FREIE WÄHLER Hessen

On the occasion of Taiwan’s National Day, I send my warmest greetings to the people of Taiwan! 🇹🇼 Taiwan demonstrates every day how a society can stand up for democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, even under challenging circumstances. These shared values also form the strong foundation of the close partnership between Taiwan and Europe. Just recently, we came together at a reception to mark National Day, which once again reflected the close friendship and bond between Taiwan and the European Union. Today, I wish all the people of Taiwan a cheerful and peaceful National Day! Happy Double Ten Day!

Strong performance, committed people and a vital connection between Europe and the world. I recently had the opportunity to visit Lufthansa Cargo in Frankfurt and gain valuable insights into its operations and business performance. What impressed me most was not only the company’s strong economic performance and positive figures, but above all the people behind them. I met highly motivated employees who work hard every day, take responsibility and clearly enjoy what they do. That is an important part of economic success: good results do not happen by themselves. They are created by people who take responsibility, work together and are willing to go the extra mile. Lufthansa Cargo is also a great example of how strong economic cooperation between Europe and China can work in practice. International trade, logistics and global value chains create jobs, growth and opportunities on both sides. As Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with China, I believe that we need to reduce risks where necessary, while continuing to strengthen economic cooperation where it benefits both Europe and China. Many thanks to the Lufthansa Cargo team for the warm welcome, the open discussions and the valuable insights. It was a pleasure meeting so many dedicated and passionate people on site. Strong companies need strong people. And Europe needs strong economic connections with the world. #LufthansaCargo #Frankfurt #Aviation #Logistics #Economy #Europe #China #EUChina #EconomicCooperation #Trade

🚗 If a technology is already on the roads elsewhere, Europe cannot spend years debating whether it should be allowed here. I visited the NIO Store in Frankfurt, met the team and took a test drive myself. My impression: impressive. NIO combines electric mobility, software, battery swapping and intelligent mobility in a compelling way. Autonomous driving is a particularly important example. In parts of 🇺🇸 the US and 🇨🇳 China, autonomous driving is already part of everyday mobility. In Europe, we are still at an earlier stage. Of course, we need clear rules and high safety standards. But innovation needs room to develop. Over the coming weeks, I will meet more Chinese companies in Germany and Europe. In October, I will travel to China again for the fourth time this year for further discussions. If we want to shape competition, we need to understand what our competitors can do. #NIO #Innovation #AutonomousDriving #Mobility #China #Europe

Day 3 of my summer tour through Germany – Meeting 1 of 3: Security and technology at Erding Air Base Today, I visited ERC Systems at Erding Air Base. What particularly interests me during visits like this is the question of how we can combine technological innovation and industrial strength in Germany with our security needs. The past years have shown that security is no longer just about traditional military capabilities. Drones, electronic systems, sensors, digital technologies and artificial intelligence are fundamentally changing the security environment. That is why we need companies in Germany that develop and produce innovative technologies and strengthen our security capabilities. Security policy today is also industrial and innovation policy. My impression from today's meeting: Germany has enormous know-how and highly qualified companies. What is often missing are faster decisions, less bureaucracy and better conditions for ensuring that innovation is actually developed, produced and deployed in Europe. At the European level, we also need to reduce technological dependencies and strengthen our own capabilities. If we want to be secure, we must also be capable of providing for our own security. Thank you to the team at ERC Systems for the fascinating insights and the open discussion. On to meeting 2 of 3 on my summer tour through Germany. #SummerTour #Erding #Bavaria #Security #Defence #Innovation #Technology #Drones #Germany #Europe #FREIEWÄHLER

China – Day 2 🇨🇳💯 Diplomacy does not mean always agreeing. Diplomacy means talking to one another even when there are major differences of opinion. That is exactly what we did today. Today, our delegation met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. This meeting is a clear sign that China is interested in improving relations with the European Parliament. Considering that high-level visits in international politics often fall through because meetings cannot be arranged, it is by no means a given that the Chinese Foreign Minister would take the time for an in-depth discussion with a delegation from the European Parliament. In addition, we held in-depth discussions with Li Hongzhong, First Vice Chair of the National People’s Congress, and with Lou Qinjian, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress. What distinguished all three discussions was their candor. We did not exchange diplomatic platitudes, nor did we shy away from difficult topics. On the contrary: we addressed our differing positions openly and clearly, engaged in lively debate, and exchanged arguments, always with the goal of finding common solutions for relations between #Europe and #China. When I think about where we stood as recently as last October, after nearly eight years of largely frozen parliamentary relations, this represents remarkable progress. The fact that we are once again engaging with one another at this level is the result of hard work and the willingness of both sides to revive the dialogue. And we’re discussing the truly difficult issues: #Russia’s war of aggression against #Ukraine, the massive imbalances in economic relations between the #EU and China, human rights, Taiwan, and many other questions. That is precisely why this open and honest exchange is so important. The real litmus test, however, still lies ahead. The decisive factor will be whether concrete solutions emerge from this dialogue. Especially regarding the trade deficit and economic relations, we will see by October at the latest whether both sides are prepared to make viable decisions. A solution will emerge in one direction or the other. This issue can no longer be postponed. As Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with China, one thing is particularly important to me: dialogue is not an end in itself. It must lead to growing trust, to problems being identified, and ultimately to their resolution. Only in this way can we resolutely represent European interests while simultaneously building stable relations with one of the most important global players. A good day is coming to an end. We’re on the right track, step by step. Now we must turn words into action. After all, trust isn’t built on announcements, but on turning conversations into concrete results.

FREIE WÄHLER Delegation Brussels 🇪🇺🧡 The final committee week of this parliamentary term before the summer recess at the European Parliament is coming to a close. Several intensive months of dedicated work for Germany and Europe are now behind us. Behind us, the three FREIE WÄHLER Members of the European Parliament, stands an outstanding team. Your tireless commitment, your passion, and your daily support are the foundation of everything we have achieved. A heartfelt thank you for your trust and cooperation. We simply couldn't do this without you and the work wouldn't be nearly as rewarding.

100,000 jobs at Volkswagen? It won't stop there. If Europe fails to fundamentally change course, this will not be the last headline of its kind. We are not just losing jobs. We are losing industrial capacity, innovation, investment, and ultimately our economic prosperity. While other regions actively strengthen their industries through competitive energy prices, faster permitting, targeted investments, and strategic industrial policies, Europe too often burdens its companies with excessive regulation, high energy costs, and bureaucratic hurdles. The consequence is predictable: investment follows competitiveness. And increasingly, that means investment leaves Europe. As Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with China, I see every day how fierce global competition has become. Competing with China will not be won through tariffs alone. Europe must first make itself competitive again. That means: -Competitive energy prices. -Less bureaucracy and faster approval processes. -More investment in innovation, research, and critical technologies. -A genuine European Capital Markets Union. -A trade policy that protects our interests while keeping Europe open and competitive. Economic strength is the foundation of our prosperity, our social model, and our strategic autonomy. If we continue to drive industry out of Europe instead of enabling it to grow here, 100,000 jobs will not be the exception they will be only the beginning. Europe must stop managing decline and start creating the conditions for growth. #Europe #China #Germany #VW #Volkswagen tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/unt…

The defining geopolitical question of our time is not why Xi Jinping is traveling to North Korea. The real question is: Who will become the political center of gravity in the world of tomorrow? The United States increasingly appears preoccupied with its own domestic challenges. Many Western democracies are struggling with economic difficulties, political polarization, and declining public confidence in the ability of governments to act effectively. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping is systematically working to establish China as an alternative center of power. Against this backdrop, his first foreign trip of the year carries particular significance. He is not traveling to Europe, not to the United States, not elsewhere in Asia, not to Russia, and not to one of China’s major economic partners. He is traveling to North Korea. Many of my colleagues interpret this as an attempt to keep Russia out of North Korea. I do not share that assessment. As a consequence of its war against Ukraine, Russia is no longer on equal footing with China. In many respects, Moscow has become increasingly dependent on Beijing and often finds itself in the position of a petitioner. Xi is traveling to North Korea to send a message. A message to the world, but above all a message to China itself. Over recent years, democratic and authoritarian leaders alike have lined up in Beijing. Yet many left with the same impression: Xi gives little and asks for much. Some were offered symbolic trade agreements; others received impressive photo opportunities but few tangible results. Nevertheless, many were eager for Xi to pay a return visit. For some, this seemed more important than addressing the pressing challenges facing their own countries. Now Xi is sending a signal of his own. He decides whom to honor with his first visit of the year. In doing so, he demonstrates that he believes he holds the cards. Precisely because not everything that glitters is gold in #China today, this symbolism matters. Economic and social challenges are mounting. The more these pressures grow, the more Xi presents himself as the leader of a system that promises stability, control, and strength. He is positioning himself as the political center of gravity for the world’s authoritarian systems. The key question, therefore, is not why Xi is traveling to #NorthKorea. The key question is whether the world’s democracies can regain enough influence and confidence to remain a center of gravity themselves. Whether #Europe can become stronger. Whether the #USA can restore its capacity to provide strategic leadership. Or whether #Xi #Jinping will succeed in reshaping the geopolitical balance of the 21st century for the long term.

Great exchange with Niels Brab, Marco Winteroll and Nikolaus Sutter from the Deutsche Börse Group on the future of European capital markets. We discussed the MISP Report, EU equity market structure, the DLT Pilot Regime and post-trading regulation. Europe needs stronger capital markets, more market economy and less regulatory economy. Regulation should enable innovation and competitiveness—not become an obstacle to growth. #CapitalMarkets #EU #Finance #DLT #Innovation #Competitiveness

Deterrence only works if deployment works. When rail networks are constrained by different track gauges or cross-border movements are slowed by immense paperwork, Europe has a serious problem. We need a #MilitarySchengen now. Thanks to @DieReserve for initiating this exchange.

One swallow does not make a summer. A more conciliatory tone from Washington is welcome — but Europe must grow stronger on its own: - Deregulation. - Less state. - More competition. Real defense capability. Centralization is not the answer. Reform is. #Rubio #MSC2026

China is running. Europe is living on debt. I have just returned from a five-day visit to Beijing. Conversations with representatives of the Chinese government, European diplomats, and entrepreneurs who have built their lives and companies in China made one thing unmistakably clear: #China is moving — fast. Very fast. With determination, with focus, with enormous strategic ambition. The level of investment is immense, the pace is relentless, and the national consensus is evident: China intends to shape this century. And Europe? We substitute a lack of growth with the accumulation of debt. While China invests, we add new layers of regulation. While China enables rapid innovation, we create additional obstacles. While China sets global objectives, Europe’s economic strength and technological impact continue to weaken. These five days have made something clearer to me than ever before: #Europe must wake up. Now. We need to create the conditions for innovation, research, and real economic value to happen here again. We need a framework that allows our companies to grow for real — not just on paper. We must once again become a continent of ideas, a continent of progress, a continent of genuine economic momentum. Only then will we be able to shape the future instead of merely reacting to it. I am ready to work relentlessly for this direction. But Europe needs a wake-up call. China is running. Europe can no longer afford to sleep.