Terry Reintke, for the European Greens, said she comes from a country – Germany – where in the past conservatives and liberal underestimated the threat of the far-right.

The climate crisis is not waiting, she stressed, calling for creating green jobs. Choose courage, choose green, she said.

Terry Reintke, for the European Greens, is next in the spotlight.

Ursula von der Leyen, for the centre-right European People’s party, has taken a swipe at Renew’s Sandro Gozi. She also told Walter Baier that the EU does invest massively.

Terry Reintke, for the European Greens, said that when we look at the green deal, we also need to look at how to create a circular economy. How we can better recycle resources must become a core issue in Europe, she said, calling for extending the Emissions Trading System (ETS).

Sandro Gozi, representing Renew Europe Now, said we must make the single market more sustainable, to simply.

Terry Reintke, for the European Greens, said there’s a need for a green industrial deal. There’s potential for big companies, who see chances in green industry, and enable them to put it in practice.

She also called for a reform of the EU’s common agricultural policy. We need to change the way we distribute subsidies in Europe, she argued.

There’s a need for investment for this transformation. This continent can be a frontunner when it comes to climate neutrality and competitiveness, Reintke said.

The next question comes from Spain, on the next steps in the fight against climate change.

Nicolas Schmit, for the Party of European Socialists, said huge investments need to be mobilised to decarbonise. This is the issue: how can we mobilise the resources, how can we make climate policies acceptable for everyone, he said, stressing the need for social dialogue. Everybody can be the winner with the right climate policy, the socialist candidate said.

Ursula von der Leyen, for the centre-right European People’s party, said that climate change is a fact and that’s why she put climate neutrality by 2050 in this mandate. We have built the roadmap to get there, and now we’re in the implementation phase, she said, noting that there’s a dialogue ongoing with industry and with farmers.

In the farmers’ dialogue, the answers are clear: we want climate neutrality and want to get there, but want to move from conditionality to incentives, let’s go to modern technologies, she said. And the same goes for industry, she said. That’s the task for the next mandate, the Commission president said.

Climate and environment section begins

Sandro Gozi, representing Renew Europe Now, said he doesn’t understand how the European People’s party and Ursula von der Leyen are ready to open up to the European Conservatives and Reformists.

The issue of the Dutch VVD will be discussed in June, he noted.

Sandro Gozi said a more democratic and powerful Europe is possible.

I’m an Italian running in France, and debating in Brussels, he noted.

We must renew Europe now, he said.

Sandro Gozi, representing Renew Europe Now, is the next one getting a spotlight interview on stage.