I wouldn't do it.
29:28 I don't think it's really useful. Just to have a free travel pass, to do a tattoo, you're destroying your body.
29:34 Yeah, sure, for sure I'll do it because it's eco-friendly. It's maybe a modern way to do it.
29:41 Well, the climate ticket is something that works brilliantly anyway, even without this promo, right?
29:47 So I think it's great what Leonora, our minister in Austria, has done to have three euros a day access to all of the public transport, making it accessible for all.
30:00 And it's also something that our Brussels minister here in the region is doing.
30:05 And so in that sense, I think that's the most important thing you can do as a politician, make sure that it's accessible, that it's affordable to as many people as possible and it's of high quality.
30:15 But yeah, I mean, I think it's a nice way to promote it. Maybe me and our minister here in Brussels should get a tattoo together. Why not?
30:23 Well, one thing it has done is raise awareness. I mean, here we are talking about it, regardless of the fact that you agree with this idea or not, but they're getting their point across.
30:33 Well, certainly as a political strategy, it's controversial, so it's going to draw attention, especially from the press. And it's a way to reach out to young people.
30:40 So I think there was some thinking behind it, but obviously not everyone's going to sign up for one year pass.
30:46 Any ideas for the European Commission on HIKO? Should they do something similar?
30:50 I would just say it's an excellent communication tool, definitely making it more appealing for the younger population.
30:56 And I think it's something that we should, let's see how it develops in Austria.
31:00 And also, I mean, following the whole, let's say, initiatives around climate tickets and similar initiatives happening in Germany.
31:05 And I think it's good to see and build on good practices, but we need to observe and see how, what to learn from maybe some mistakes or lessons learned.
31:14 And then I think there is a great prospect, but I think this rising demand via climate tickets needs to be also matched by more investments into our public transport infrastructure,
31:25 so that we actually ensure that people in the end end up taking up public transportation and reducing their car usage in the long run.
31:32 And that's a major ask, of course, of people. You see that. But we saw a lot take place during the pandemic.
31:37 I mean, a lot of people, you know, took to the bike instead of the car. Did you see a lot of trends like that here?
31:42 Yeah, definitely. And I mean, you can see it, how Brussels has changed also due to the fact that we have these temporary bike lanes, etc.,
31:50 that now are becoming more and more, you know, part of the normal.
31:55 And in that sense, I think, yeah, I mean, there's a lot of potential that is still yet uncovered for cyclists, but also for public transport users in Brussels.
32:05 OK, so, Matthew, I'm going to have to stop you there. Thank you so much, though, for coming in to see us.
32:09 And you too, Keir Ballinger o and Stefan Siepke. And thank you, of course, for watching.
32:13 If you have any reactions to any of the stories that we covered today, do reach out.
32:17 Our email is brusselsmylove@euronews.com. We're also on social media.
32:22 See you soon here on Euronews and, of course, over on Euronews.com.
32:25 [Music]