You are looking at the HTML representation of the XML format.
HTML is good for debugging, but is unsuitable for application use.
Specify the format parameter to change the output format.
To see the non HTML representation of the XML format, set format=xml.
See the complete documentation, or API help for more information. 
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<api>
  <query-continue>
    <protectedtitles ptcontinue="20170724132930|1|Hotkey-Tabelle" />
  </query-continue>
  <query>
    <protectedtitles>
      <pt ns="1" title="Diskussion:LUA Handbuch zu EEP" timestamp="2018-09-06T14:11:57Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="1" title="Diskussion:Willkommen bei EEP 15" timestamp="2018-09-06T13:20:22Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="5" title="EEP Handbuch Diskussion:Über EEP Handbuch" timestamp="2017-07-26T15:44:54Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="4" title="EEP Handbuch:Über EEP Handbuch" timestamp="2017-07-26T15:44:47Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="5" title="EEP Handbuch Diskussion:Datenschutz" timestamp="2017-07-26T15:44:33Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="5" title="EEP Handbuch Diskussion:Impressum" timestamp="2017-07-26T15:44:04Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="1" title="Diskussion:Impressum" timestamp="2017-07-25T16:37:44Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="1" title="Diskussion:Plug-In 2" timestamp="2017-07-25T11:25:15Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="1" title="Diskussion:Plug-In 1" timestamp="2017-07-25T09:03:32Z" level="sysop" />
      <pt ns="1" title="Diskussion:Technischer Kundenservice" timestamp="2017-07-24T13:31:23Z" level="sysop" />
    </protectedtitles>
  </query>
</api>